If you have a poor credit rating, that means banks, credit unions and other financial organizations will define you as “high risk” and most likely refuse to lend you any money. As such, if you’re having trouble saving money and need to get hold of some cash quickly you should try  one of the residential bridge loan lenders before you feel as if you’re at the mercy of notorious pay day loan companies that charge enormous interest rates on their loans. But you should be wary of pay day loans as they often lead to a vicious cycle where you end up borrowing money before your pay check comes simply to pay off last week’s loan, and on, and on.

So what private money lender and other options do you have to obtain cash fast?

Obtain a car title loan

If you own a vehicle, a car title loan is definitely a good option. Car title loans are quite similar to how pawn shops operate, in that the lender will asses the value of your vehicle and make you an offer based on that, with your vehicle being used as security for that loan.

If you accept the loan, the lender will keep hold of the title of your car until you have paid back the full amount. These loans are usually short-term loans though the interest rates are more affordable than with pay day loans. Make sure you do pay the loan back however. If not, the lender could repossess your vehicle.

Borrow from your friends or family

This is the most obvious option when you’re caught short. Most people know someone, either their parents or a sibling, or a rich mate, who can afford to spot them a few dollars if they need. Still, be sure to pay the money back, because not doing so is one of the fastest ways to poison a good relationship. If you’re looking to borrow a large amount of money from a friend or family member, it might be a good idea to legitimize the loan by creating a contract that includes the terms of the loan and the amount of interest to be paid, if any.

Apply for a peer-to-peer loan

Unfortunately not everyone has rich friends and family, but that doesn’t mean there’s no hope. A relatively new form of loan called a peer-to-peer loan might be a good option. This kind of loan is obtained from an online platform wherein you borrow cash from an individual as opposed to a bank.

Borrowers simply post a listing on one of the multitude of peer-to-peer loan sites asking for a certain amount of cash and stating what it’s needed for. Investors can then review your listing and decide if they want to loan you the cash.

Lenders will still check your credit rating, but because they are individuals you’ll likely be granted a lot more leeway, which means even those with bad credit have a good chance of borrowing the cash they need. In addition, peer-to-peer lenders usually offer lower interest rates than banks.

Pawn some valuables

If you have any valuable possessions you can choose to pawn them at a local pawn shop. The way it works is very simple, the pawn shop will appraise the value of whatever it is you wish to pawn, some jewelry for example. Based on that appraisal, the pawn shop will make you an offer to borrow some cash (at interest) and then you must agree on a time frame by which you can repay the loan and claim back your items. Be warned though, if you don’t pay up in time the pawn shop has every right to confiscate your items and sell them to recoup the money it has lent you.