Have you been caught off guard by an unexpected bill? Are you finding yourself short on cash before your next paycheck? Millions of Americans need a cash advance every now and then.
Maybe you’ve heard of short-term, high-interest lending options like payday loans. If you need a cash advance fast, they may seem like your only option – but that’s not true! We’ll explore all the ins and outs of payday loans and help you discover better alternatives.
Options for Payday Loans in Louisiana
Payday loans are legal in Louisiana. While there are some restrictions on payday lending, these loans still come with high interest rates and fees – making them very expensive for borrowers. In fact, payday loans are some of the most predatory lending methods around. We’ll go over some of the things you can expect.
Requirements
While there is no credit score requirement to apply for a payday loan in Louisiana, you will have to provide valid identification, your Social Security number, proof of regular income, and your bank account information.
Credit Affects
Payday lenders will not typically look into your credit report. You can qualify for payday loans even if you have poor or no credit. However, failing to make payments on time will harm your credit score. This happens when a payday lender sends your account into collections if you miss a payment.
Payday Loan Restrictions in Louisiana
There are no restrictions on how many payday loans you can have at once or how often you can apply for one. This is especially risky for those who are already struggling financially. Payday lenders will convince you that these loans will help you when in reality they are out to make a quick profit.
Max Loan Amount
The state of Louisiana sets a maximum loan amount at $350 and maximum finance charges at 16.75% – or 391% APR. Your loan term will be capped at 30 days. If you fail to pay everything you owe by the due date, you will not be allowed to rollover your loans.
Penalties
You will be charged a variety of fees if you fall behind on your loan or are unable to pay it in full. This will negatively impact your credit score – making it more difficult time for you to secure a loan in the future.
Payday Loan Alternatives in Louisiana
Payday loans come with high interest rates and a lot of fees. They also do not help you build your credit – actually, you risk hurting your credit when you take out a payday loan. There are better options. Consider these alternatives that are safer and more affordable.
Instacash
Instacash allows you to get up to $250 from your paycheck as often as you need – instantly. You can access it anywhere and anytime through the MoneyLion app. There is zero interest and no credit checks to apply. And you won’t have to worry about the impact on your credit score because Instacash will never open a hard inquiry on your credit report and doesn’t report to credit bureaus.
Instacash is available with no monthly fee. You can read more about Instacash here.
Credit Builder Loans
Need to build up your credit? One of the best things you can do is take out a small, low-interest loan and make consistent, on-time payments over time. Payday loans are not designed to help you do this, but MoneyLion’s Credit Builder Plus loan is. Depending on your qualifications, you’ll be able to receive up to $1000 instantly when you open a Credit Builder Plus account with MoneyLion. There are no credit requirements and you’ll be able to pay back your loan with a low-interest rate.
MoneyLion reports all your monthly payments to credit bureaus – so as long as you are keeping up to date on payments, your credit score should go up.
| Instacash | Credit Builder Loan | Local Payday Lender | |
| How Much Can You Borrow? | $250 | $1,000 | $350 |
| Fees & Interest | $3.99 for instant deposit to your MoneyLion Bank Account $4.99 to instantly deposit to an alternative bank account $0 for standard deposit speed 0% APR | Competitive APR, $19.99/month fee | – Up to 391% APR – 16.75% of finance charges. – Up to $45 finance fee -Up to $10 documentation fee |
| Impacts Your Credit? | No | Yes, it builds your credit score. | Yes, will harm your score if you miss a payment |
| Availability | Mobile | Mobile | In-person |
| Wait Time | Instantly* | Instantly | About 24 hours |
| Next Steps | Sign Up | Sign Up |
You Have Better Options
When a financial emergency hits, it’s easy to panic and jump for the first sign of relief. Don’t fall into the trap of payday loans! You could find yourself in more financial trouble than when you started. The good news is that you do have better options.
There are safer and more affordable lending alternatives available. Whether you need a zero-interest cash advance or want to build up your credit, MoneyLion can help.MoneyLion can also help you with your long-term financial goals.
When you open a membership with MoneyLion, you gain access to services and tools that will improve your overall financial outlook – from investing to 24/7 fraud protection. Now is the time to take control of your financial future with MoneyLion.
