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 Muskegon, MI
9 credit unions are headquartered in Muskegon, with 58,475 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
- 9
- Members
- 58,475
- Federal
- 7
- State-chartered
- 2
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Muskegon
Muskegon has 9 credit unions headquartered here and 5 payday, installment and title loan stores. Local credit unions count 58,475 members — roughly 45 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
9
6.9 per 100k residents
58,475 members
Payday & loan stores
5
3.9 per 100k residents
3 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Muskegon: Advance America (3), Check 'n Go (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 Muskegon
- Median household income
- $59,650
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 3.3%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 4.8 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 3.5%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.4 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 19.4%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 13.9%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Muskegon 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 Muskegon
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service 1 Federal Credit UnionFederal | P.O Box 810 Muskegon, MI 49443 | 21,204 | service1fcu.com |
| Best Financial Credit UnionState-chartered | 1888 E Sherman Muskegon, MI 49444 | 12,930 | bestfinancialcu.com |
| Route 31 Federal Credit UnionFederal | 715 Terrace Street, Suite 101 Muskegon, MI 49440 | 9,472 | route31cu.com |
| Muskegon Federal Credit UnionFederal | 65 W Laketon Ave Muskegon, MI 49441 | 5,042 | muskfedcu.com |
| Port City Federal Credit UnionFederal | 460 W Laketon Ave Muskegon, MI 49441 | 2,664 | portcityfcu.com |
| Lakeshore Federal Credit UnionFederal | 2182 Lakeshore Dr Muskegon, MI 49441 | 2,628 | lakeshorefcu.com |
| Michigan Coastal Credit UnionState-chartered | 1086 Creston St Muskegon, MI 49442 | 2,429 | michigancoastal.com |
| Muskegon St Joseph Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1903 Barclay St Muskegon, MI 49441 | 1,295 | — |
| West Michigan Postal Service Federal Credit UnionFederal | P. O. Box 341 Muskegon, MI 49443 | 811 | wmpsfcu.com |
Payday and installment loan stores in Muskegon
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Muskegon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1655 East Apple Ave. Muskegon, MI 49442 | (231) 773-8593 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 1906 Holton Rd., Ste. C Muskegon, MI 49445 | (231) 744-4361 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 2838 Henry Street, Ste. 200 Muskegon, MI 49441 | (231) 830-9876 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 1930 E Apple Ave K Muskegon, MI 49442 | (231) 773-6400 | — | 5.0 |
| 1848 E Sherman Blvd Ste Q Muskegon, MI 49444 | (231) 739-7417 | — | 4.1 |
More about Muskegon
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 Muskegon 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.