“The people who can least afford it sign up for these loans. Adjust your withholding, talk to your landlord or borrow from your mother--almost anything is better than one of these loans.”
“These taxpayers have gone all year without the money — money they unnecessarily overpaid to the government to begin with — and suddenly they are in a hurry to get it back. But even a cash advance on a credit card is more attractive than a RAL at these rates if they are that hard up for cash.”
“The amazing thing about the popularity of these loans is that people are paying triple-digit interest to get their refunds back only a few days earlier.”
“If a taxpayer files electronically, he'll get his refund almost as fast as he would with a RAL, and he'll often get it without paying any fees or interest.”
“The RAL must be repaid even if the taxpayer's refund is denied, smaller than expected or frozen. If the taxpayer cannot pay back the RAL, the lender may send the account to a debt collector, which will likely show up on the taxpayer's credit report.”
“The government enjoys having the use of your money all year. They get to spend and invest it for themselves, and you don't. So unless Uncle Sam is your favorite uncle, don't be giving him extra money all year round!”