Loan Shack Blog

The Payday Loan Cycle

LoanShack — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:51:14 GMT

Have you found yourself in the payday loan cycle? A payday loan cycle is when your fees end up being more than the short-term loan which leaves you in a worse financial shape then when you walked into the office. Use a payday loan calculator so you know how much the loan costs. A reputable company will have no problem helping you figure this out.

Have a garage sale or advertise items you no longer need on a local radio swap program to earn money that can help pay off your payday loan only. Selling something is a good way to earn money without paying for it.

Cut back on household expenses to free up money to pay back the payday loan. It's even healthier to skip the high-cost food restaurants and fancy packaged foods and cook a meal. Water is much better for you than sodas also so tighten your belt until the debt is gone.

Additional income will help pay off the payday loan so get a temporary second job. You still have to budget and cut your expenses.

Contact a credit counselor if you've tried to get your finances in order but failed to do so.

Payday Loans provide a valuable and convenient service in times of need. Just make sure you don't abuse it.

A TV Budget Cut

LoanShack — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:11:59 GMT

Everyone likes watching television and it's getting cheaper and easier to stream your favorite shows to your television set. About 87% of U.S. households subscribe to a "multi-channel video service," mainly cable or satellite TV. Viewers are increasingly catching their favorite shows free or a fraction of what their cable company charges. Just think that not long ago, TV reception depended on how well your rooftop antenna picked up the signal. Actually letting go of cable or satellite TV would save the average household about $840 a year according to Centris, a market research firm.

Television:

Shows ordered from the web or a new antenna may be all you need.

First of all, you need to find out what you can watch free on local broadcast TV. Outdoor antennas may be from $30 to $150 depending on the type. Indoor antennas cost $40 or less but the reception may not be as good.

Movies:

Ditch the premium channels and stream/download the latest blockbusters.

Some online services will allow you to stream the newest movies. They have a wide selection of high-definition movies available to stream the day they are released on Blu-ray. Other services allow you to stream new movies that you can watch on your TV or computer. If you choose to stream the movies and TV shoes in HD, there may be an additional price. Also with HD, the programming does not come in all formats. The online services limit the amount of time you have to watch a rental but a few let you keep discs as long as you wish and you can view them at anytime.

Disaster Cash Strikes

LoanShack — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:50:47 GMT

When disaster strikes, what can you do? You can prepare yourself financially to help protect and access your finances should a natural disaster comes your way.

Bank: When disaster strikes your home could be damaged and you might know know if it can be salvaged. Access to your funds can be critical at the time especially if you have to more or arrange temporary housing. Keep at least a month's worth of money in a separate national account that may allow you to access your cash fast.

Financial Documents: Floods and fires can ruin your house in seconds so electronically scan your important financial documents before they're destroyed. Save them to a portable media (Disc, Zip drive) or e-mail them to a trusted friend. You can also make several copies and keep them at a trusted friend/family member's house.

Home Inventory: Create a home inventory of all the items in your home. This inventory may add ease to the process of filing an insurance claim if items are destroyed or damaged. You can also take pictures of each item if you want to go above and beyond.

Insurance: It can be very important to obtain and keep homeowners insurance so make sure you understand what your policy does and doesn't cover. So be sure to know your insurance.

Cash at Hand: Many conveniences such as ATM's are often not accessible when disaster occurs. Keep at least a weeks' worth of money in a safe place in your home to cover food and other necessities until things settle down.

It's almost impossible to prepare completely for every possible natural disaster. The most important thing is survival. These were just some measure you and your family can take to help ensure that your finances are as stable and protected as they can be.

It's comforting to know that if all else fails, you can always get a cash advance from Loan Shack when disaster happens.

Extra Cash in Extra Ways

LoanShack — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:37:28 GMT

There are many ways that you can save extra money in a lot of different options. Here are some tips for teaching yourself better saving habits.

Reward Skipped Treats: This excellent tip idea came from Yahoo! Finance. Ever gone to lunch break at work and always bought the flavored coffee like Starbucks? Each time you bring your lunch to work, try to skip the expensive sodas and snacks. Also resist that temptation of buying a fancy flavored coffee or other drink. By doing this, reward yourself by taking the money that might have been spent and placing it somewhere it won't be spent. Someplace you could put this might be a simple jar that you keep beside your bedside table. After a week, you may be shocked to see just how much you have saved.

Use a Savings Account: Have your paycheck be deposited directly into your savings account instead of your checking account every month. That way, you can just transfer enough money into your checking account to satisfy your monthly spending limit.

