Borrow only what fits your budget
Start with the repayment obligation, not just the amount you want to receive.
Consider your regular income and recurring expenses. Housing, utilities, food, transportation, insurance, existing debt payments, and other obligations continue after you borrow.
A provider may offer an amount larger than you originally expected. That does not mean you have to accept the maximum available amount.
Borrowing more generally creates a larger obligation to repay.
Compare total repayment, not only the requested amount
The requested amount tells you what you want to borrow. It does not tell you what borrowing will ultimately cost.
Review the APR, applicable fees, repayment term, payment frequency, and total repayment shown in the provider's disclosures.
Our Rates & Fees page explains these terms in more detail.
Understand your payment dates and repayment terms
Before accepting an offer, know when payments are due and how they are expected to be made.
Check whether the repayment schedule fits the timing of your regular income and other bills.
You should also understand whether the agreement permits early repayment, what happens after a returned payment, and what provisions apply after a late or missed payment.
Only the actual provider agreement can tell you which terms apply.
What can happen after a missed payment?
Consequences vary by provider agreement and applicable law.
Depending on the circumstances, missed or late payments may result in fees, collection activity, additional communication from the provider or servicer, or an effect on credit information.
If you think you may have difficulty making a scheduled payment, contacting the actual provider early is usually more useful than ignoring the problem.
CashPath cannot modify a provider agreement or payment schedule for you.
Consider alternatives before borrowing
A loan is one possible way to deal with an expense, but it is not the only possible solution.
Depending on your circumstances, you may want to consider available savings, whether an existing creditor offers a payment arrangement, assistance from family or community resources, or another lower-cost source of funds.
For debt problems, legitimate nonprofit or community credit-counseling resources may also be worth investigating.
The appropriate choice depends on your own situation. CashPath does not provide individualized financial advice.
Do not borrow more simply because more is offered
An offer can feel like additional spending power, but every additional dollar borrowed can increase what must later be repaid.
Ask yourself whether the additional amount solves a genuine need and whether the resulting payment remains manageable.
The provider's willingness to offer an amount is not the same thing as a recommendation that you should borrow it.
If repayment becomes difficult
Financial circumstances can change.
If you have already entered into an agreement and expect trouble making a payment, contact the company servicing the obligation as early as practical.
Ask what options, if any, are available under the agreement.
Do not send payment-account information or sensitive personal information to an unknown person simply because they claim to represent your provider.
Watch for advance-fee loan scams
Online lending attracts scammers because people searching for money may feel pressure to act quickly.
The FTC warns about advance-fee loan scams in which someone promises credit, sometimes regardless of credit history, and then demands payment before delivering the supposed loan. Paying the fee does not produce the promised credit.
A particularly serious warning sign is a claim such as:
“Approval is guaranteed once you pay this processing fee.”
A legitimate provider may disclose certain charges in connection with a real credit product, but no payment should be represented as buying a guaranteed loan.
Verify who you are dealing with
Do not assume a caller, text message, or email is legitimate merely because the person mentions CashPath or claims to know that you recently searched for credit.
Check the company name against the provider information and documents you actually received during the application process.
Be especially cautious about unexpected requests for payment by cryptocurrency, gift cards, wire transfer, or other difficult-to-reverse methods.
Learn more
Federal Trade Commission consumer guidance on advance-fee loan scams.