The honest guide to high-cost borrowing
If you have good credit and want the lowest rate, this is not the site for you — that is rate-shopping, and the big comparison sites do it well. What we cover is the other half of the market: the expensive, subprime, last-resort loans people reach for when they are already in a tight spot. For every one, we answer the three questions the marketplaces skip — what it really costs, whether it is even legal where you live, and how to avoid or escape it.
Fast cash
Borrowing against your car — the one high-cost loan that can cost you the vehicle itself.
Cash advance appsEarnin, Dave, MoneyLion, Brigit, Chime SpotMe — "0% interest" advances whose real cost is hidden in tips and fees.
Payday loansThe lump-sum, next-payday loan — the original rollover trap, at ~400% APR.
Installment loansBorrow a set amount, repay over fixed months — cheaper than payday only if the rate is sane.
Emergency loansCash you need today — but "emergency" is also the word used to rush you into the worst options.
Car title loansHow borrowing against your car actually works — the process, the repossession, and where you can legally get one.
Credit-challenged
Getting out
Tribal loans — the flagship category
Tribal lending is the deepest part of this site: 115+ active lenders, a 50-state legality map and a litigation tracker. These are the four kinds of tribal loan you will actually encounter.
The installment loan is the workhorse of tribal lending: fixed payments make it feel manageable, which is exactly why a $500 loan can quietly cost $2,000 before it's paid off.
Tribal payday loansA tribal payday loan is the rawest version of the model: a few hundred dollars now, due almost in full on your next payday, at a rate no state would legally allow.
Tribal lines of creditA tribal line of credit swaps a fixed payoff date for a revolving balance and a tempting minimum payment — which is precisely how a $1,000 draw turns into $3,000 repaid.
Tribal personal loans"Tribal personal loan" is mostly a friendlier label for the same 400–800% installment loan — the softer the name, the more it pays to read the APR box.
Compare lenders by what you need
Once you know which kind of loan you are looking at, the next question is which lender — out of the 143 we track.
By amount
By situation
Check your state first
Payday and title lending have separate 50-state legal maps, and a loan that breaks your state's limits may be void rather than merely expensive.