Extra Change Jar: Most people are surprised by how much their extra change in their pockets can add up. At the end of each day just place the extra change you have in your pockets into a jar. This jar should be placed where you will remember to empty your pockets whether its on the kitchen table or beside your bed.

Those tips are ways you can help yourself save money by just recognizing your own spending habits. While some of you may relate more closely to these suggestions than others, just about everyone can benefit from enrolling in direct deposit or stepping away to consider a tough purchase.

Why Use an Online Payday Loan Service?

LoanShack — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 03:17:26 GMT

Here are reasons why people apply for payday loans online:

Save Time: Spend less than 10 minutes online finding a lender. You should consider doing this instead of searching the yellow pages or driving around town - especially if you're in a time crunch.
Save Face: Nobody would want to ruin a business relationship with a bounced check or ask friends, family or an employer for a loan. You can pay your bills without adding pressure to your personal relationships through a payday service.
Save Your Credit: If you're trying to buy a house or fix your credit problems, not paying a bill or paying it late will just add new bad marks to your credit record.
Save Money: Over-the-limit fees that banks sometime charge can add up to more that it would cost you to take out a payday loan to pay your bills on time. In addition to that, reactivation charges such as your cell phone, utilities, or other services can be costly.

It's easy to find yourself in a cash dilemma. There are many ways you can get yourself into a short-on-funds situation. Maybe you just made a critical math mistake while balancing your checking account or your big commission check has been unexpectedly delayed a week. Thankfully, there are ways to make it through until your next payday.

Payday loan services offer short-term loans to get people through to their next paycheck if they have found themselves in a critical predicament. Get yours super-fast online!

Is Your Payday Loan Secure?

LoanShack — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:40:52 GMT

Payday loans are short term loans obtained to meet the financial crises and unexpected bills like medical bills, car repairs, gifts or school. Of course most of us know that the advantages of payday loans are that they're easy, fast and simple. You may be asking is it safe to apply for the online payday loans? The answer is yes they are secure and safe. Most of the online payday loan companies do not reveal your information to anyone as these companies are taking care of their business and take great care of your data. You should be able to find the positive SSL certificate or Comodo secured certificate on their websites. Here are tips that will help you in applying for your payday loan while being safe and secure:

You must check the privacy policy of the lenders or payday loan company's website before applying for the payday loan. Check the privacy policy where all the information must be given clearly and in detail.

FAQs

If you are having questions about the payday loan company's website check the FAQs Section which will help you in your decision making.

Secure

There are 2 points you have to be sure of in order to find a secure payday loan website:
1) You will see the yellow symbol at the bottom right side of the website. This indicates that your information will be encrypted before it's transmitted to the website which mean you can send your information safely.
2) You much check whether the website is using http or https protocol. The https protocol is used in the websites for the security purpose and no one can access the information

Reputation

Before you apply for the online payday loans, you must check above points in order to apply for payday loan safely. So make sure to check the reputation of the website. Often you can read previous customer reviews.

We Will Never Forget

LoanShack — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:39:50 GMT

Today we relive the events of September 11, 2001.

We vividly remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news of the terrorist attack against America. We remember the sick feeling in the pit of our stomachs as we watched with anguish as the events unfolded on television. We grieved for those we had never met and for the survivors whom were emotionally changed forever. We marveled at the courage of those who saved lives. We had a renewed appreciation for the people in our day to day lives.

The terror that America experienced 10 years ago today is something we will never forget. Many times throughout the rest of our lives we will remind our children and our grandchildren of that horrific day. And as we reflect on that day, we will again and again revisit the sadness, loss and despair that we felt as if it happened yesterday.

God bless the victims, the heroes, the families torn apart, the children without fathers, without mothers, the brothers and sisters left behind. God bless this beautiful country.

We will never forget

5 W's of Cash Advance Payday Loans

LoanShack — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:44:36 GMT

What is a Cash Advance
A cash advance payday loan can put money into the checking account within minutes/hours of the emergency needs. They were created to help in a time of crisis/need. Cash advance loans are easy to qualify for and are generally $1,500 or less.. They are then advanced to a person in need for a short period of time with a one time fee attached to them. This fee is repaid to the lender on the borrower's payday.

Who should Borrow
Only those having a true emergency with no other financial options should consider getting quick cash and to borrow only the amount you need. Especially with a cash advance payday loan, this discipline is crucial when dealing with any sort of borrowing. It's wise to seek counsel before entering into a lending agreement with a creditor and will all other financial decisions.

