Payday loan limits
Payday loan customers in Pinal County are already feeling the impact of the expiry on Thursday of a law allowing the practice of lending as of Thursday. Under the change, lenders no longer be allowed to set interest rates as high as 460 percent. A law of 10-year-old, allowing them to go beyond the limit of 36 percent rate of other lenders expires today.
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia already use rate caps to limit payday loans, according to the Consumer Federation of America, a consumer advocacy nonprofit in Washington. There are about 600 stores in payday loan in Arizona, according to the Department of Financial Institutions.
Some lenders such as Check ‘n Go, plan to leave Arizona, closing all its 34 offices statewide, including its office in Casa Grande on Florence Boulevard. Others plan to modify its product offerings, provide additional services to customers.
A spokeswoman for Check ‘n Go in Casa Grande confirmed that the store would soon close the Florence Boulevard. “All I can say is that Check ‘n Go is to close all its stores in Arizona,” he said. John Rabenold, a spokesman for Check ‘n Go’s corporate headquarters, called the “devastating change.” As a result of the new law, we are closing the business and go elsewhere,” said Rabenold Casa Grande Dispatch. But not everyone sees the change as bad for business.
Payday lenders have ignored the restrictions in other states by continuing to charge high interest rates and fees on loans sold as prepaid debit cards and false self-title loans (giving loans to people who have no car), Attorney General Terry Goddard said.
Lee Miller, an industry lobbyist, said many local businesses could be closed, while domestic companies continue to offer other products such as money orders, bank transfers and auto title loans legitimate.
Ready money on Florence Boulevard in Casa Grande plans to stay open and is seeking ways to renew their service offerings.
“We will not close,” said Sally Mosley, head of cash. “Each company is responsible for this new law differently. Some are leaving the state, but we’re a different route. We are currently looking for other products we can offer our clients to remain open.”
Ready Money, which has been in business in Casa Grande since 2004, services about 300 clients a month with an average of about $ 350 in loans. A high percentage of customers are repeat customers who return to the store on a regular basis for additional loans.
Some clients are concerned that it will not be able to repay their loans before the change takes effect, said Mosley.
“Some customers are going crazy that will not be able to pay their loans on time. You put them in trouble,” said Mosley. “We are doing our best to work with customers.”
The company did not originate new loans in June.
While industry critics say the numbers of payday loans legal usury, the defenders of the practice say that the restriction of the industry hurts consumers.
The Community Financial Services Association of America, a trade group, says that while payday loans are expensive, when people are in need of short-term cash is often pleased to have the option open.
Many of those who use payday loans have limited alternative sources of credit such as pawn shops, bank overdraft protection, credit card cash advances informal lenders, according to CFSA.
Efforts to eliminate payday lenders communities do not relate to the need for some consumers have short-term credit, and lack of access to loans could put customers at increased risk of bad checks , disconnected utilities or a lack of funds for emergency situations such as medical expenses or car repairs, the organization said.
However, the Center for Responsible Lending says the industry is designed so that borrowers can not easily pay their loans.
About 76 percent of the revenue generated by the payday lenders and borrowers who need to borrow again to meet their short-term loans due date, according to CRL.
The organization says the average borrower has nine loans to repeat a year and ultimately end up paying more in interest than they borrowed.
Mosley, who has worked in the industry for nearly six years, said he believes that payday loans provide a valuable service to people in need.
While some payday lenders will leave the state for change, other companies will work to meet the need to offer cash loans short term to meet the demands of the community, he said.
“Adjusting to the new law could be difficult at first, but ultimately I think it’s best for customers,” said Mosley. “They will have more products to choose from that are cheaper.”
But Mosley said he hoped state lawmakers have allowed the industry payday loans to reform itself in a way that would have allowed businesses to remain open in Arizona.
“I think they just wanted,” said Mosley. In 2008, the industry of payday loans backed an effort to extend lending practices. Arizona voters overwhelmingly rejected the measure.
Earlier this month, Goddard announced a program to aggressively pursue violators of the law after it expires. Operation Sunset “plan includes a working group, public education campaign and consumer hot line. Goddard said that about 200 lenders have applied for licenses to make loans, auto title payday loans once they finish high interest.
