Short term loans gaining popularity at traditional financial institutions

The short term lending industry, a popular means of non-traditional credit, has been gaining steam in recent years as a growing number of adults need short-term loans without a credit check. These loans fill the void left by traditional banking institutions, which often do not want to lend money to people with less-than-stellar credit histories. However, banks are beginning to realize that this segment of the population is still worthy of accessing the funding it needs to make ends meet. According to the Nashville Ledger, large institutions including Regions Bank, Fifth Third, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo now offer short term loans to their customers who have payments directly deposited into their accounts from sources such as paychecks, unemployment funds, disability checks and Social Security. While these loans can come with hefty APRs, they offer a last resort for consumers in a bind. The loans typically last less than two weeks, and interest rates could be in the triple digits. For example, a $400 loan could easily come with a $40 fee. Still, the short-term nature of these loans can make the interest rates easier to handle. A triple digit APR on a long-term loan would cripple a customer, but that rate on a smaller loan with a shorter term is manageable.