Illinois payday loan services are coming under fire from protestors who unfairly characterize the short-term monetary solutions as "predatory" while underestimating their use to those who use them.

Following a recent protest at and Advance America payday lender located in Decatur, Illinois led by a local interest group, a spokesman for the lending service spoke out against the manipulative tactics that were being used to vilify short-term lenders and ignore the benefits they provide.

"I think it’’s extremely unfortunate that this group continues to use their bullying tactics to threaten, bully and intimidate our customers, who have made a fully informed choice to use our services because they are oftentimes the most transparent option and the most simple and convenient option," Advance America spokesman Jamie Fulmer, told the Herald-Review.com.

Responding to claims that payday lenders were deceptive in their practices in order to force consumers into debt problems, Fulmer added that consumers who utilize cash advances made "fully-informed decisions" to do so after understanding the terms and rates that came with the loans.

According to the State Journal-Register, a recent survey by the FDIC found that nearly 22 percent of Illinois residents were "underbanked," the same as the national rate.

With the emergence of cold winter temperatures and the addition of holiday decorations to many homes, the holiday season has become somewhat connected with an increase in the amount of fire emergencies that occur in households.

In order to minimize the fire risks in one’’s home during the holiday season, MetLife suggests that annual inspections of all fireplaces take place yearly, and that a tight-fitting screen be put in front of it to prevent any embers from escaping and hitting any flammable objects.

Additionally, the insurance company stressed the dangers of using a space heater and urged that they never be placed near any flammable objects or a room where it may be touched by water.

"Fire departments and organizations such as the American Red Cross are at their busiest during the winter," said Mike Convery, vice president and chief claim officer for MetLife Auto & Home. "Alternative heating devices, such as a space heater or wood stove, can help a household save money, but they increase the likelihood of a home fire occurring, if used improperly."

For any families that have to deal with the unfortunate prospect of dealing with a fire and the damage it brings – especially if they are not covered by home or renters insurance plans – essential repairs may be needed to fix structural damage that may not be affordable to those with limited funding.

In such a case, payday loans may provide some financial leeway to help get the repairs done.

A notable rise in the number of teenagers who are text messaging behind the wheel may also be increasing the likelihood of auto accidents that could leave one’’s car in need of urgent repair.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 26 percent of American teenagers between the ages of 12-17 admitted that they have texted while behind the wheel of a car, while 48 percent say they have been in a car where the driver has been texting.

Referencing the report, the Insurance Information Institute said that texting-while-driving was an increasing danger for motorists, and added that it was only the latest distraction facing teens behind the wheel – joining other activities such as eating or talking on their cell phones.

"Even the best teenage drivers don”t have the judgment that comes from experience," said Michal Barry, the institute’’s vice president of media relations. "It affects their recognition of, and response to, hazardous situations and results in dangerous practices such as speeding and tailgating."

Having a teenager behind the wheel may lead to an eventual accident that leaves the car inoperable and in need of repairs so it can run properly. In cases such as these, getting fast cash through a payday loan to complete repairs as quickly as possible may be a viable option for those who rely on their cars for their profession.

With the arrival of winter also comes the inevitable coming of winter storms as well. In addition to snow and ice, winter storms are also notorious for downing many trees in residential areas that can cause damage that must be paid for somehow.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, damages that occur on one’’s property because of a fallen tree are covered in most cases by a home insurance plan.

However, the situation can become prickly when it comes to which insurance plan must cover damage from a fallen tree that is rooted on one property but falls into another. While the general lay of the law dictates that the location of the fallen tree is irrelevant and that the damage victim should simply file a claim with their own company, such filings may be called into dispute.

In some cases, the institute noted that insurance companies may launch a subrogation process in which they attempt to collect money from the neighbor’’s insurance provider.

"This sometimes occurs if the tree was in poor health or not properly maintained. If the insurer is successful, you may be reimbursed for the deductible," Salvatore explained.

However, such a process is irrelevant for families who leave themselves vulnerable to significant expenses if they have not maintained homeowners” insurance policies to protect their home. If gathering a payment to maintain a policy proves to be difficult, taking out a payday loan may be able to alleviate a one-time financial shortage to keep a plan active.

With all of the decorations that adorn most households during the holiday season, it should come as no surprise that curious pets looking for a toy, or perhaps a snack, can easily get themselves into trouble that requires an emergency trip to the veterinarian.

According to ADT Security services, plants such as holly, lilies, mistletoe, and pine trees that find their way into many households during the holiday season are very dangerous to pets and can cause cardiovascular problems and even seizures if ingested.

Additionally, holiday meals often include ingredients such as bread, raisins, and chocolate that can also prove to be fatal to cats or dogs if they are eaten and should be monitored closely.

"Holiday pet safety should be a priority for pet owners this season," said Deb Coller, ADT’s vice president. "While it’’s easy even for humans to be overwhelmed by the many festivities, the holiday decorations, tasty human treats and bright lights could result in injury or death for your pets."

Because the holiday season traditionally stretches bank accounts to their breaking point and leaves little extra funding available, paying for an emergency medical treatment if a pet does ingest something that it should not have may prove to be quite difficult.

However, taking out a payday loan to fund any emergency pet medical expenses may be an easy way to deal with such a situation without adding further stress to an already tight financial situation.

Jamie Fulmer, the director of public affairs for Advance America, Cash Advance Centers Inc – a payday loan service – has spoken out against an article published in the Columbia Missourian that disparages both payday lenders and the customers who use them.

