Home » Loans » Personal » Refund Anticipation Loan
What it is
A refund anticipation loan, or RAL, is a short term cash advance made against a customer's anticipated income tax refund. The loans are offered at high interest rates that range from 40 to 700 percent APR. Refund anticipation loans speed up the refund process by as little as one week, compared to what consumers can expect by filing online and having their refunds deposited directly into their bank accounts.
Refund anticipation loans offer people fast emergency cash that can be used to pay overdue medical bills, credit payments, and other debts while they wait for the IRS to process their taxes. This process can take anywhere from three weeks to two months. Many refund anticipation loans cost consumers substantial amounts of money. For instance, a refund anticipation loan could be a 10-day loan with a $3,000 refund anticipation and a loan fee of $89. This is an annualized interest rate of 108 percent.
Who it's for
Refund anticipation loans are typically obtained by people who are in lower income brackets or people who need immediate funding or emergency cash fast. Refund anticipation loans can help people meet short term financial goals to pay the bills, arrange for minor car repairs, pay for medical attention or any number of other unexpected emergency costs. These loans are sold to people who are willing to pay a lot of money to receive their refund a few weeks sooner.
What you need to do to apply
In order to obtain a refund anticipation loan, interested applicants will need to contact a local lending institution and inquire about the different options and rates available. Personal and financial history, including a credit report, will need to be made available to the lending institution.
Apply for a Refund Anticipation Loan
Click here
to apply for a personal loan at PlanetLoan:

Popular Credit Cards
Recommended Credit Card
The Iberiabank Visa® Select Card is one of the most popular cards available. Your Credit Advisor recommends it as our favorite in this category.
|
|
- Introductory Rate of 0.00% or 7.50% based on creditworthiness for 12 months from date opened on Purchases. This rate will not change during the introductory period.
- Intro APR on Balance Transfers of 1.99% for the first 12 billing cycles. After that, APR will be the same as your assigned purchase rate, based on your creditworthiness.
- Low Ongoing Variable Rate APR after introductory period of 7.50%, 9.50%, or 11.50% based on your creditworthiness. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
- Online access to credit card account information
- Low Annual Fee of $35.00
- Apply online now at the card issuer's Web site.
|
| Intro APR |
Regular APR |
Credit Needed |
Annual Fee |
| 0% or 7.5% on purchases for 12 months and 1.99% on balance transfers for 12 billing cycles |
7.50%, 9.50%, or 11.50% |
|
$35 |
|
|
- No annual membership fee
- Low variable rate of 9.25%, 12.25%, or 15.25% based on the creditworthiness. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
- Introductory APR on Balance Transfers of 1.99% for your first 6 billing cycles. After that, your APR will be the same as your assigned purchase rate, based on your creditworthiness.
- Earn 1% in cash back credit on all qualifying purchases
- No limit on cash back; no expiration date on eligibility for accounts in good standing
- Travel accident coverage up to $500,000
- Online access to credit card account information
- Apply online now at the card issuer's Web site.
|
| Intro APR |
Regular APR |
Credit Needed |
Annual Fee |
| 1.99% on balance transfers for 6 billing cycles |
9.25%, 12.25%, or 15.25% |
|
$0 |
|
|
- No annual membership fee
- Low variable rate of 7.25%, 10.25%, or 13.25% based on the creditworthiness. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
- Low Introductory APR on Balance Transfers of 1.99% for 6 billing cycles. After that, your APR will be the same as your assigned purchase rate, based on your creditworthiness.
- Online access to credit card account information
- Apply online now at the card issuer's Web site.
|
| Intro APR |
Regular APR |
Credit Needed |
Annual Fee |
| 1.99% on balance transfers for 6 billing cycles |
7.25%, 10.25%, or 13.25% |
|
$0 |
|
|
- No annual membership fee
- Low variable rate of 9.25%, 12.25%, or 15.25% based on the creditworthiness. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
- Introductory APR on balance transfers of 1.99% for your first 6 billing cycles. After that, your APR will be the same as your assigned purchase rate, based on your creditworthiness.
- Earn 1 bonus point for every $1 in qualifying net retail purchases, can redeem for merchandise with as little as 700 points.
- Turn your points into hotel, gift, or experience rewards
- Product Enhancements include: Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Roadside Dispatch and Travel Emergency Services.
- Online access to credit card account information
- Apply online now at the card issuer's Web site.
|
| Intro APR |
Regular APR |
Credit Needed |
Annual Fee |
| 1.99% on balance transfers for 6 billing cycles |
9.25%, 12.25%, or 15.25% |
|
$0 |
|
|
- No annual fee
- On top of 2¢ per litre of gas earned in CAA-Quebec Dollars when you show your CAA-Quebec membership card at the Couche-Tard counter◊◊
- Earn up to 1% in CAA-Quebec Dollars‡ on your other eligible purchases
- 1.99% annual interest rate† (AIR) on balance transfers* and deposits* for the first 10 full months
- Unparalleled 24-hour customer service
- Online access to your credit card account
- International acceptance at millions of locations
- Enhanced security and protection with Chip & Pin technology and PayPass
- Apply online now at the card issuer's Web site.
|
| Intro APR |
Regular APR |
Credit Needed |
Annual Fee |
| 1.99% for your first 10 billing cycles on purchases for 0 months and 1.99% on balance transfers for 10 months |
See Terms |
|
None |