After the global pandemic in 2020, many lives were shaken up. People lost their jobs and loved ones and faced many problems. And now, we are about to start 2023, and things still need to improve. With this uncertainty, global crises, and high inflation, it has become burdensome for most people to maintain their lifestyles and manage their finances.
Now, people are dire in need of finances and fast cash. There are a lot of financial institutes like banks, private firms, and other insurance companies that usually come up with fantastic loan offer monthly to beat the competition, but, for a common man like you and me, it gets very tiresome for the entire procedure. Getting a loan approved from such institutes is not a piece of cake. It takes days, multiple visits, zillions of documents, and a lot of paperwork. For us, pawn shops are our safe haven. Now you must be wondering why pawn shops? How can they be your savior? They are all about antiques, old items and small shady stores in the alley of an old street.
To bust your bubble, pawn shops are much more than just a stop for antiques; on top of that, they are not shady at all. In fact, the business of pawn shops has been rising, and it is considered one of the fast-moving businesses in the United States of America. Their business model is so diverse; with buying and selling multiple items, they offer loans too, where you can get instant cash in exchange for your valuable items.
They give you a short-term loan in exchange for your valuable items. You can pawn your items to them for a couple of months in exchange for fast cash, and once you pay off your loan, you can always get your valuable items back. But here’s a risk. People often fail to pay back in time, so pawnbroker usually sells their items, and people end up losing their valuable collateral items.
After all this, you must be wondering, are pawn loans even worth it? Well, stick to us and keep reading. Let us help you and guide you on how pawn shop loans work and their benefits. And by the end of this article, you will definitely have your answer.
So, let’s get started…
1. They offer Fast Cash
One of the unique selling points of pawn shops is that they lend you a loan right away. So, waiting in the queue, no hassle filling up the paperwork, no need to submit tons of documentation. They offer instant loans, and the process is pretty fast. So, in cases of emergencies, people usually run to them. Usually, the procedure they follow is to pawn any valuable items, such as gold or jewelry, fine watches, or anything, in exchange for fast cash. You can mutually decide the period to pay up the loan, and till then, your item will be with them as a guarantee. Once you pay back, you’ll have your valuable item back.
2. No credit checks policy
We understand that almost everyone is under some sort of debt during these challenging times. Few of their debts are on paper, and because of this, it gets tricky for them to apply for add-on loans. Well, good news for those people. Getting a loan from a pawn shop is easier because they don’t check your credit score. They hardly care if you have tons of debt or zero. They just follow their own protocol, that is, to pawn any of your collateral items in exchange for money. If for some reason, you are unable to pay back, they will simply sell off your items. There is no loss for either of you, so it’s a win-win situation.
3. No paperwork
One of the significant pros of taking out loans from a pawn shop is that they do most of their work under the table, and it does not come up on your credit history. If you want to keep your credit score clean or are trying to maintain it but still need cash, you can get it from a pawn shop. They don’t fill up paper works, so it never impacts your credit history. If you take out loans from any financial institution, it will always be on upper paper, and if, for any reason, you delay in paying back, that will impact your credit rating too, but all this hassle does not happen at the pawn shops. If you are unable to pay in time, you can always communicate and talk your way out.
4. No interrogations or personal attacks
Taking out loans for any reason can be very personal. A lot of times, people are not comfortable sharing why they need this amount, and it gets very awkward for them to express their issues and helplessness. Banks and financial institutes usually question such stuff to know the authenticity and validity of the person. There is a whole proper procedure for the loan’s approval. People go through the application process, pre-approval, support, etc. Sometimes the system takes so long that by the time loan approves, and you receive the amount, it won’t benefit you as it was before.
The whole process becomes stressful. But at pawn shops, this does not happen. They are no application process, then pre-approval or approval thing. They don’t interrogate, and they won’t ask personal questions. They don’t simply care why you need money. They are just running their business as an ordinary man, and as per their policies, they don’t require any kind of paperwork and submission of tons of documentation. You just pawn your collateral item in exchange for money, and that is it.
5. You can repurchase your items
By now, as you already know, how the loan policies at pawn shops work. So, just in case, for whatever reason, you cannot pay back in time, and even after communicating with them, they don’t cut a deal and put your item for sale, you can always repurchase your item. You know where it is, how much it is for. You can always return to the pawn shop and buy your stuff. If you are lucky and go to a pawn shop in Brockton, you might get lucky, and they will let you negotiate. We understand this may displease you to know that you have lost the ownership of your valuable to which you may have some sentimental worth.
But let us give you a pro tip: in emergencies, pawn that item for which you have minimum or no sentimental value, so just in case you lose its sentimental value, you won’t be disheartened. Items such as your wedding ring from your broken marriage, any of your gold jewelry that you don’t use anymore and wasn’t a gift, any antique family heirloom which you have no interest in, etc. there, could be tons of things if you look around.
6. Your items are secure
If you have doubt in your mind, what’s the guarantee that they will lose your valuable items or take over the ownership way before you pay off your debt? Well, it is customary to think like this, but let us help you burst your bubble. Highly reputable pawnshops, such as in the areas of Brockton, are highly secured. They have CCTV cameras and lockers to keep your items safe. The pawnbroker will always maintain its integrity, so they will give a receipt of such item pawned at this date. You can even demand to keep your item safe in black and white, and if sometimes happens to your item after you pay off the loan, you have a right to demand compensation.
