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 Grand Rapids, MI
7 credit unions are headquartered in Grand Rapids, with 661,613 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
- 7
- Members
- 661,613
- Federal
- 0
- State-chartered
- 7
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids has 8 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 7 credit unions headquartered here — about 1.1 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 661,613 members — roughly 175 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
7
1.9 per 100k residents
661,613 members
Payday & loan stores
8
2.1 per 100k residents
4 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Grand Rapids: Advance America (4), Check 'n Go (2), Check Into Cash (1), OneMain Financial (1).
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 Grand Rapids
- Median household income
- $74,880
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 2.6%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 4.0 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 2.8%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 1.9 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 14.8%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 13.7%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Michigan Credit UnionState-chartered | PO Box 2848 Grand Rapids, MI 49501 | 530,662 | lmcu.org |
| Adventure Credit UnionState-chartered | P.O. Box 895 Grand Rapids, MI 49518 | 43,275 | adventurecu.org |
| Wmcu Credit UnionState-chartered | 401 Hall St SW, Suite 288 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 | 29,196 | westmichigancu.com |
| Preferred Credit UnionState-chartered | 3767 Sparks Dr SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546 | 23,429 | preferredcu.org |
| Meijer Credit UnionState-chartered | 2410 Gaynor Ave NW, PO Box 141607 Grand Rapids, MI 49514 | 15,309 | meijercreditunion.com |
| Aac Credit UnionState-chartered | 177 Wilson Ave NW Grand Rapids, MI 49534 | 14,809 | aaccreditunion.org |
| Intandem Credit UnionState-chartered | 1619 Plainfield Ave NE Grand Rapids, MI 49505 | 4,933 | intandemcu.com |
Payday and installment loan stores in Grand Rapids
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Grand Rapids 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 353 Fuller Ave. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 | (616) 774-1021 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 3835 28th St. SE, Suite 101 Grand Rapids, MI 49512 | (616) 285-5494 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 3914 Plainfield Ave, NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525 | (616) 363-4634 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 4130 S. Division Avenue Wyoming, MI 49548 | (616) 531-5607 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 160 28th St SW Grand Rapids, MI 49548 | (616) 531-0400 | — | 4.9 |
| 6709 Division Ave S Grand Rapids, MI 49548 | (616) 281-1010 | — | 4.9 |
| 5372 Division St Grand Rapids, MI 49548 | (616) 249-0212 | — | 4.9 |
| 3539 Alpine Ave NW Grand Rapids, MI 49544 | (616) 784-3941 | — | 3.9 |
More about Grand Rapids
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 Grand Rapids 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.