How to Stop a Payday Lender From Taking Money From Your Bank Account
How to revoke a lender's permission to debit your account, stop a payment, dispute unauthorized withdrawals and what the 2025 payment rule says.
Payday Loan Laws by State: Bans, Rate Caps and Limits
Why payday loan rules depend on your state, which states ban them or cap rates at 36%, what limits apply elsewhere, and how to check a lender's license.
The Military Lending Act: The 36% Cap Protecting Service Members
Who the Military Lending Act covers, what its 36% MAPR includes, its other protections, what it leaves out and where military families can get help.
How Payday Loans Work, and What They Really Cost
How a payday loan works, why a $15 fee per $100 equals an APR near 400%, how rollovers multiply the cost, and what to try first.
Help to Look for Before You Borrow: Bills, Food, Rent and Medical Costs
Free help that can shrink a cash shortfall: 211, utility programs and LIHEAP, food aid, hospital financial assistance and payment plans.
Earned Wage Access and Cash Advance Apps: What They Cost
How employer pay-access programs and cash advance apps work, how fees and tips translate into APRs, what the CFPB said in 2025 and how to use them safely.
Credit Union Payday Alternative Loans (PALs): A Cheaper Short-Term Loan
How federal credit union payday alternative loans work: PAL I and PAL II limits, the 28% APR cap, the $20 fee limit and how to join a credit union.
Debt Collectors, Fake Collectors and Loan Scams: Know Your Rights
What debt collectors can't do, the 7-calls-in-7-days rule, how to dispute a debt, and how to spot phantom debt and advance-fee loan scams.
Car Title Loans: How They Work and Why One in Five Ends in Repossession
How car title loans work, what a 25% monthly fee means, CFPB findings on rollovers and repossessions, and options that don't risk your car.
Small Loans From Your Bank, Overdrafts and Cash Advances Compared
Bank small-dollar loans, overdrafts, cash advances, PALs and payday loans compared: what each typically costs to borrow a few hundred dollars.