Compare legal limits, fees and the true cost of small loans in your state before you talk to any lender. Compare legal limits, fees and the true cost of small loans in your state.
Credit Unions vs Payday Loans in Boca Raton, FL
2 credit unions are headquartered in Boca Raton, with 120,409 members in total. Credit unions are member-owned and often offer small personal loans and payday alternative loans (PALs) at far lower rates than payday lenders.
- Credit unions
- 2
- Members
- 120,409
- Federal
- 1
- State-chartered
- 1
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Boca Raton
Boca Raton has 2 credit unions headquartered here and just 1 payday, installment or title loan store. Local credit unions count 120,409 members — roughly 49 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
2
0.8 per 100k residents
120,409 members
Payday & loan stores
1
0.4 per 100k residents
1 store chain
Biggest loan store chains in Boca Raton: loanDepot (1).
What a $500 loan costs over 3 months
| Option | Payment | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan, re-borrowed 6 times (~304% APR) | $55.00 every 2 weeks | $330.00 |
| Credit union PAL, 3 monthly payments (28% APR + $20 fee) | $174.50 a month | $43.51 |
- You keep with a credit union PAL over 3 months
- $286.49 payday costs 8× more
Payday: the FL maximum — $55 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks, paid again each time the loan is renewed or taken out again (6 times in 3 months). PAL: payday alternative loan from a federal credit union, capped at 28% APR with an application fee of up to $20.
What it means for a household in Boca Raton
- Median household income
- $95,451
- Payday fee of $55, share of two weeks' income
- 1.5%
- Hours of work to pay the $55 fee
- 2.5 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 2.2%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 1.5 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 12.0%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 8.8%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Boca Raton are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Florida
| Payday loan in FL | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Allowed | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Loan amount | $500 | $200 – $2,000 |
| Fee limit | 10% of check + $5 fee ($55) | Application fee up to $20 |
| Typical APR | ~304% | Up to 28% |
| Term | Usually 2–4 weeks, due in one payment | 1 to 12 months, in installments |
| Credit check | Usually none; a bank account and income are required | Membership required; payments can be reported to credit bureaus |
Payday rules: Florida law as summarized on our Florida payday page. PAL rules: National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) rules for federal credit unions (PAL I and PAL II); state-chartered credit unions may offer similar small loans.
Credit unions headquartered in Boca Raton
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ithink Financial Credit UnionState-chartered | P O Box 5090 Boca Raton, FL 33487 | 118,280 | ithinkfi.org |
| South Atlantic Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1 W Camino Real Ste 110 Boca Raton, FL 33432 | 2,129 | safcu.org |
Payday and installment loan stores in Boca Raton
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Boca Raton with addresses, phone numbers and hours. Check a credit union first — a PAL or small personal loan usually costs far less.
| Address | Phone | Hours | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2385 NW Executive Center Dr Ste 120 Boca Raton, FL 33431 | (561) 609-0490 | — | 4.5 |
More about Boca Raton
Only credit union headquarters are listed, with the address on file with the NCUA; phone numbers and branch locations are on each credit union’s website. Many credit unions also have branches in Boca Raton and nearby — check membership requirements, as some are open to anyone who lives or works in the area. Loan stores: storefront locations of major payday, installment and title lenders; call ahead to confirm hours.