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 Lawton, OK
3 credit unions are headquartered in Lawton, with 30,984 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
- 3
- Members
- 30,984
- Federal
- 3
- State-chartered
- 0
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Lawton
Lawton has 9 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 3 credit unions headquartered here — about 3.0 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 30,984 members — roughly 35 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
3
3.4 per 100k residents
30,984 members
Payday & loan stores
9
10.1 per 100k residents
7 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Lawton: Security Finance (3), ACE Cash Express (1), Advance America (1), 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 (~391% 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: the OK maximum — $75 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 Lawton
- Median household income
- $56,455
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 3.5%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 5.0 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 3.7%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.6 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 21.8%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 20.2%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Lawton are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Oklahoma
| Payday loan in OK | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Allowed | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Loan amount | $500 | $200 – $2,000 |
| Fee limit | $15 per $100 advanced ($75) | Application fee up to $20 |
| Typical APR | ~391% | 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: Oklahoma law as summarized on our Oklahoma 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 Lawton
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Sill Federal Credit UnionFederal | PO Box 1527 Lawton, OK 73502 | 22,910 | fsfcu.com |
| Southwest Oklahoma Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1806 NW Liberty Ave Lawton, OK 73507 | 4,851 | swofcu.com |
| Comanche County Federal Credit UnionFederal | PO Box 143 Lawton, OK 73502 | 3,223 | comanchecountyfcu.com |
Payday and installment loan stores in Lawton
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Lawton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1036 NW 38th St Lawton, OK 73505 | (580) 353-2500 | — | 4.9 |
| A&A Finance 1314 W Gore Blvd Suite 5 Lawton, OK 73501 | (580) 248-5864 | — | 4.0 |
| 2412 NW Cache Rd Ste D Lawton, OK 73505 | (580) 353-6820 | — | 5.0 |
| 610 NW Sheridan Rd Lawton, OK 73505 | (580) 357-2221 | — | 4.8 |
| 5334 NW Cache Rd., Ste. A Lawton, OK 73505 | (580) 591-0333 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 2205 NW Cache Rd Lawton, OK 73505 | (580) 595-9287 | — | 4.9 |
| 2412 NW Cache Rd Ste E Lawton, OK 73505 | (580) 248-4473 | — | 4.1 |
| 1319 NW Sheridan Rd Lawton, OK 73505 | (580) 353-8090 | — | 4.9 |
| Shamrock Finance 2926 NW Cache Rd Lawton, OK 73505 | (580) 581-7235 | — | 4.8 |
More about Lawton
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 Lawton 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.