Minto Money Active
Native Village of Minto · lending since 2018
A ProPublica investigation tied Minto Money to Jay McGraw — Dr. Phil's eldest son — whose company allegedly funded the operation and is its principal beneficiary, while a 160-person Alaska village lends its name.
Minto Money at a glance
- Owning tribe
- Native Village of Minto
- Lending since
- 2018
- Loan amounts
- $200–$3,000
- APR range (reported)
- 700%+checked Jul 2026
- Product
- installment
- Website
- mintomoney.com
What a Minto Money loan really costs
Minto Money lends $200–$3,000 at APRs exceeding 700%; in one documented case a borrower repaid about $4,167 on a $1,200 loan. As of mid-2024 the FTC had logged more than 280 complaints, and the BBB rates it 'F.' Borrowers routinely report repaying three times or more of the principal.
- Loans up to $3,000.
- Fast, next-day funding.
- APR exceeds 700%; a $1,200 loan repaid about $4,167 in one documented case.
- BBB "F"; 280+ FTC complaints as of mid-2024.
- Named in 17+ federal suits; a 2025 settlement was quickly followed by a new suit.
- Investigative reporting describes it dividing the owning village.
Skip Minto Money if…
- You live in a state it does not lend to: Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois and 5 more.
- You want to see the APR before you apply — it publishes none; the rate appears only in the agreement.
Where Minto Money lends
Minto Money notably does not lend to Alaska residents — its own owning village's home state. Its Availability & Rates page also excludes the District of Columbia alongside the nine states above.
By its own terms, Minto Money does not lend to residents of:
Does Minto Money report to credit bureaus?
Minto Money does not build mainstream credit; it underwrites through alternative bureaus typical for this loan type. Assume on-time payments will not raise your score.
Minto Money and Birch Lending run the same site
Minto Money and Birch Lending are both brands of the Native Village of Minto, trading as Minto Financial and Tolovana Financial. Both run the same website: an "Availability & Rates" page that defines what an APR is and never states one, a $20 late fee after 5 days, a $30 returned-payment fee, no prepayment penalty.
The platform reaches well beyond this village. River Valley Loans and RiseUp Lending, both Crow Creek Sioux, run the identical template and publish excluded-state lists identical to each other. So do Three Sticks Lending and Willow Lake Lending, both Rosebud Sioux. Six brands, three tribes, two states — one operation behind all of it.
Note what that does to the sovereignty argument. Each brand rests its legal position on belonging to one specific tribe. Yet the product, the fee schedule, the disclosure practices and the website all arrive pre-built from somewhere else. The tribes differ. The machine does not.
Who actually owns and runs Minto Money
Minto Money (and its sister brand Birch Lending) is tied to the Native Village of Minto, Alaska — a village of roughly 160 people. According to a 2025 ProPublica investigation, the operation is serviced by CreditServe, Inc., whose listed president/secretary is Jay McGraw, the eldest son of television's Dr. Phil (Phil McGraw).
ProPublica reports McGraw provided 'tens of millions' in loan capital and is the enterprise's principal beneficiary; Dr. Phil himself is not linked. Former insiders quoted in the reporting were blunt — one former lending manager said of the rent-a-tribe structure, 'That's exactly what it is.'
Litigation and a revolving door of suits
Minto entities have been sued more than 17 times in federal court, with many cases dismissed on tribal sovereign-immunity grounds.
A November 2024 suit in the Northern District of Illinois named Jay McGraw, CreditServe CEO Eric Welch, CreditServe and Minto Money over state usury and FDCPA violations; it settled confidentially in May 2025 — and a new borrower suit was filed roughly ten days later.
The village's own revenue from the operation grew from about $2 million in 2020 to roughly $7 million in 2022.
What Minto Money costs in dollars
Minto Money's highest reported APR is 700% APR. Below is what that rate does to the amounts it actually lends, repaid over 12 monthly payments.
| You borrow | Monthly | Total repaid | Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200 | $117 | $1,406 | $1,206 |
| $1,600 | $937 | $11,245 | $9,645 |
| $3,000 | $1,757 | $21,085 | $18,085 |
At 700%, a $200 balance accrues about $117 in interest every month. Any payment below that figure leaves you owing more than you started with, however long you pay.
Standard amortization at the published ceiling rate; fees are not included, and your actual rate and term may differ. Run your own numbers in the payoff calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Minto Money connected to Dr. Phil?
Not to Dr. Phil personally. A 2025 ProPublica investigation ties the operation to his eldest son, Jay McGraw, listed as president/secretary of CreditServe — the company that services Minto Money and allegedly funded it. Dr. Phil (Phil McGraw) himself is not linked.
What is the APR on a Minto Money loan?
Over 700%. One documented borrower repaid about $4,167 on a $1,200 loan. Read the APR box in your own agreement.
What tribe owns Minto Money?
The Native Village of Minto, a roughly 160-person village in Alaska. Its sister brand is Birch Lending. Minto Money does not lend to Alaska residents.
Is Minto Money a tribal loan?
Yes. Minto Money is a tribal lending brand owned by the Native Village of Minto in AK. That means it lends under tribal law and claims sovereign immunity from your state's interest-rate cap, rather than holding a state lending license. It is also why its APR reaches 700%+ — far above the roughly 36% cap most states set for small loans. Whether the loan is enforceable where you live depends on your state.
What does a Minto Money loan cost?
Minto Money lends $200–$3,000 at 700%+ APR (reported — Minto Money does not publish its rate). At that rate, the total repaid on a loan run to term is several times the amount borrowed — check the total of payments in your agreement, not the monthly figure.
Is a Minto Money loan legal in my state?
It depends entirely on your state. High-cost tribal loans are effectively banned in nine states, where a loan above the rate cap can be void and not legally collectible, and restricted in many more. Minto Money claims tribal sovereign immunity from those caps — an argument courts have accepted in some cases and rejected in others. Check your state before you borrow, and especially before you pay a collector.
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