Top 10 Reasons Why Call Center Agents Need a Loan
Why do call center agents need a salary loan?
BPO agents never fail to rank as one of the highest paid jobs in the country in the annual list of both JobStreet and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Each of us has at least one friend or relative who are call center agents and the stories about those agents who are unable to save and in need of immediate cash are not new.
I’ve got a couple of friends who either preferred or were forced by financial circumstances to work in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies.
While they work in various companies, they usually have the same routine: going to work, take calls/reply to emails, maybe have a drink with coworkers, go home to sleep, then go to work.
When payday comes they say it will just slip between their fingers, soon few days will pass and they will be looking forward once more to payday. Then if a need arises, they will resort to “utang.”
This morning I overheard a neighbor, who works in a call center in Ortigas, asking my mom if she could borrow some cash for her children’s tuition. Neighbors usually borrow money from each other for four reasons: instant, possibly no interest, payment can be extended (Sa katapusan nalang po ang bayad), and there is no need to pass any requirements.
All you need is a good relationship with the lender, luck (if your neighbor has extra cash), and tact. If you hit rock bottom and you can’t borrow from a relative, a friend, or neighbor, you get online loans.
Why Call Center Agents Must Get a Salary Loan
BPO loan is a great help for call center agents struggling to budget until their next paycheck.
Medical Emergencies
Newsflash: Your PhilHealth does not cover the costs of Emergency Rooms.
Most Filipinos are using PhilHealth as their health insurance. However, as the truth may hurt, getting money from this institution may be troublesome to many of our kababayans.
Also, the coverage may be very limited for most Filipinos with low-wage. As a call center agent, if you have another health insurance or health card, take your time to know the coverage and terms. If you need more cash, you have to get a salary loan.
Appliances and Electronic Gadgets
Especially for those who just moved into a new home or welcoming a new member of the family such as a baby, loans are of great help in acquiring appliances.
Furthermore, cell phones are now a necessity. However, others are willing to get loans just to upgrade and get the latest smartphone unit in the market.
This is also one of the reasons why ‘5-6’ has grown popular in the neighborhood. Bombays will usually offer appliances and electronic gadgets at 20% interest on a daily repayment term.
Pre-natal Checkups
Regular prenatal checkups can be very expensive if you don’t have a health card covering such costs. PhilHealth unfortunately, does not pay for prenatal checkups no matter how delicate your pregnancy is. While public hospitals can offer free consultations, a private OB can be reassuring if it is your first baby and you have a complicated pregnancy.
Aside from OB visits, there are other health costs, such as medication maintenance, that can be quite expensive.
Education
As mandated by Republic Act (RA) 10533 signed on May 15, 2013, the basic education will comprise kindergarten, six years of primary education, four years of junior high school, and 2 years in senior high school. Now that we have K-12, parents have growing concerns about their children’s education.
Despite the government’s efforts to help with the students’ tuition through vouchers, it is taking more time to be implemented and only a limited number of students can avail of such benefits. Parents have to pay for uniforms, a balanced budget for everyday allowances, and other student needs aside from the tuition fees if their kids are going to private schools and institutions. College education also does not come cheap.
If parents can’t pay in cash, they opt to pay in instalments. Many call center agents provide for their families as the bread winner. They pay for their siblings’ and children’s school needs, and if their salary seems to be not enough, they get personal loans.
Vacation
Finally, got a week of leave or perhaps a long holiday season?
Then this might be the best time to go on your dream vacation in Bali with your family. Loans are known to be very useful in these circumstances.
Getting a chance to have this vacation is harder than buying the next over-the-edge smartphone. Do not pass up your trip of a lifetime.
Buying a Car
Most people who buy cars don’t have sufficient funds to get their rides in cash. Such big purchases require car loans.
However, secured loans can be costly and hard to get if you have a bad credit history. On the other hand, you can get a personal loan from a legitimate moneylender without much fuss over your credit score, unlike getting car loans from a bank. Once you get a car, you can ask your co-workers if they are willing to carpool with you in exchange for chipping in for gas or a reasonable fare.
Special Occasions
When we say special, it depends on your perception. From monthsaries to weddings, you can use loans to make celebrations memorable. Filipinos are known lovers of celebrations, and with a loan, you can make parties and gatherings accommodating to more guests. You can purchase engagement rings, exclusive reservations to a hotel for a honeymoon, and christening packages for your little angel.
Debt Consolidation
Some Filipinos get loans to combine debts into one with a fixed rate, fixed repayment, and terms. Others will simply get a loan to pay off their already existing loans. This way, they can just pay one loan instead of racking their brains with numerous financial responsibilities.
