Tag: payday loan companies

BAD CREDIT PAYDAY LOANS: JOIN IN ON THE ONTARIO LAWSUIT

Post author By Brandon Smith
Post date August 15, 2016

Bad credit payday loans: our constant warnings

We’ve been warning you about the evil ways of the bad credit payday loans industry, and now a class action lawsuit in Ontario has begun. The payday loan industry should not be allowed to run. We’ve written about these unscrupulous payday loan companies at length and in-depth to serve as a warning.

How big is Canada’s bad credit payday loans industry?

Canada’s payday lending market is worth more than $2.5 billion.

How many Canadian use bad credit payday loans companies?

The latest estimate is that 7% – 10% of Canadians use payday loans. In fact payday loan companies made 1.3 million loans in 2013.

What’s the good news for victims of bad credit payday loans companies Cash Store or Instaloans?

I was astounded to learn that 100,000 Ontarians borrowed from Cash Store (no longer in existence) or Instaloans. Anyone in Ontario who took out payday loans or lines of credit (which were payday loans in disguise) from Cash Store or Instaloans after September 1, 2011 can take part in a $10 million class action law suit to recover some of the illegal fees and interest charged.

How can I get in on the class action law suit against Cash Store or Instaloans?

Jon Foreman, partner at Harrison Pensa LLP, is representing class action members. They have set up a website called takeyourcashback.com and there is a form which must be completed by the Claims Filing Deadline, October 31, 2016.

How much money will I get back?

It’s not certain. If your claim is approved you’ll be eligible to receive at least $50. However, if you took out multiple loans you could receive more. The final amounts will depend on how many claims are submitted.

Take advice from a GTA insolvency trustee and don’t ever go to a payday loan company! There are better options out there. Payday lenders will only trap you in a never-ending cycle of debt. Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. can help get you actually solve your problem by getting you out of debt and on the road to financial recovery, Starting Over, Starting Now. We’re just a phone call away.

Tags bad credit, bad credit payday loans, Cash Store, class action law suit, class action suit, Instaloans, Ira Smith Trustee, payday lender, payday lenders, payday lending market, payday loan companies, payday loan company, payday loan industry, payday loans for bad credit, take back your cash

Brandon Blog Post

Canadian Payday Loans: 546 Reasons We Need Tough Federal Rules on Payday Lenders and 1 Possible Solution

Post author By Brandon Smith
Post date June 13, 2016

Canadian payday loans – The Problem

Canadian payday loans offered through payday loan companies are a scourge on society. Payday lenders must not be allowed to run. They take advantage of the disadvantaged part of our population who can least afford it. Canadians need protection from payday lenders and it’s high time that the government stepped in and took action. The Ira Smith Team can’t change the law on payday lenders but we can do our best to alert you to the dangers of payday loan companies with our blogs.

Why is the USA ahead of Canada?

When it comes to payday loan companies, the U.S. government seems much more on the ball than the Canadian government. In Canada, it’s the individual provinces that cap the rate lenders can charge borrowers in interest and they apparently aren’t doing much to protect their citizens.

In Ontario the province caps interest on payday loans at $21 per $100 dollars for a two-week period. This may not sound like much to you but on an annual basis it comes to 546%. This is not a typo. The annual interest is 546%.

Canada’s criminal usury rate is 60%. Payday loans are very short-term so they aren’t expressed as annualized amounts making it very easy for payday lenders to hide the fact that you’re actually paying 546% interest on Canadian payday loans.

What is the U.S. government doing about payday lenders?

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed the following regulations:

Lenders must conduct a “full-payment test.” This means that payday loan companies would have to prove that borrowers are able to repay the money without having to renew the loan repeatedly. Typically most payday loans are required to be paid in full two weeks to one month after the person borrows the money and this sets off a cycle of borrowing to repay the previously borrowed money.
Restriction on the several times a borrower can renew the loan.
Lenders must give extra warnings before attempting to debit a borrower’s bank account. This should lower the frequency of overdraft fees that are common with people who take out payday loans.
Restriction on the several times the lender can attempt to debit the account.

