So inflation is on the increase but what does that mean for you? Think about it for a minute – what do the economists mean when they’re referring to changes in inflation? Let’s take a quick look at what inflation is and how it affects you.

A few facts:

In basic terms inflation is a rise in price in the general level of prices of goods and services in the economy over a period of time.

As the general price level increases, each unit of currency buys less goods and services.

Oddly enough – it really is as simple as that – so the next time economists and politicians complain about high inflation that is all they’re referring to.

It’s the likes of high inflation that see’s many people turning to their credit cards or payday loans in times of need… not always the best choices of finance but a need many of us face on a day-to-day basis.

Want a more detailed explaination on how inflation works? It’s a pretty simple calculation:

Inflation Rate = Consumer Prices Index (CPI) X Retail Prices Index (RPI).

But what is a RPI or CPI?

RPI simply measures the change in the cost of retail goods.

CPI measures the changes in the price level of consumer goods and services purchased by households.

As these levels increase so does inflation… simples!

Wonga Payday Loans... For Business?!

When I read that Wonga were entering the business loan sector I have to admit I laughed to myself… especially if their business loans work in the same way as a payday loan.

Well I took a look at the website and I was… not surprised. It’s essentially a duplicate of their standard website and they use the same “slider” system they have on their payday loan counterpart.

With a lot of businesses facing another recession and difficulty in obtaining finance the idea behind Wonga business loans is a good one, however, I have a feeling that they should be turned to as a last resort – much like a payday loan. In fact the Financial Times have already said that businesses face yearly APRs of 280%… cheaper than a payday loan but still a bit concerning when you compare it to a standard unsecured loan.

However, I’m not one to go off on an tirade like an angry politician or an ambitious journalist. I believe that there is space for an alternative form of finance for businesses – whether they turn to a Wonga business loan or look to a business cash advance.

Wonga are offering up to £10,000 over a loan period of 10 – 52 days (seems a bit short to me) and is a relatively quick, painless process.

For a small business unable to obtain credit it may be worthwhile checking out their business loan offering… it could mean the difference between business growth and stagnation. If I were in a situation where I needed this type of loan I’d certainly consider it as an option.

Whilst GetMeToPayday are not a payday loan lender they are a trusted broker in the lending industry as they have access to a number of trusted payday loan companies. Consequently they are in a good position to find the best short term loan to suit your needs.

By using a payday loan broker like GetMeToPayday usually ensures that you find at least one payday lender who will be able to lend to you. However, like any loan or credit it’s extremely important to ensure that you can repay the loan on the due date.

So what are the main benefits of obtaining a payday loan through this company?

As a broker they will obtain a loan with a reputable payday lender.

They can find the most competitive rates on payday loans.

The loan decision is extremely quick and money can be in your account the same day (in some cases mere hours).

There are obvious benefits to taking out a short term loan with a broker, however, we strongly recommend comparing payday loans and their criteria before making any decision.

When I first came across “CashBob” I have to admit – my first thought was – “What kind of a name is CashBob?!” But, as with any payday loan firm, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and take a quick look at them.

On first glance I don’t mind admitting that I didn’t think much of them – the website is kind of flimsy with little information and, in a bizarre twist their opening hours are between 8am – 4pm. The majority of payday loan companies are open between 8am – 8pm (or there abouts) so that they can deal with their customer’s needs as and when they need to.

This suggests that CashBob are a predominantly digital company with little customer interaction. Whilst I personally don’t have an issue with this as I don’t necessary want to talk to a member of the customer service team it does make the company appear rather impersonal… especially to people who want that personalised service.

Having said that they are still an approved payday loan lender and they operate a responsible lending programme where they will only lend to people who they believe can repay the payday loan at the end of the month.

Like the majority of lenders they offer short term loans between £100 – £800 for the monthly term with an interest rate of £25 for every £100 borrowed. The APR is 4735%, however, as mentioned previously – this is an innacurate measurement of the amount of interest you repay as this APR is based over a 12 month period – not a single month payment.