Pawn shops are not scammers and are strictly professional. If you still have a doubt, you can always test them out with a minimal amount of loan and any item you can pawn. Always research the particulate pawnshops, read their reviews pay a visit to them, and then pawn your items.
7. Reasonable interest policies
As you know, they run a professional business and have every right to make profits and get maximum ROI, so they charge interest on the borrowed funds. Now, most of the reputable pawn shops in Brockton charge a certain percentage per month regardless of your agreement. So, if you only pay back your loan in the first month, you must pay the interest amount once. But if you delay or drag it for like 10 months, then every month, your interest value will be added to your loan, and the amount to be paid back will increase, so it is better to pay off the debt as soon as possible.
8. Offer more than one loan
Now we understand that due to uncertainty and inflation, the amount does not add up nowadays and even after paying all your rent, utility bills, fuel, your grocery. You get nothing behind in your hands for daily use or even for your personal use. For this, if you go to financial institutes to process another loan, they will close the door in your face because unless you pay off the first loan, no one will lend you another. But lucky for you, pawnshops will welcome you with open arms. Once you pawn authentic and valuable items, they can process multiple loans.
However, the only drawback they have is the limited amount. Every pawn shop has a certain limit amount of the loan to be borrowed per person. Let’s say it could be $50,000 per person. So even though you are allowed to process a loan multiple times, you will not be able to borrow more than $50,000.
9. No impact on your history
For example, if you request a loan from the back, pay it off, order another, pay it off, and so on. This will all come on your paper and make you look like a person who is always borrowing money. This can impact your life and jeopardize your lending abilities. But this does not happen at the pawn shops. They don’t create an impact on your life. Even if you borrow multiple loans and fail to pay them off, they will still not put this on paper and jeopardize your credit history. This is how it works at the pawnshops. So, you can take a chill pill and stop worrying about your credit scores.
10. They welcome everyone
Most banks and other private financial institutes run the entire process to check if you are eligible for the loan. They don’t care about your issue or why you need the money. They run a complete background check on you to be qualified. But pawnbrokers welcome and accept everyone. Of course, they have specific standards and a policy, so if you agree to those and pawn your items and everything, they will have no issue lending you the loan. For them, it doesn’t matter if your credit history is scary, you have 0 amount in your bank, or whatever your character is. In fact, they don’t even care who you are. They have no more demands as long as you have signed the agreement.
What you NEED to know
The loan processing from financial institutes like banks and insurance companies requires a lot of things such as proper credit checks, financial documentation, income slips and verification, etc. But, at pawn shops, you will not find such a long list of documents to submit. Their procedure is simple. Just go with a valuable item of collateral, its receipt and your valid identification card. And that’s it; no other documents or requirements are needed. The major pro of pawn shops is that they don’t require credit checks or report your debts, so taking a loan out won’t impact your credit in any case. However, if you aim to build a good credit history, then a pawn shop loan is not the right place for you. You may have to opt for other financial institutions for this.
As of now, you must have enough details and knowledge regarding pawn loan, how it works and their significant pros and cons. Moving forward, let’s discuss the last thing when you really should opt and consider taking out loans from the pawn shop.
When YOU need to visit
In today’s era, inflation is at its peak, and the financial problem has become a significant problem for most people. If you are dealing with minor financial emergencies that do not require massive amounts, such as $500 plus, then a pawn shop loan can be an ideal place for you if you are willing to pay its fees and interest rate and pay off the loan in a short period.
Let’s say you need to pay your bills, which are no more than $300 at the moment; you don’t have cash in your bank account, but you are confident that you will receive your monthly pay cheque soon. In this case, you have an option of repayment, so there is minimal risk of you falling behind and losing your valuable item. If this is the scenario you are stuck in, then pawn shops are the best options for you. Search for ‘the best pawn shops near me, and you will find plenty of them in your area.
Final words
All in all, you must have your answer to the question asked earlier, are pawn shop loans even worth it? The answer is yes., 100% yes. For short-term financial issues, pawn loans work wonders and can help many people like you and me financially.
It doesn’t matter if your credit history is wrong or you are incapable of applying through proper procedure through banks. Processing loans from the pawnshop is always a good idea. We have listed the top 10 perks, but there are countless of them. If you visit anyone in your area and inquire about it, you will know how helpful and authentic they are. Just a couple of pro tips from us, avoid pawning any item with attachments and high sentimental value to you, always research and look for reviews of the particular pawnshops before pawning your items, and have a clear-cut conversation with the pawnbrokers for the agreement.
No place is perfect, and everything has its own specific criteria. Banks and other financial institutes will ask for a credit checklist of documents, which may take time to process your request. But they can also offer you a considerable amount and more time for repayment, whereas pawn shops have no requirements or eligibility criteria. Still, they have a limited amount of loans with short-term repayment. Now the choice is yours; weigh your options, evaluate your situation and choose wisely.
