subject: Online Cash Advances Made Safe [print this page] A customer needs to be informed and ready to ask important questions regarding their transaction to safeguard themselves. There are a few quick and easy things you can do to ensure that your loan application goes smoothly and ensure that you are protected from fraud.
Real companies will have a physical address listed on their website. This information should be easily found and not hard to locate at all. You should always avoid companies that have a post office box address listed.
If you see one, you can try to look them up in the phone book or do some more research online to ensure they are a real company. But best case scenario is that you just move on to another website.
If you find a real address but one that is outside the United States, you should steer clear of them as well. Making sure they are headquartered in the U.S. allows you to take advantage of federal and state lending laws and legal protections.
The reason for this is because if you end up having a dispute with the cash advance lender, they may be following the laws of their country, even if yours are different.
And you will be held to their laws, not your own. One thing most people do not do is to make sure the website is protected. To tell if the site you are on is a secure one before you begin the application process there are two things to look for.
There should be a yellow padlock icon at the bottom of your browser winder that indicates you are on a secure connection. The web address should start with "https" and not just "http".
You can also check with your Internet browser to see if they have an option for you to turn on that lets you know when you are on a fraudulent website. Make sure that you are told what your interest rate and APR will be before finalizing the application.
Rates should be based on your credit history so it therefore should not be the same for every person who borrows. Payday fast cash loans don't usually work this way though, but you should still be told what your interest rate and fees are.
If you are not given the information quickly and easily, you should walk away and consider another lender. If the site has a "BBB Reliability Program" icon on their website, click it and see if it takes you to the BBB website.
This icon can easily be copied and pasted to any site. Another option is to simply go the Better Business Bureau website to look up the company yourself. Check for complaints and resolutions before making your decision to use that lender.
Any company that loans you money should be leery about giving you more debt than you can handle. Most companies will check your debt to income ratio to determine if you are getting in over your head.
It is your responsibility to pay the loan back so make sure you are dealing with a lender that will help you stay afloat. There are some rare lenders who will help you determine if you even have the money in your budget to pay them back.
Satisfaction guarantees are very important no matter who you are doing business with. A company that offers great products and great customer service will offer a satisfaction guarantee.
The privacy policy should be listed and be easy to find on any cash advance online lenders website. Look for this before you even start your application.
Read it thoroughly to protect yourself and know what you are getting into. Find out how that company will use, share and protect your information before signing on the line.
Some good lenders will even offer tips on how to make smart financial decisions on the website, or provide links to places you can go to learn how to manage your money better. When a lender is looking out for you, you know they want to do good business.
