Payday loans on the rise as credit crisis continues

The number of people being forced to take out high interest, short-term loans has risen by more than 130 per cent since August 2007; a figure which analysts say is evidence that the effects of the global credit crunch are showing no signs of easing.

Short-term loans, also known as payday loans due to the fact that people usually take them out to bridge the gap until their next pay cheque, have very high interest rates – more than 1,000 per cent in some cases – making them one of the most expensive ways of getting credit. But despite their catastrophically high rates, many consumers are finding that they have no choice other than to opt for a short term loan, otherwise they simply cannot cover their bills.

Payday loans are already very popular in the USA and are literally a short term fix – they are borrowed and then paid off within a couple of days.

There are a number of ‘payday’ lenders, including Payday UK, Express Finance, Pounds Till Payday and QuickQuid. Most of the sites charge £25 for every £100 lent, with typical APRs just over 1000% - QuickQuid states it’s typical APR as ranging from 1351.7% to 9889.3%. Given these terms, the loans seem ridiculous, but with soaring food and fuel prices many families are really struggling to cope and see no other option apart from obtaining a short-term loan in order to bridge the gap between paydays.

But, while many people may only arrange a payday loan once or twice and have it all under control, or take out a more sensible consolidation loan which they then manage carefully, others might find themselves on a slippery slope and debt charities are warning that these people need to sort out their finances sooner rather than later, or they could find themselves in mountains of debt.

But maybe it is not all doom and gloom - payday loan figures do suggest that the nation is struggling to cope, which puts a very bleak outlook on the financial future of the nation. But on the other hand, recent data has revealed a 3.5 per cent surge in retail sales in May, which would suggest that people are not so much struggling but riding on the buy now pay later wave and splashing the cash on things they don’t need rather than making sensible financial choices.

A recent YouthNet survey shows that more than two thirds of young people said that they had been encouraged to take up debt they did not want or could not afford, suggesting that even in a climate where spending has to be reeled in, many lenders, including some of the payday loan companies, are taking advantage of people who want a quick fix, or want to be able to buy non-essentials and luxuries, even if they have to borrow to be able to do it.