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 Saint Joseph, MO
5 credit unions are headquartered in Saint Joseph, with 17,278 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
- 17,278
- Federal
- 0
- State-chartered
- 5
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph has 10 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 5 credit unions headquartered here — about 2.0 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 17,278 members — roughly 21 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
5
6.0 per 100k residents
17,278 members
Payday & loan stores
10
12.1 per 100k residents
10 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Saint Joseph: Advance America (1), Check 'n Go (1), Check Into Cash (1), Lendmark Financial Services (1), Mariner Finance (1).
What a $500 loan costs over 3 months
| Option | Payment | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan, re-borrowed 6 times (~462% 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 (MO 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 Saint Joseph
- Median household income
- $58,931
- 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
- 3.6%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.5 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 21.4%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 17.0%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Saint Joseph are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Missouri
| Payday loan in MO | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Allowed | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Loan amount | $500 | $200 – $2,000 |
| Fee limit | 75% of initial loan amount (N/A) | Application fee up to $20 |
| Typical APR | ~462% | 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: Missouri law as summarized on our Missouri 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 Saint Joseph
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postal & Community Credit UnionState-chartered | 3921 Oakland Ave Saint Joseph, MO 64506 | 11,114 | pccustjoseph.com |
| District One Highway Credit UnionState-chartered | 3011 N Belt Hwy Ste B Saint Joseph, MO 64506 | 2,059 | district1hwycu.org |
| Stationery Credit UnionState-chartered | 1402 S 10th St Saint Joseph, MO 64503 | 1,983 | stationerycreditunion.com |
| St. Joseph Teachers' Credit UnionState-chartered | 2316 Village Drive Saint Joseph, MO 64506 | 1,090 | sjtcreditunion.com |
| Lovers Lane Credit UnionState-chartered | 1502 S Belt Hwy Ste A Saint Joseph, MO 64507 | 1,032 | — |
Payday and installment loan stores in Saint Joseph
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Saint Joseph 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1401 N. Belt Hwy. Saint Joseph, MO 64506 | (816) 364-1381 | Mon–Fri 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 409 N Belt Hwy Ste C St Joseph, MO 64506 | (816) 233-1254 | — | 4.9 |
| 1101 S Belt Hwy St Joseph, MO 64507 | (816) 364-4789 | — | 4.9 |
| 139 N Belt Hwy Ste h St Joseph, MO 64506 | (816) 558-6060 | — | 4.3 |
| 3302 S Belt Hwy Suite E St Joseph, MO 64503 | (816) 259-5209 | — | 4.8 |
| 3007 N Belt Hwy #104d St Joseph, MO 64506 | (816) 279-4777 | — | 4.0 |
| 2115 N Belt Hwy Ste F St Joseph, MO 64506 | (816) 279-3638 | — | 4.9 |
| 1212 S Belt Hwy St Joseph, MO 64507 | (816) 364-3489 | — | 4.9 |
| 2229-D N Belt Hwy St Joseph, MO 64506 | (816) 233-4414 | — | 4.9 |
| 601 S Belt Hwy St Joseph, MO 64507 | (816) 232-9444 | — | 4.9 |
More about Saint Joseph
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 Saint Joseph 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.