The title loan industry, which caters to consumers who are often written off by traditional lenders, maintains that it provides a valuable service. But consumer advocates say the loans often carry high costs that can make them difficult to pay off and threaten borrowers with losing their vehicles. The lenders also charge high fees for extending the loans, which can add up quickly.Go here:birminghamtitleloanpro.com/
For example, the national title lender TMX Finance has charged borrowers in Georgia more than $2 million in late charges and renewals since 2016, according to a state investigation launched after complaints by a consumer advocacy group. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has fined TMX nearly $9 million, but the money will go to an agency fund and won’t help any individual borrowers.
Title Loans 101: Exploring Birmingham, Alabama’s Financial Options
Other states have stricter rules for title lending. For instance, Nevada requires that lenders verify a borrower’s ability to repay and caps interest rates at 36% annually. Georgia allows title lenders to charge triple-digit interest rates and exempts them from the usury laws that govern other subprime lenders, including payday companies.
Some states limit how many times a loan can be renewed or require that borrowers pay down some of their principal. But in Georgia, where a large number of title pawns operate, there are no such restrictions. Borrowers often renew their contracts because they need the cash, but each renewal comes with a higher interest rate.
Getting out of a title loan can be challenging, especially in states that don’t have specific debt relief laws. Some lenders offer “loan buyouts,” in which they pay off a borrower’s original loan and replace it with a new one with different terms. But a buyout can still leave a borrower with a substantial amount of debt and no way to get out of it.
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