Payday Loan Times

Should you apply for a payday loan or not? That's the question millions of consumers wrestle with on a daily basis. We spoke with a few individuals that have followed through on a cash advance course of action. The results were mixed.

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"I had heard all about the interest rates on payday loans. But I needed to get my car fixed. How else would I get to work? I just figured that if I planned ahead and maybe cut out certain expenses, I could afford to get the money back on time. It worked. I had to bring lunch more than usual and I kept the heat down for the rest of the month - but I got the car repaired and paid the back the payday advance before interest really kicked in." — Jackson, 31, Salesman

"The payday loan company made the process sound a lot easier than it really was. I had to give them a lot of personal and financial information. Then they tried to up the fees on me and hit me with a late surcharge even after I paid it back. It took a long time to close the book on this. You never know who you are dealing with."
– Randy, 35, Assistant Hotel Manager

"I'm away from home a lot, and I got behind on my bills. Some things happened that I didn't plan for and all of a sudden, I needed to pay my rent in two days or get evicted. I couldn't get the money for 10 days, 'cause I get paid every two weeks. So I got a payday loan online. I had no other choice. Quite honestly, it saved me. It was fast and simple. And I know enough not to get in this situation again."
– Doug, 41, Truck Driver

"Fast money! No fee! I had heard all these advertisements for quick cash and figured I'd give it a try. My boss doesn't always give us our paycheck on time and there were these concert tickets I really wanted to buy. I wanted to surprise my boyfriend and get really good seats. And I did receive like $500 right away, but didn't realize what would happen if I took my time paying it back. The interest was really bad. Doug was happy about the tickets, but not the way I acquired them."
– Sally, 26, Teacher

"I have two kids to take care of, so when a friend told me that you can get a faxless payday loan online and don't have to waste time or money finding a fax machine, I was pleased. Only after I filled out an online form did I find out that I actually was required to fax in my personal information. I was also charged more than the website said. Now I'm very wary of payday loan companies in general."
– Eva, 29, Secretary