What can the Canadian government do about Canadian payday loans?

Canadian activists ACORN are urging the Canadian government to follow the U.S. in regulating these predators. In addition, ACORN is proposing that the federal government:

Create a national database of payday loan users to stop users from taking out a loan to pay off another.
Cap all payday loan fees at $15 on every $100.
Amend the Criminal Code to lower the ceiling for the interest rate from 60% to 30%.

“Too many borrowers seeking a short-term cash fix are saddled with loans they cannot afford and sink into long-term debt,” CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a statement. “Many borrowers turn to payday loans for fast cash to cover bills when they are rejected by the banks. This allows payday lenders to take advantage of people who have nowhere else to turn”, said Tom Cooper, director of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction. “The predatory nature of payday loans is a failure of the national banking system, which means they should be a federal responsibility”.

Is there an alternative to Canadian payday loans?

According to Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch, the alternative is the federal government direct that banks must have branches in low-income neighbourhoods that offer credit lines to lower-income people at the same rate they offer to others. That, he said, would end the need for payday lenders.

What is the solution?

Please don’t resort to payday loan companies! Make a date for a free consultation with a professional trustee instead. Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. is here to help with sensible advice and a plan to conquer your debt problems so that you can rid yourself of debt Starting Over, Starting Now. Give us a call today.

Tags 546 reasons, Canadian payday loans, Ira Smith Trustee, payday lenders, payday loan companies, payday loans, trustee

Brandon Blog Post

ONLINE PAYDAY LOANS TORONTO: GOOGLE FINALLY REALIZES ITS HUGE MISTAKE!

Post author By Brandon Smith
Post date May 16, 2016

Online payday loans Toronto – What was Google’s mistake?

A company with huge global influence has banned ads for online payday loans Toronto. Google has taken this bold step. For the first time has announced a global ban on ads for a category of financial products. We have discussed payday loan companies in several previous blogs. We have said they are vultures that prey on the poor and vulnerable who feel that they have no other option.

Does online payday loans Toronto borrowing make sense?

Borrowing from physical location and online payday loans Toronto companies adds more debt. Adding new debt to existing debt does not help you. It only helps the payday loan companies laugh all the way to the bank. These companies should be illegal. Instead, they’re operating out in the open and bombarding us with ads on TV, in print and online. For someone deep in debt payday loan companies first seems like a lifeline. But instead of a lifeline, they’re more like a noose from which there is no escape.

What do other experts say about online payday loans Toronto?

I can only hope that other companies will follow Google’s example. Shutting out payday loan companies from advertising will actually help the vulnerable. ACORN is an anti-poverty group in Canada. They are campaigning against predatory lending and are celebrating this move by Google.

“Sometimes I think people go to these places just out of desperation so quickly that they don’t even think about it and doing it online makes it even easier for people,” said spokeswoman Donna Borden. “A lot of people that we talk to say, ‘I should have waited and thought it out’.” Jeffrey Schwartz, executive director, Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada says, “Payday loans can create a harmful cycle of debt especially for those who are the most vulnerable in society. This decision will help to protect susceptible consumers online.”

What about other high interest loans other than online payday loans

A further Google U.S. ban on ads for loans with an annual interest rate of 36% or higher does not now apply in Canada. These high-interest instalment loan products are for the most part unregulated. Why isn’t our government protecting Canadians from payday loan companies? In the meantime congratulations to Google. Stepping up to the plate and banning ads from predators is a huge step in the right direction.

What to do if you fell prey to the seductive online payday loans Toronto companies and now have too much debt?

If you’re in deep financial difficulties and are looking for a way out, there is help for you. But not from payday loan companies. You need help from experts in debt – professional trustees.

We are:

regulated by the Canadian government, as are our fees;
licensed and have undergone a background check by the RCMP;
subject to a stringent code of ethics; and
required to maintain our competency by completing ongoing mandatory professional development each year.

