What Is Payday Loan Consolidation? How To Get Out of Your Payday Loan
- You can save money by trading your payday loan for a personal loan with lower interest rates.
- Personal loans typically have longer repayment periods, giving you more time to pay off your debt.
- You can qualify for a debt consolidation loan with bad credit, but the best rates go to borrowers with good to excellent credit.
What is payday loan consolidation?
Payday loan consolidation is essentially trading your current payday loans for a traditional personal loan.
As the name suggests, payday loan consolidation is a form of debt consolidation. You’ll look for a loan with lower rates so you can save money and get out of debt faster.
While payday lenders charge rates of up to 400%, the best personal loan lenders charge rates below 36%. Learn more about personal loans vs. payday loans.
Benefits of consolidating
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Save money with lower interest rates. Payday loans often come with rates in the triple digits, but traditional personal loan lenders typically cap their rates at 36% or lower.
Replacing your high-interest payday loan with a loan that charges reasonable interest rates can help you save serious cash. -
Pay off your debt with more time. Payday loans usually need to be paid back fast, in about two to four weeks. On the other hand, regular personal loans typically give you around two to five years to pay off what you owe. This helps you have smaller payments every month because you’re spreading them out over time.
Just remember that while you’ll likely save money using a traditional personal loan because of lower interest rates, the longer you stretch out your loan, the more you’ll pay in interest. Choose the shortest loan term with monthly payments you can afford. - Escape the cycle of debt. Getting a low-rate personal loan with monthly payments that fit in your budget can help you escape the cycle of borrowing more loans to pay off the old ones — for good.
How to find payday loan consolidation options with LendingTree
- Check your credit. While you can get a debt consolidation loan with bad credit, the lender will charge you higher rates and may limit the amount you can borrow. Know what to expect by checking your score for free with LendingTree Spring.
- Check your rates. Take two minutes to fill out a quick form with LendingTree. We’ll send you offers from up to five lenders if you qualify.
- Compare your offers. Choose the offer with the lowest rates and best terms for your financial situation. You can use a personal loan calculator to help you decide which loan is best for you.
- Get your money. Once you’ve chosen a lender, you’ll formally apply and the lender will perform a hard credit check. If you qualify, they’ll send you a personal loan agreement. After you sign it, you’ll get your money.
- Pay off your loan. Use the money to pay off your payday loan. Then, you’ll start payments with your new lender.
Alternatives to payday loan consolidation
If consolidating doesn’t make sense for you, here are three of the best ways to get out of high-interest debt:
- Credit counseling. A credit counselor will help you understand your debt and make a plan to pay it off. Learn more about credit counseling vs. debt consolidation.
- Debt settlement. With debt settlement, you’ll negotiate with your payday loan lender for lower monthly payments or debt forgiveness. You can do this yourself or pay a company to do it. This is best if you have poor credit and more debt than you can reasonably pay off. Learn more about debt settlement vs. debt consolidation.
- Bankruptcy. If you’ve tried all other options and can’t afford to pay off your debt, you can consider filing for bankruptcy. This will affect your credit and you may have to sell your possessions, but it will wipe out your debts.
Better ways to borrow money next time you need it
Personal loan from a reputable lender
There are few absolutes in personal finance, but it’s almost always better to choose a personal loan from a traditional lender than a payday loan. You’ll save money with lower rates. Here are some of the best alternative loans for the next time you get in a pickle:
- Bad credit loans: Best if you want to work with a credible, well-known lender that offers rates below 36% APR. Learn more about bad credit loans.
- Payday alternative loans: Best if you’re a member of a federal credit union (or can join one easily) that offers this type of loan capped at 28% APR. Learn more about payday alternative loans.
- Quick loans: Best if you need money as soon as possible, since some send money the same day. Learn more about quick loans.
- Small loans: Best if you want to borrow $1,000 or less from a traditional lender. Learn more about small loans.
Paycheck advance
Like payday loans, paycheck advance apps are designed to help you make ends meet between paychecks. But unlike payday loans, they don’t charge interest. You’ll pay optional fees to get your money faster.
Family loan
Borrowing money from family or friends can give you quick access to money, and you’ll likely pay lower interest rates (if any at all).
Make sure to write up a personal loan agreement so that both sides are on the same page about interest rates, a repayment plan and what happens if you can’t make a payment.
Frequently asked questions
If you need expert help, a credit counselor can create a debt management plan.
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