Northern Star Lending Active
Menominee Indian Tribe · lending since 2022
Northern Star Lending carries a 4.4-star Trustpilot rating and four federal RICO lawsuits at the same time — a gap that tells you exactly how much those solicited reviews are worth.
Northern Star Lending at a glance
- Owning tribe
- Menominee Indian Tribe
- Lending since
- 2022
- Loan amounts
- $200–$5,000
- APR range
- 630–780%checked Oct 2026
- Product
- installment
- Website
- northernstarlending.com
What a Northern Star Lending loan really costs
Northern Star Lending starts at $200 and goes up to $1,500 for first-time borrowers, then up to $5,000 for returning ones — escalating your exposure the longer you stay. APRs run 630–780%; one complaint describes a $325 loan on which the borrower paid $1,106.04, exceeding Oregon's rate cap.
The harder problems show up at default: borrowers report surprise wage garnishment through a third-party company, with the lender unable to state the balance owed, and arbitration, wage-assignment and ACH clauses 'buried in text' rather than presented in the initial contract.
- Larger loans for returning borrowers — up to $5,000.
- Same-day funding if approved by 2 p.m. Central; no prepayment penalty.
- Discloses Microbilt as a data source, which most peers omit.
- APRs run 630–780%; a $325 loan repaid $1,106.
- Wage garnishment via a third-party company reported at default.
- Arbitration and wage-assignment clauses "buried in text."
- Four federal RICO class actions between 2023 and 2025.
Where Northern Star Lending lends
Northern Star says it 'does not lend in every state' and that its footprint may change, without publishing a list. Confirm your state before borrowing.
Does Northern Star Lending report to credit bureaus?
Northern Star verifies applicants through Clarity, FactorTrust and Microbilt and shows no evidence of reporting to the major bureaus — so on-time payments will not build credit.
Who actually owns and runs Northern Star Lending
Northern Star Lending, LLC is an enterprise of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, in Keshena, WI — a sister brand to Today Cash (Loon Lending). The RICO suits below allege a non-tribal payday operator actually runs the marketing, underwriting and collections; that operator is not publicly named.
Four RICO suits — and the Trustpilot mirage
Northern Star is one of the most-sued brands in this tier: four federal RICO class actions in the Southern District of Indiana between 2023 and 2025 — Souders (1:23-cv-01834), Trawick (1:24-cv-01276, which has settled), Franklin (1:25-cv-00173) and Sheldon (1:25-cv-01883). The core theory is void usurious loans and buried arbitration.
Set that against its 4.3–4.4-star Trustpilot rating across roughly 6,000 reviews, and you have a textbook case of solicited post-funding sentiment inverted from the litigation reality.
What Northern Star Lending costs in dollars
Northern Star Lending's published ceiling is 780% 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 | $130 | $1,564 | $1,364 |
| $2,600 | $1,694 | $20,330 | $17,730 |
| $5,000 | $3,258 | $39,096 | $34,096 |
At 780%, a $200 balance accrues about $130 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.
Court record and your Northern Star Lending loan
No case has cancelled Northern Star Lending debt. Whether you still owe comes down to your state: in 9 states a loan above the rate cap is void, whatever the contract says — check yours.
- The MenomineeS.D. Ind. and others — several pending · 2025 — One tribal officer, five storefronts, outside money
If a collector is calling, read what to do before you pay anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is Northern Star Lending being sued?
Yes — four federal RICO class actions in the Southern District of Indiana between 2023 and 2025 (Souders, Trawick, Franklin, Sheldon), alleging void usurious loans and buried arbitration clauses. Trawick has already settled.
Can Northern Star garnish my wages?
Borrowers report surprise wage garnishment through a third-party company at default, tied to a wage-assignment clause "buried in text." A wage assignment can be revoked in writing — send it to Northern Star and your payroll department, and demand a written statement of the balance owed.
Why is its Trustpilot score so high?
Northern Star carries a ~4.4-star Trustpilot rating across ~6,000 reviews even while defending four RICO suits — a pattern typical of solicited post-funding reviews that reflect funding speed, not the cost or the litigation.
Is Northern Star Lending a tribal loan?
Yes. Northern Star Lending is a tribal lending brand owned by the Menominee Indian Tribe in WI. 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 630–780% — 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 Northern Star Lending loan cost?
Northern Star Lending lends $200–$5,000 at 630–780% APR. Near the top of that range, 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 Northern Star Lending 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. Northern Star Lending 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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