Are you an individual or company who feels your situation is hopeless? Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. can prepare and put in place the plan MADE JUST FOR YOU. The plan will free you from the burden of your financial challenges. With our help, you will go on to live a productive, stress-free, financially sound life.

Contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. today. Starting Over, Starting Now you can free yourself from debt.

Tags ACORN, financial products, Google ads, Ira Smith Trustee, online payday loans toronto, payday loan companies, payday loans. Google, starting over starting now

Brandon Blog Post

10 WAYS A PAYDAY LOAN CHARGES ILLEGAL INTEREST

Post author By Brandon Smith
Post date August 4, 2015

PAYDAY LOAN COMPANIES

Payday loan lenders only no credit checks are predators

There are 10 ways a payday loan charges an illegal interest rate. Payday loan companies (also known as alternative lenders, fringe lenders and high risk lenders) are predators. Payday lenders prey upon the population that can least afford it – people in financial difficulty who don’t qualify for a loan from a traditional financial institution because they deem them too high risk. Some of these predators don’t even have to pay for store fronts as many are payday loan lenders online and issue a payday loan online only.

There is no such thing as the best online payday loan companies

The legal limit for interest rates on a loan is 60% per annum according to the Criminal Code of Canada. So how do online payday loan companies get away with charging way over 60% for payday loans online?

The ten ways payday loan companies charge illegal interest

They get away with it by charging fees instead of calling it interest, however the Criminal Code of Canada considers the following interest, which are all charged on a payday loan:

Interest
Administration fees
Setup fees
Processing fees
Convenience charges
Verification fees
Brokers’ fees
Collection fees
Loan repayment fees
Renewal fees

What does this mean in dollars and cents? Service fees for high risk loans online usually cost $10 to $35 for every $100 borrowed, or 10% to 35% of the amount of the loan. A $300 payday loan, due in two weeks, may cost you between $30 and $105, depending on the fees that apply. This is the amount that you’ll owe in two weeks! Not a per annum interest rate! As you can see in almost all cases these charges by this type of lender only will push the true interest rate for payday loans way above the legal limit of 60% per annum.

Are new payday loan companies regulated?

Alternative lender companies online, or in store fronts, new or old, are privately owned and not regulated by the federal government; however, several provincial governments have taken payday lenders to court over the amount of interest and fees that they charge for these high risk loans. In the U.S. 25 states have passed laws against predatory lending, placing restrictions on high-cost loans.

Can payday loan companies sue you?

The answer is yes, but it will be worth your while to challenge the fees charged by payday loans online (which are actually interest in disguise) and allow yourself to be taken to court. Otherwise the consequences can ruin you financially. There are many cases where when people defend and show they are not intimidated, these companies do not pursue the lawsuit.

There was a recent case in the U.S, where a $1,000 loan ballooned into a $40,000 debt and the worst part was that it was legal. A woman in St. Louis borrowed $1,000 from an alternative loan company and like many, she couldn’t pay it back in time. The lender sued her and even though she agreed to pay it back in instalments, the loan continued to grow at 240% interest. Investigative journalists stepped in and the case settled quietly. Had there been no settlement the $1,000 loan would have ballooned to $40,000.

For more information on the risks of payday loans online please review our blogs on the subject:

What should you do?

There is never a good reason to take out a high risk loans online. There is also no such thing as safe payday loan companies. Contact a professional trustee instead. The Ira Smith team can help. Starting Over, Starting Now you can take the first step towards financial health.