The article in question had been published in the Columbia Missourian in November. Among other things, it labeled payday lenders as businesses that make their money through "obscenely high interest rates," and criticized their customers as being financially uneducated.

In order to refute the article’’s claims, Fulmer wrote a letter that was published in the Missourian on Wednesday. In the letter, Fulmer referenced a recent report from the George Washington University School of Business that concluded payday loan users "generally appear to make purposive decisions" and use the short term loans "to pay unexpected expenses or expenses that could not be postponed."
Fulmer added that the article had done nothing more but attempt to stoke a political argument by stretching facts, insult a business that has been deemed legitimate by many, and "simply seeking to scare readers."

"Consumers should be smart about their money and savings, and any form of credit can be abused. But it is important to understand that payday advances can be an effective short-term option for many people," Fulmer concluded.

The city of Columbia currently has a six-month moratorium restricting any payday loan businesses from opening within its borders.

When faced with a medical situation that requires a victim to be airlifted to a hospital for treatment, the costs associated with the transport are usually the last thing on anyone’’s mind.

However, with costs that can top $25,000 and are not covered by all insurance plans, a medical airlift may prove to be a significant expense to some families.

One such case last February when seven-year-old Hayden Snyder was kicked in the face by a horse on their family farm in Urbana, Ohio. According to MSNBC, the strike left his face split open "from his eyes to his upper lip."

After contacting help, an air ambulance arrived to provide care to Snyder before airlifting him to a hospital.

While the medical treatments to Snyder led to him surviving the ordeal, the total medical costs to repair his face cost more than $38,000, including a bill from emergency response helicopter for $9,200.

"That’’s a lot of money,” Daniel Snyder, Hayden’’s father, told MSNBC."But at the time, I would have paid $100,000 to get him to the hospital."

In the case of the Snyders, Ohio’’s Medicaid program was able cover the emergency response fees.

However, for families who face a sudden situation involving the need to airlift an accident victim and are unsure if the cost will be covered by an insurance program, most will undoubtedly go ahead with the transportation and worry about costs later.

For those who are not as lucky as the Snyders and are faced with the full cost of a medical airlift in addition to additional medical costs, payday loans may be able to help provide payments for some of the services.

A new study has revealed that the current recession has left 1 in 5 without health insurance coverage at some point since 2008, hurting their ability to cover medical costs that may arise during that time period.

According to an ongoing survey conducted by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’’s National Center for Health Statistics, 58.4 million people – or 19.4 percent of the American population – have not had health insurance coverage for some time since the beginning of 2008.

The survey also found that 31.9 million people – or 10.6 percent of the population – have been uninsured for more than a year.

Additionally, 45.4 million people – or 15.1 percent of the population – stated they were without insurance during the time they were being interviewed for the survey at some point between January and June. The amount of people 18 years and under who were found to be uninsured during that same period was found to be at 8.2 percent.

For families who have individuals without health insurance coverage, even a simple medical procedure or doctors” visit could result in costs that reach into the hundreds of dollars. If a serious injury or illness were to occur, medical bills could reach into the thousands of dollars, forcing some who are battling financial issues to pick and choose treatments in order to afford the costs.

If without health insurance and facing medical costs that may not be affordable, short-term loans may be able to provide some financial flexibility to cover the costs of needed treatments.

A new report is suggesting that while Americans may live for close to 10 years longer than they currently do by 2010, the secondary effects of the longer lifespan may introduce problems covering the additional health costs that come with it.

According to research from the MacArthur Research Network on an Aging Society that was recently published in The Milbank Quarterly, government projections show that Americans may live between 3.1 and 7.9 years longer than they currently do by 2050.

The potentially increased life spans of Americans were attributed to advances in biomedical technology that delay the effect of potentially fatal diseases and slow the aging process.

The study also found that the increased amount of elderly could put a strain on government systems that serve them, as Medicare and Social Security could rise by up to $8.3 trillion.

"Even small changes in life expectancy produce large changes in the number of older Americans. Therefore, our projections of longer life expectancy have profound implications for America’s fiscal situation, health care system, and labor markets," said Dr. S. Jay Olshansky, one of the study’’s authors.

With more Americans living to a later age, many more may be in need of essential medical services to treat conditions that come with age but may not be covered by insurance due to a lack of funding or adjustments to government plans. For those who currently are, or someday will, be in need of cash for an emergency medical treatment, payday loans could provide the needed cash to get the procedure completed.

Community Financial Services Association of America chairwoman D. Lynn DeVault has come out against a recent report by the FDIC that characterized short-term loan users as "underbanked."

The response by DeVault – titled Banks can’t, and shouldn”t, compete for payday loans and published in the Cape Cod Times on Monday – was spurred by the Times’ running of an Associated Press article on December 3 about an FDIC survey on the amount of so-called "underbanked" consumers who live with little to no connection with any major bank.

Among the types of people that are lumped into the category of "underbanked" are those who utilize payday loans, which DeVault vehemently objected to.

"The FDIC mistakenly characterizes as ”underbanked” any household that has a bank account but used an alternative financial service, such as a payday loan, she wrote.

She added that the study had failed to factor in those who used payday loans and were not desperate for funding, but rather did so for other reasons such as the convenience of not having to deal with a bank.

"Just because adults with bank accounts choose to use an alternative financial service does not necessarily mean they are being underserved by their bank or are ”underbanked,”" she added.