As mentioned before – they’re very much a no-frills company but if you’re after a quick payday loan then you could do worse than using CashBob.

Sound interesting? Compare payday loans with Creditwindow to find the right one to suit your needs.

I stumbled across a payday loan company called Safe Loans today and was intrigued… let me tell you why.

Safe Loans work in a slightly different way to traditional payday loan companies. Rather than restricting the loan period to one month they will actually allow you to extend it to as much as 4 months.

So for people who may otherwise struggle to repay a payday loan after a month they have a little extra time to get the money together to repay it. In fact it splits the loan repayments into 4 – so you’re effectively paying what you can afford to rather than paying it all in one go.

Safe Loans have actually been around since 1989 – longer than any other short term payday lender in the market at the moment.

I was surprised by this as payday loans have only really come about in the last 10 years or so. However, short term loans have been around for far longer so I guess these guys fall into the former category – but like any finance company they have to evolve with the changing market.

Like the majority of payday loan companies they also abide by the Consumer Credit Association and are committed to treating customers fairly.

In addition to this they are very exact with their customer requirements and who they lend to. Safe Loans state that they will only lend to people who are over the age of 18, have a UK bank account (with a debit card linked to it), earn at least £800 a month, an email address and mobile phone.

So… in the most basic sense Safe Loans are a payday lender, however, they are far more flexible when it comes to their loan term.

It is important though to try and pick the shortest loan period if possible as this will keep interest rates low. The longer the period of time you borrow the loan for – the more you will have to repay.

Interested? We advise that you compare payday loans in the market before simply applying. It’s important that you find one to suit your needs.

Unlike the other payday loan firms on our panel Payday Bank is not a lender. They work in quite a different way.

Payday Bank is what’s known in the business as a loan broker – they try to find the best, most competitively rated payday loan to suit you and your needs.

The nice thing about going through a loan broker rather than direct through a lender is the fact that they will select a payday loan that fits your requirements. Let’s face facts – one short term loan will not necessarily suit everyone (if it did then there would probably be only one payday lender).

On average the interest rates on payday loans taken out with this broker tend to be pretty much the same – which is why the representative APR is static at around 1737%. But remember – this isn’t representative of the actual interest rate you repay as this is a measurement over a year rather than the month you take the loan out for.

This still works out that you pay around £25 for every £100 borrowed – in essence you repay a total of £125.

The majority of decent payday loan companies will only lend to you if they believe you are capable of repaying the debt. Payday Bank are probably one of the more trusted brokers in the payday business – they only work with well recognised, respected lenders in the sector.

If you choose to take out a loan with Payday Bank you are in safe hands – they are careful with who they work with and the vast majority of lenders will give you the option of deferring repayments over a period of time if you do end up struggling financially.

Compare payday loans with Creditwindow:

TXTLoan are a payday loan company with a difference.

Like any payday loan firm they can offer small short term loans between £100 and £500 a month. However, unlile other payday lenders they also offer the ability to apply via your mobile phone.

As strange as it sounds it is actually that simple. You register on the website then, once approved, you send the company a text message and they can transfer the payday loan into your bank account within minutes!

Incredible when you think about it… according to the company it takes around 11 minutes to apply and take out a payday loan – far quicker than any other lender in the market at the moment. However, this is a little debatable as they all claim to be fast – from Wonga to PaydayUK.

Like all payday loans it’s very important not to be fooled by the ridiculously high APR quoted on the website – trust me, this is not what you repay. APRs are based over a year – remember a payday loan is only a monthly loan.

When it comes to interest rates TXTLoan are probably one of the cheapest on the market – an example quoted on the website of £100 accumulates 17% interest – so the amount the borrower repays is simply £117.

Whilst TXTLoan are not one of the longest running payday loan firms out there at the moment they are one of the most trusted and have been featured on the BBC, The Guardian and a number of other high-profile news publications and media.

They are also licenced by the Office of Fair Trading and they operate a responsible lending and treating customers fairly policy. You could do worse than taking out a payday loan with TXTLoan.

