Payday Loans: What Are They, Who Uses Them, and Why?

Pew's Safe Small-Dollar Loans Research Project seeks to identify and analyze borrowers' needs, expectations, and experiences when it comes to small-dollar credit. It also researches a variety of loan products and the business models used by their providers, with a focus on studying the impact on borrowers.

Twelve million Americans take out payday loans each year, spending approximately $7.4 billion annually at 20,000 storefronts and hundreds of websites, plus additional sums at a growing number of banks.

To learn more about payday loans, including how they work, who uses them, and why, watch our two videos explaining payday loans. 

 

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

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America’s Overdose Crisis

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Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

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How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

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What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

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Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.