Loan options, laid out plainly
Personal, installment, emergency, payday and title loans, plus other ways to borrow. We handpick the loan types worth knowing about and explain each one: what it can cost, who it suits and what to watch for. We do not pick, vet or rank lenders.
A guide for your state
Every state and DC has its own guide: which loan types state law allows, the limits lenders must follow, a worked cost example and who to call if something goes wrong. If a loan type is not allowed where you live, we say so and show what else can work.
Help that is not a loan
Sometimes the right move is not to borrow. We point you to 211, nonprofit credit counseling, legal aid and benefits programs, each linked to its official source.
Free, and your call
Using BadCreditMD costs nothing. When you are ready, one request form shares your request with lenders through a lending network partner. Lenders set their own rates and decide whether to lend, and you decide whether to accept any offer.
Loan options, one type at a time
Pick the kind of loan you are weighing to see how it works, what it can cost and where it is allowed. Not sure? Compare all five side by side.
- Personal loansA lump sum you repay in fixed monthly payments. See what your state allows and what a loan can cost.
- Installment loansFixed payments over months, not weeks. See your state's rate limits and a worked cost example.
- Emergency loansMoney for an urgent bill, usually a smaller installment loan. Check your state's limits before you borrow.
- Payday loansA short loan usually due in one payment on your next payday. Allowed in fewer states, so read the fee limits first.
- Title loansA loan secured by your car title. Allowed in fewer states, and your car is at risk if you cannot repay.
Other ways to borrow
- Credit union payday alternative loans: small loans from federal credit unions with an APR capped at 28% under NCUA rules. (12 CFR 701.21)
- Credit-builder loans: a small loan held in savings while you pay it off, which can help build a payment history.
- Secured credit cards: a card backed by a deposit you make, which can help build credit when you pay on time.
- Payment plans: many utilities, hospitals and lenders offer hardship plans if you ask before you miss a payment.
Start with your state
Each state guide covers the loan types state law allows, what a loan can cost there, local help and the rules lenders follow.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
When borrowing is not the answer
Free places to turn before, or instead of, taking a loan. Each one links to its official source.
Guides for borrowing and rebuilding credit
Plain answers to the questions people ask most, from what a $1,000 loan costs to what lenders look at with a 550 credit score.
Loans by credit score Loans by amount Guides to borrowing with bad credit
How BadCreditMD works
- Learn your options. Read how each loan type works, what it can cost and what to watch for.
- Check your state. See which loan types your state law allows where you live, what a typical loan costs and where to find free help.
- Submit a request if you want to. Where the request form is open, a lending network partner shares your request with lenders, who may respond with offers. Lenders set their own rates and decide whether to lend.
BadCreditMD is not a lender or broker and does not rank lenders. Lenders or our partner may pay us when a request is passed along, and that never changes what we publish.
Checked against official sources
State rules on BadCreditMD come from statutes, state regulators and, where noted, secondary legal sources, and local resources come from the agency or nonprofit's own site. Every fact links to its source with the date we last checked it.
How we research State guides: bad credit loans, rules and help
Common questions
Is BadCreditMD a lender?
No. BadCreditMD is not a lender or broker and does not make credit decisions. We publish information and host a request form run by a lending network partner, who shares your request with lenders.
Does it cost anything to use BadCreditMD?
No. Using the site and submitting a request form are free. Lenders or our partner may pay us when a request is passed along.
Will checking my options affect my credit?
Reading loan guides, state guides and resources on BadCreditMD never affects your credit. If you submit a request form, our lending network partner or lenders may check your credit; read the form's terms before you send it.
What if a loan type is not allowed in my state?
Your state guide says so plainly, and there is no request form for that loan type. It shows other options and free help in your state instead.
Where can I get free help with bills or debt?
Start with 211 for local help with rent, utilities and food, or a nonprofit credit counselor for a budget or debt plan. Your state guide lists local resources with links to their official sites.
Important disclosures
Illustrative range for installment loans: APRs from 5.99% to 35.99%. This range is not a quote; each lender sets its own rates. Your APR depends on your credit, income, state and the lender.
Representative example
- Amount borrowed
- $1,000
- Annual percentage rate (APR)
- 29.99%
- Repayment
- 12 monthly payments
- Payment
- $97.48
- Finance charge
- $169.76
- Total of payments
- $1,169.76
Example: a $1,000 installment loan at 29.99% APR repaid in 12 monthly payments of $97.48 costs $1,169.76 in total, including a finance charge of $169.76. Illustration only; your lender will disclose your actual APR, payment schedule and total cost before you accept a loan.
- BadCreditMD is not a lender or broker and does not make loans or credit decisions. When you submit a request, a lending network partner shares it with third-party lenders, and those lenders or the partner may pay us a fee for each referral. The lenders decide whether to offer you a loan.
- There is no fee to use BadCreditMD. Lenders or our lending network partner may pay us.
- Lenders set their own rates, fees and terms. Offers depend on your credit, income, state of residence and each lender's criteria.
- Our service is not available in all states, and not every loan type is available in every state.
- By submitting a request you consent to lenders checking your credit, which may affect your score, and to your information being shared with them.
- Submitting a request does not mean you will be approved or funded, or that you will receive any particular amount or rate.
- Short-term loans are costly and are not a long-term financial solution. Borrow only what you can repay on time.
- BadCreditMD publishes general information about loans and state rules. It is not legal or financial advice.
- BadCreditMD is operated by BadCreditMD, LLC, 30 N Gould St Ste N, Sheridan, WY 82801. Contact: pr@badcreditmd.com. Full details are on our disclosures page and disclaimer.
- Each state regulates lenders through its own financial regulator. Our state guides link to each one.
- You can submit a complaint about any lender to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.