Tags alternative lenders, best online payday loan companies, can payday loan companies sue you, fringe lenders, high risk loans online, new payday loan companies, online payday loan companies, payday lenders, payday loan companies, payday loan lenders online, payday loan lenders only, payday loans, payday loans companies, payday loans online, professional trustee, safe payday loan companies, starting over starting now, toronto, trustee

Brandon Blog Post

SENIORS DEBT RELIEF: GRAY DEBT ON THE RISE

Post author By Brandon Smith
Post date June 9, 2015

Seniors debt relief introduction

The need for seniors debt relief is gaining more attention in Canada. Seniors in our country are having a very rough time. “A financially secure retirement is becoming the exception, not the norm”, says Lee Anne Davies, CEO of Agenomics, a consulting firm specializing in money management and ageing. We’ve spoken about the plight of our seniors in several blogs:

Seniors Acquiring More Debt Delays Retirement

What Do The Golden Years Really Look Like?

Help For Seniors In Debt

Senior Credit Card Debt Relief Or Declare Bankruptcy

Advice For Seniors With Credit Card Debt

Solve It Without Bankruptcy

However gray liabilities are on the rise and this problem is not going away any time soon. According to the Vanier Institute:

Bankruptcy rates for those aged 55 to 64 have increased by more than 600% over the last twenty years.

Agenomics reports:

The insolvency rate for those aged 65+ increased by 1,747% over the last twenty years.
The elderly, in particular, were 17 times more likely to become insolvent in 2010 than they were in 1990.

These are only two sources of the many who have written on this issue.

Why are elderly liabilities on the rise?

Mortgages: People nearing retirement are taking on mortgages thinking that the property will appreciate substantially and quickly, providing them with a nest egg or retirement income when they sell. Others are mortgaging their homes to help out their kids.

There really isn’t any seniors debt relief available from a secured creditor, such as a mortgagee, who holds a valid charge against your property.

Lifestyle Debt: Many retirees are still living the same lifestyle as they were during their working years, but now they don’t have to money to fund it and as a result are falling into debt. Usually, the type of debt that signifies lifestyle debt would amount owing to numerous credit cards. This would be unsecured debt from which relief is available. However, the necessary lifestyle changes that seniors debt relief would require would be significant, as the credit card liabilities have risen from spending more than the seniors earn.

Payday Loans: The number of elderly taking out payday loans is on the rise. Now retired, they may not qualify for traditional loans so they are falling prey to payday loan companies. Relief is available for unsecured payday loans, but like credit cards, the solution will involve lifestyle and spending changes.

Are you struggling financially, you require seniors debt relief (or not so grey relief) and don’t know where to turn? Contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. today. Our approach for every file is to create an outcome where Starting Over, Starting Now becomes a reality, beginning the moment you walk in the door. Call us today and take the first step towards living a debt-free life.

Tags Bankruptcy, credit card debt, Debt, gray debt, insolvency, payday loan companies, payday loans, seniors debt relief, starting over starting now, trustee

Brandon Blog Post

PAYDAY LOAN COMPANIES: ARE YOU INTO PAWN?

Post author By Brandon Smith
Post date May 12, 2015

Payday loan companies are an industry that should be put out of business. We’ve discussed their unscrupulous operations in several of our previous blogs.

Governments in Canada and the United States have passed legislations aimed at cracking down on the industry, yet payday lenders continue to operate. In its latest move the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the U.S. has proposed new regulations designed to put payday loan companies out of business. The most damaging to the industry is the proposal to limit the number of loans per customer to six per year which is expected to hurt lending volumes and revenue by as much as 75%.

Payday loan companies that have substantial pawn operations are positioned to weather the storm and survive the new U.S. regulations while the smaller payday lenders will most likely disappear from the landscape. Is this better for the consumer? Absolutely! Payday loan companies take advantage of people who are seriously strapped for cash. They see a catchy ad and have no idea that their loan could be costing them almost 600% in annual interest. The consumer gets trapped into borrowing money they can’t hope to repay. A pawnbroker lends money against valuables. If you have something to pawn (typically jewelry), then you can walk away with some cash. At least the consumer isn’t being sucked in a borrowing cycle that will eat him alive.

If you’re considering a payday loan from one of the payday loan companies or a pawn shop, stop! You need professional financial help, not more debt. Contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. today. Starting Over, Starting Now you could be well on the road to financial health.

