Industry WIKI

An alternative financial service (AFS) is a financial service provided outside traditional banking institutions, on which many low-income individuals depend. In developing countries, these services often take the form of microfinance. In developed countries, the services may be similar to those provided by banks and include payday loans, rent-to-own agreements, pawnshops, refund anticipa

An interest rate ceiling (also known as an interest rate cap) is a regulatory measure that prevents banks or other financial institutions from charging more than a certain rate of interest.

Payday loans in the United Kingdom are typically small value (up to £1,500) and for short periods. Payday loans are often used as a term by members of the public (and commentators) generically to refer to all forms of high-cost short-term credit (HCSTC) including instalment loans, e.g. 3–9 month products, rather than just loans provided until the next pay day.

A payday loan (also called a payday advance, salary loan, payroll loan, small dollar loan, short term, or cash advance loan) is a small, short-term unsecured loan, "regardless of whether repayment of loans is linked to a borrower's payday." The loans are also sometimes referred to as "cash advances," though that term can also refer to cash provided against a prearranged line of credit su