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 Fort Lauderdale, FL
4 credit unions are headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, with 116,930 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
- 4
- Members
- 116,930
- Federal
- 1
- State-chartered
- 3
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale has 10 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 4 credit unions headquartered here — about 2.5 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 116,930 members — roughly 14 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
4
0.5 per 100k residents
116,930 members
Payday & loan stores
10
1.2 per 100k residents
6 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Fort Lauderdale: Advance America (3), ACE Cash Express (2), OneMain Financial (2), Mariner Finance (1), Oportun (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 Fort Lauderdale
- Median household income
- $82,228
- Payday fee of $55, share of two weeks' income
- 1.7%
- Hours of work to pay the $55 fee
- 2.8 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 2.5%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 1.8 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 15.3%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 12.7%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Fort Lauderdale 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 Fort Lauderdale
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brightstar Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 8966 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310 | 59,360 | bscu.org |
| We Florida Financial Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 14548 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33302 | 40,632 | wefloridafinancial.com |
| Broward Healthcare Federal Credit UnionFederal | 2350 W Commercial Blvd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 | 11,846 | bhcfcu.org |
| Connect Credit UnionState-chartered | 3400 W Commercial Blvd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 | 5,092 | connectcu.org |
Payday and installment loan stores in Fort Lauderdale
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Fort Lauderdale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2460-C North State Rd. 7 Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33313 | (954) 485-5220 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 3263 Davie Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 | (954) 581-5219 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 5985 Stirling Rd. Davie, FL 33314 | (954) 316-6649 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 1651 N State Rd 7 Lauderhill, FL 33313 | (954) 733-3500 | — | 4.8 |
| 5100 Commercial Blvd Ste 16 Tamarac, FL 33319 | (954) 730-3567 | — | 4.9 |
| 4300 N University Dr Ste E106 Lauderhill, FL 33351 | (954) 824-9995 | — | 4.5 |
| 6517 N Andrews Ave Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 | (954) 351-2454 | — | 4.5 |
| 5417 N University Dr Lauderhill, FL 33351 | (954) 484-3700 | — | 4.7 |
| 7414 W Commercial Blvd Lauderhill, FL 33319 | (754) 203-0338 | — | 5.0 |
| 1000 S Pine Island Rd Ste 222 Plantation, FL 33324 | (954) 982-7750 | — | 4.7 |
More about Fort Lauderdale
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 Fort Lauderdale 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.