Tags pawn, payday lenders, payday loan, payday loan companies, payday loans, starting over starting now, toronto

Brandon Blog Post

PAYDAY LOAN COMPANIES – UPDATE

Post author By Brandon Smith
Post date September 30, 2014

Payday loan companies continue to prey on those in need financially looking for guaranteed bad credit loans. We’ve devoted several blogs to warning the unsuspecting public about these unscrupulous companies but sadly people are still falling for their pitch.

Bloomberg Businessweek recently caught up with 3 payday lenders who are living the life most of us can only dream of from their ill-begotten profits. Living carefree in St. Croix, they while away the hours on luxury yachts. Their company, Cane Bay Partners, makes millions a month in payday loans to desperate and unsuspecting people who don’t realize that they’re paying more than 600% interest a year. Bloomberg discovered that the cost for a $500 loan is $100 to $150 in interest every two weeks, according to four contracts from the websites.

Cane Bay of course denies this saying that they are a management consulting and analytics company but a former employee confirms that Cane Bay runs CashYes.com, CashJar.com, and at least four other payday loan websites. They are able to circumvent the laws because their payday loan sites use corporations that are set up in Belize and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As U.S. States and Canadian provinces crack down on payday loan companies, they’ve moved online. In fact according to John Hecht, an analyst at Jefferies Group, Internet payday lending in the U.S. has doubled since 2008, to $16 billion a year, with half made by lenders based offshore or affiliated with American Indian tribes who say state laws don’t apply to them.

Although we’ve been under the impression that most people are using payday lenders for sudden and unexpected expenses, a new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that instead payday borrowers typically end up rolling old debts into new loans, often increasing how much they owe each time. This clearly indicates that many people are not aware of the sensible, financially sound options to dealing with debt.

Contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. and make an appointment today. Instead of looking for instant loans Toronto paying exorbitant interest rates at payday loan companies, we can solve your debt problems with a sound financial plan for moving forward so that Starting Over, Starting Now you can live a debt free life.

Tags bad credit loans, bad credit loans Toronto, Canadian payday loans, Debt, guaranteed bad credit loans, instant loans Toronto, payday lenders, payday loan, payday loan companies, payday loans, toronto

Brandon Blog Post

PAYDAY LOANS TORONTO NO CREDIT CHECK

Post author By Brandon Smith
Post date August 14, 2014

Here is a very funny bit from “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on HBO regarding the predatory lending practices of payday loan companies. It is very sad, but true. It is well worth watching this video because among the humour, are some very good lessons as to why not to get involved with payday loan companies and their related very high cost of lending.

Although it applies to the US payday loan industry, it is equally applicable to Payday Loans Toronto No Credit Check also. We also have written other blogs on the dangers of the Payday Loan Industry, including:

And now, click on the video to listen to this very funny bit by John Oliver.

Instead of perpetuating the cycle of debt, we encourage you to see a professional trustee. Contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. for a no fee, no obligation appointment. We’re a full service insolvency and financial restructuring practice serving companies and individuals throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) facing financial crisis or bankruptcy that need a plan for Starting Over, Starting Now. It’s time to end the cycle of debt. Say NO to payday loan companies. Say YES to a solid financial plan for moving forward to a debt free life.

Tags Bankruptcy, Debt, financial institution, financial institutions, financial plan, insolvency, interest rate, interest rates, living paycheque to paycheque, payday loan, payday loan companies, payday loans, PAYDAY LOANS TORONTO NO CREDIT CHECK, professional trustee, starting over starting now, The Cash Store, toronto, trustee

Brandon Blog Post

SMALL BUSINESS LOANS CANADA BAD CREDIT: NEED IT?

Post author By Brandon Smith
Post date August 6, 2014

We are seeing small businesses with poor or bad credit being turned away by the traditional lenders because they require small business loans Canada bad credit. We’ve written several articles on personal loans for people with bad credit – Payday Loan Companies: There Are Options, Canadian Payday Loans No Credit Check: Too Good To Be True!, Payday Loans Are Not The Answer To Your Financial Problems, Personal Loans For Bad Credit: Interested?, Bad Credit Loans Online Attack The Already Vulnerable and others.