Compare payday loans with Creditwindow.

Payday Express are probably one of the longest running payday loan companies in the marketplace.

The firm sees their short-term loan solution as a way of “bridging the payday gap” between when you need the money and your next payday.

They have been offering short term loan solutions since 1999, however oddly enough, unlike Wonga, PaydayUK and QuickQuid they’re not as well known. This is undoubtedly due to their relatively low-profile in the press and media.

In spite of this it doesn’t make them any less trustworthy when it comes to borrowing payday loans. They effectively offer the same thing – a payday loan amount between £80 – £800 over a monthly period.

They have a fixed interest rate of around 25%, however, like any payday loan firm they have to state their Annual Percentage Rate (APR) which is 1737%. Again – whilst this sounds like a lot the fixed interest rate is the true measurement of the amount you repay. For example, if you borrow £100 you repay £125 on the agreed repayment date.

If you are unable to meet the repayment it’s important to tell Payday Express so that you can set-up a payment plan, however, you should try to repay this as quickly as possible as interest rates can quickly creep up on you.

Payday Express is a nice quick online process – you simply enter your details and you can be approved within minutes. That’s one of the nice and convenient things about faxless payday loans – no paperwork and no waiting for approval.

Whilst the payday lender are as trustworthy as any other well-established firm it is still important to remember – don’t borrow more than you can afford to pay back.

Not convinced? Compare payday loans with Creditwindow.

In much the same way as PaydayUK, QuickQuid has been around for a number of years and in this case is actually a globally established lender, operating worldwide, making them one of the most trusted payday loan firms in the UK.

QuickQuid originally started out as CashNetUSA – a US based payday loan firm back in 2004 and QuickQuid was launch shortly after in 2007.

In much the same way as PaydayUK and Wonga.com they are dedicated to responsible lending practices to ensure that they only lend to people they believe can repay the loan. This is another reason why the likes of QuickQuid are so stringent in their criteria of who they lend to.

QuickQuid will only lend to people who are employed, aged over 18, live in the UK and have a valid UK bank account.

However, like most compliant payday lenders they also state that they will only lend an amount they’re sure the borrower can repay at the end of the month. In spite of this, if the borrower is unable to repay it at month-end, they do have the option of deferring payday loan repayments so that they can repay it in manageable chunks over a few months.

It is worth bearing in mind though that, like any other loan, the sooner you repay the short term loan the less interest you will have to pay. So repaying the payday loan quickly is in your best interests.

So the question remains – should you borrow from QuickQuid? The simple answer is – it’s up to you but bear in mind that these guys have been around for as long as PaydayUK and longer than Wonga.com. They follow similar compliance processes.

Still unsure? Compare payday loans with Creditwindow.

Find out when a payday loan can be useful. Compare payday loans with Creditwindow.

Admittedly payday loans are not most people’s answer to short-term borrowing as an authorised bank overdraft or credit card tends to be the preferred short term loan of choice.

Unfortunately not everyone has access to credit cards or authorised bank overdrafts – usually because their credit score isn’t in great shape or they simply have no credit history to speak of.

Fortunately payday loans can help in these cases… as long as you have a permanent job, earn over £750 per month, have a bank account and are aged over 18.

Payday loans can be useful in many circumstances as they are a very quick source of short-term lending. Did you know that you can get money into your account within a few hours? Well with a payday loan you can, unlike other forms of unsecured loans.

But when is the right time to take out a payday loan?

That is a bit like asking “when will I need my credit card” or “when will I need my bank overdraft?”

Think about it for a minute – when would having a credit card or bank overdraft be useful? When you have a plumbing disaster to take care of or maybe your car has broken down and it’s in need of urgent repairs… whatever the emergency or unexpected cost a payday loan could help to bridge the gap until payday.

So do you need to bridge the payday gap for an unexpected bill? If so then a payday loan could be what you’re looking for.

Compare payday loans with Creditwindow and find the right one to suit you.