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 Detroit, MI
5 credit unions are headquartered in Detroit, with 47,384 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
- 5
- Members
- 47,384
- Federal
- 1
- State-chartered
- 4
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Detroit
Detroit has 8 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 5 credit unions headquartered here — about 1.6 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 47,384 members — roughly 8 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
5
0.8 per 100k residents
47,384 members
Payday & loan stores
8
1.3 per 100k residents
2 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Detroit: Advance America (6), Check 'n Go (2).
What a $500 loan costs over 3 months
| Option | Payment | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan, re-borrowed 6 times (~369% APR) | $75.00 every 2 weeks | $450.00 |
| 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
- $406.49 payday costs 10× more
Payday: a typical fee of $75 on a $500 loan for 2 weeks (MI limits are not set in dollars), paid 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 Detroit
- Median household income
- $39,565
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 4.9%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 6.1 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 5.3%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 3.7 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 34.9%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 31.4%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Detroit are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Michigan
| Payday loan in MI | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Allowed | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Loan amount | $600 | $200 – $2,000 |
| Fee limit | 15% up to $100; scaled down for larger amounts (Varies) | Application fee up to $20 |
| Typical APR | ~369% | 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: Michigan law as summarized on our Michigan 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 Detroit
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diversified Members Credit UnionState-chartered | 1480 E Jefferson Ave Detroit, MI 48207 | 31,290 | dmcu.com |
| One Detroit Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 32584 Detroit, MI 48232 | 12,460 | onedetroitcu.org |
| Electrical Workers Local 58 Credit UnionState-chartered | 1366 Porter St Detroit, MI 48226 | 1,840 | ewcu.net |
| International Uaw Federal Credit UnionFederal | 8000 E Jefferson Ave Detroit, MI 48214 | 1,736 | iuawfcu.org |
| I.M. Detroit District Credit UnionState-chartered | 2101 Gratiot Avenue Detroit, MI 48207 | 58 | — |
Payday and installment loan stores in Detroit
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Detroit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13601 W. 7 Mile Road Detroit, MI 48235 | (313) 342-1060 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 14640 Mack Ave. Detroit, MI 48215 | (313) 821-5128 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 15405 Gratiot Ave., Ste. 150 Detroit, MI 48205 | (313) 371-0229 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 18345 Plymouth Rd. Detroit, MI 48228 | (313) 270-2966 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 19135 Telegraph Road Detroit, MI 48219 | (313) 794-7081 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 3440 East Jefferson Ave. Detroit, MI 48207 | (313) 567-0709 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 13338 E Jefferson Ave Detroit, MI 48215 | (313) 331-5500 | — | 5.0 |
| 14321 Livernois Detroit, MI 48238 | (313) 834-3000 | — | 4.9 |
More about Detroit
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 Detroit 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.