Food and Other Necessities
Most Filipinos get loans because they need to buy the basic necessity: food. For some reason, your salary might not be enough to get you through the next paycheck. This leads to getting a loan to put food on the table three times a day.
Helping out Parents
We have a family oriented culture, and though we may say that our society has been modernized, the love for our family still holds the top priority in most of us.
When a parent suddenly calls and asks for financial help, it is hard to say “NO.” When you reflect on their hardships just for you to have a decent job, if not a respectable career. And if by chance you are also at your financial limit, you will end up getting a loan to send cash to your parents.
According to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, 47% of Filipinos have borrowed or had an existing debt. As Filipinos living in Manila and working in BPOs, we are not new to a financial dilemma in times we least expect it. If you get into a financial crisis, where will you get a loan?
Salary Loans for BPO Employees
A BPO Loan is now available for call center agents. You can apply for it at the following financial institutions.
Banks
Many Filipinos know that a bank is not only an institution where you can save up, you can also get various loans with strict regulations and loads of requirements. Most banks have personal loans. Typically, it ranges from P10, 000 to a P3million, except for HSBC, which offers up to P5 million.
If you are getting a loan, like 4.4% of Filipinos, just to provide food on the table, and pay school fees and emergency expenses a few days before payday. Then, it is not a fitting loan for you since bank loans take a few days before you get your disbursed cash.
Also, since you have work, you need to find some time to go down to the bank personally and present your documents and then go back to sign the loan contract before you can get your cash. The personal loan tenure also takes at least three months up to a year. We Filipinos do not want to be in debt for a long time.
Seven out of 10 Filipino adults admit that banks are accessible. However, other access points, such as pawnshops and moneylenders, are easier to reach.
Informal Lenders
Around 62% of Filipinos have borrowed money from family, friends, and relatives. This is the most convenient way, as most of these transactions do not involve interest. Conversely, this puts trust on the line.
Failure to pay the promised amount on the agreed date creates an awkward rift in the relationship. Others stopped talking to each other just because a few hundred were not paid.
Yes, you can find a Bombay around Manila anytime you want a loan. First, 5-6 is guaranteed quick cash. Second, the Bombay himself will go to your house, and there is no need to go to any bank to fall in line and pay over the counter.
Lastly, you can pay either weekly or daily. So you will not really feel that you are paying a very high-interest rate of 20%. If you borrowed P5, 000. Then, your interest will be P1, 000.
It seems that a lot of Filipinos bite into the bait of quick cash without the hassle of paperwork, but then, you can easily fall prey to lurking loan sharks.
They are more than willing to lend you cash at the most skyrocketing interest rates. And you have no idea that you are just digging deeper debts instead of getting out of one. Take time to research other options instead of jumping over the first offer you get.
Pawnshops
Have you been “investing” in gadgets and suddenly had a financial emergency? Pawning your beloved phone or laptop could have crossed your mind, as 76.2% of Filipinos view pawnshops as the most accessible lender. On the other hand, you could have pawned your ATM card as your collateral. Since some of these lenders could be easier to find in the BPO offices (though not openly advertised). The problem with pawning is the known risk of losing your collateral if you fail to repay your loan with interest. Most pawnshops also ask for just a one-time payment.
Online Lending Company in Philippines
While we can think ‘utang’ as an embedded entity in our culture, we can’t deny that it is also changing as our lives progress. Some call center agents are used to convenience brought by the web. It saves time and money if you can get something in just a few clicks, this is why there are online lending companies that have created online loan services.
You must be mindful that there are lenders who present themselves as online money lenders, yet at the end of the loan process, you have to get down to their office to personally sign the loan contract before you can get your cash. Real online loans can be availed without going to the lender’s office and receiving the disbursed cash in a day.
Online loans are the most convenient loans for call center agents since you can apply anywhere. And the loans range from P3,000 to P30,000, payable weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. It depends on the money lenders’ products and your preferences.
Fast Salary Loan for Call Center Agents
When facing a financial dilemma, take a deep breath and consider your options. Choose online lenders who will help you regain financial stability by considering the interest rate, loan amount, loan terms, ease of loan application, fees, and other charges.
Good money lenders will loan you only the amount they think you can pay at ease, as loans should be your tools for financial independence and not a tool to hurl you into spiraling debt.
Also, as a call center agent, it might be harder for you to apply for a loan because some money lenders consider you a high risk. Do not fret, take your time to shop around, and you will find the best money lender offering fitting loans for your needs and lifestyle, such as Cash Mart.
If you need an instant loan to take care of your financial needs while waiting for the next paycheck, you can get your loan from Cash Mart. Cash Mart offers flexible loans with fewer requirements and the fastest process- online. Start processing your loan now to get your cash within the day.
