Most people fail to think ahead. That means they get caught up in a panic when an emergency arises and, more often than not, end up taking short-term finance at very high rates of interest. This does nothing more than make the emergency worse. So, even though you may already be on the margin and living paycheck to paycheck, there are a few simple steps you can take to save yourself from the pain of these high-priced loans. The first involves joining a credit union. Almost every major city across the US has a credit union and their membership rules are reasonably easy to satisfy, being aimed at working families. Running a basic checking account is free at many credit unions or charged at a nominal level if you have your paycheck paid into the account. With an account in place, you are entitled to apply for a personal loan if a crisis arises. In most cases, approval comes through within one or two days. Some unions allow people to hold an application form on file so that a loan can be processed more quickly. The majority of unions charge around 18% for smaller amounts of short-term finance. The rules for larger amounts varies but the aim is to provide affordable finance to families in need. When other forms of finance can be charging 200% and more interest per year on short-term loans, credit unions are well worth investigating.

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