Why to Borrow
An individual may not say it won't happen to them but emergencies can hit at anytime to anyone. Sickness, death, and emergency repairs can catch anyone off guard and feeling desperate with no respect for what amount of money is in the checking account. An individual needing assistance could call a creditor (verify employment) and have up to $1,000 deposited into their checking account almost instantly but do not abuse them. Abusing these services has brought financial troubles upon those that continually borrow against their future paychecks making it difficult to keep their heads above financially troubled waters.

Where to Borrow
Most companies require a proof of employment and a proof of salary before allowing the individual to play a loan. Once established, the lender will require a post-dated check or electronic checking withdrawal authorization for the amount of the cash advance payday loan. There will also be a free that can range from 15%-30%. The amount and fees are deducted from their checking account on the borrower's payday.

When to Borrow
The temptation of cash advance loans may be too much to overcome while having the ability to access cash fast. With those that have this type of loan, but are only paying the fee every pay period are extending the original amount of the loan. The fees from a cash advance payday loan can add up to more than what was borrowed in the first place. This means that a borrower could be paying $60 every two weeks for a $200 loan.

Vacation's Hidden Fees

LoanShack — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 01:08:34 GMT

As summer vacations end resorts, hotels and airlines promote fall deals which are known as a "shoulder" season. This can be a great time to take advantage of cooler weather and travel bargains. But be aware of the hidden costs that sometimes creep up and send your vacation spending soaring.

Resort Fees - Some of the best bargains can be offered at a resort community but don't always think you are getting away with a bargain if you plan to spend your time relaxing by the pool or strolling around the grounds. Even if you do plan to avoid the costly amenities, you may be charged a resort fee. Some hotels bill $5-$10 per day for the resorts amenities and others even charge a $1+ per day for the grounds keeping fees and towels at the swimming pool.

Hotel Fees - Internet connections in your room and some holding your bags if you need to check out before its time to head to the airport is nice but most will charge you a fee. Some amenities that may seem free, like the bottle of water on the dresser or the newspaper will be charged to your final bill. Fees for the shuttle bus from the airport and charges for just moving items around in the mini-bar can also show up on your bill.

Rental Car Fees - Instead of being quoted a per-day fee for a rental car, ask for a quote that includes all fees, taxes and and surcharges so you know the true cost upfront. Your credit card company and your car insurance usually cover for rental car accidents so don't take the rental car companies insurance. Also fill up the tank yourself, it's usually cheaper than letting the rental car company do it for you.

Airline Fees - If you book by phone rather than on the airline website, you'll often be charged $20+ for the privilege of talking to an airline representative. Also checking your bags will cost $25-$50 per bag depending on the airline and weight. Snacks and meals ont he plane also cost an additional $5-$10 along with any alcohol. You will also may be charged for boarding early and desirable seats.

Taxes - You'll be taxed on your plane ticket and rental car but the most bite is your hotel room. USA Today reported that hotel tax rates are on the rise in many cities.

With these things in mind, you can have a great fall vacation!

Finding an Affordable Place to Retire

LoanShack — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:16:29 GMT

Some tips for selecting an ideal retirement place and saving money in your retirement:

Test it out - Make several visits before you buy or rent. Visit during different seasons to get a feel for how the locals live.

Locate new medical facilities - Make sure any potential retirement spot has adequate medical facilities and doctors who specialize in any conditions you may have.

Reconfigure your tax bill - Tax rates vary considerably from state to state. Seven states have no income tax, while five others lack a sales tax. The tax treatment of Social Security and pension benefits also varies by state and you should consider several retirement spots based on affordability (it's worth looking at how your retirement income sources will be taxed).

Local transportation - How will you get around if you don't want to drive or become unable? Examine the cost and quality of local public transportation system.

Access to an airport - If you plan to travel long distance during your retirement years, you'll need access to a nearby airport/train station.

Proximity to family - Consider how much time you want to spend with your children and grandchildren in retirement. Living near relatives can be helpful as you age.

Consider the economy - If you need/want to work during your retirement years, you need to choose a retirement spot where you'll be able to find a job. Picking a retirement spot where the economy is at least fairly strong is a good idea even if you plan to permanently exit the workforce.

Low-cost things to do - If you take up expensive hobbies, you might end up spending more money in retirement than you did while working. Making sure a retirement locale has free or low-cost facilities for things you enjoy doing. College towns often provide things to do while having a low costs.

The weather - You may want to move to a retirement spot where you'll never need to shovel snow or defrost your car but could you stand the heat? You don't want to replace large heating bills with even larger cooling bills.