However searching for loans with bad credit is not the exclusive domain of individuals; there are also many small businesses who find themselves in the same predicament. And, there are a plethora of companies out there offering to give small business loans Canada bad credit or with actually no credit. Although they are not payday loan companies, they operate in exactly the same way. They are predatory lenders offering subprime loans that are not regulated and are not protected by the same laws that cover the traditional lenders.

If you’re looking for small business loans Canada bad credit, subprime loan companies will hurt your company, not help it. Caveat emptor! Buyer beware! The websites of these business loan companies look very official and several feature the Canadian flag giving the impression that they are affiliated with the federal government. Others have websites with a .org extension also giving the impression that they are government affiliated. Make no mistake; these are for profit companies with no government affiliation or association.

The subprime lending industry is exploding and is now estimated at more than $3 billion in loans a year. According to an article recently published in Bloomberg Businessweek, one of the companies specializing in subprime lending, also referred to alternative lending, is World Business Lenders. “The firm’s representatives pitch their high-rate loans to small business owners who have trouble borrowing elsewhere. World Business Lenders seizes collateral such as vehicles and other assets when borrowers can’t pay, and press legal action where World Business sues companies for missed payments, often sending them into bankruptcy. In fact, 20 percent of World Business’s borrowers were forced to close down last year, according to former executives”. Lenders specializing in small business loans Canada bad credit are no different.

If your business is experiencing financial difficulties, rather than looking for small business loans Canada bad credit, contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc., not a subprime lender.Whether you are a small company, an entrepreneurial corporation, or a multi-faceted complex organization, our experienced bankruptcy, insolvency and restructuring team will work with you to solve problems in your financially challenged environment. Starting Over, Starting Now you can get your business back on track.

Tags bad credit, Bankruptcy, insolvency, payday loan companies, payday loans, personal loans for bad credit, small business loans, small business loans Canada bad credit, subprime lending, subprime loans

Brandon Blog Post

PAYDAY LOAN COMPANIES: THERE ARE OPTIONS

Post author By Brandon Smith
Post date July 29, 2014

Finally a financial institution has stepped up to the plate and is offering a viable alternative to payday loan companies. Sadly, people who typically turn to payday loan companies are low income earners who are barely surviving and living paycheque to paycheque. Payday loan companies are not helping them; they are creating higher debt loads and holding them hostage with insane interest rates.

The Cash Store, a payday loan company, offers a $300 loan for 14 days for $69, which is an annual interest rate 599.64% on their payday loans product. Vancity, Canada’s largest community credit union with branches in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Victoria and Squamish, launched a new financial product to combat payday loans, called Vancity Fair & Fast Loan. If a credit union member borrows $300 for minimum term of two months and pays it off in two weeks, it would cost $2.20, a 19% annual percentage rate.

The Canadian Payday Loan Association says as many as two million Canadians take out payday loans every year. There has been a lot of talk about “cleaning up the payday loan industry” but if more financial institutions follow Vancity’s lead, payday loan companies would disappear from our landscape without further government regulations.

Don’t wait for payday loans to disappear before searching out more permanent solutions. Instead of perpetuating the cycle of debt, we encourage you to see a professional trustee. Contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. for a no fee, no obligation appointment. We’re a full service insolvency and financial restructuring practice serving companies and individuals throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) facing financial crisis or bankruptcy that need a plan for Starting Over, Starting Now. It’s time to end the cycle of debt. Say NO to payday loan companies. Say YES to a solid financial plan for moving forward to a debt free life.

Tags Bankruptcy, Debt, financial institution, financial institutions, financial plan, insolvency, interest rate, interest rates, living paycheque to paycheque, payday loan, payday loan companies, payday loans, professional trustee, starting over starting now, The Cash Store, trustee, VanCity