Everyone needs a little help every now and again - your car breaks down - the dog is sick - a paycheck is late - and all the money you have saved up under the mattress has gone missing. When an emergency is truly an emergency (not a - I gotta take a vacation - emergency), then you need some help to make it to the next paycheck. If you have a need for cash to tide you over for seven to eighteen days - then the right answer might be looking into payday loans. You could go to a friend for a quick loan, but that can be embarrassing or potentially cause more problems for your relationship. Payday loans or a cash advance are a financial tool available to people who are employed, have a checking account with direct deposit and make over $1000 a month - and again - used for emergencies. A payday loan’s name comes from the fact that the loan is generally paid off on the next payday, which makes this type of cash advance a convenient way to cover unexpected expenses that surface in between paychecks. This also puts a lot of responsibility on the individual to ensure that they will be able to pay back the loan on payday, but still have enough money to cover their normal expenses until the next payday. This type of loan is a tool and like many other tools, can be dangerous if not used correctly.