Preparers gear up for tax refund loan season

For those who need money fast, a short term lending option presents itself each winter and spring- tax refund loans. These types of loans are particularly attractive for those who cannot wait for their tax returns to come by mail after filing and need the money they were approved for right away. The LoanSafe.org website noted that while the refund anticipation loans are diminishing in frequency due to new regulations as well as the faster arrivals of refunds because of electronic filing and direct deposit arrangements, Trust of Kentucky and Republic Bank are still lending through the second and third largest tax preparers, Jackson Hewitt and Liberty Tax Service. CBS MoneyWatch reported that these types of loans work by filing taxes with a company and signing up for the anticipation loan. Then, the source said, consumers are not charged for filing the taxes or agreeing to the loan immediately, but the fees are instead levied out of the tax return by the company when the expedited check comes in from the IRS. Many believe that this is legitimate service because, as LoanSafe.org explained, experts estimate the number of Americans without bank accounts to be anywhere from 9 to 60 million.