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 Jackson, TN
4 credit unions are headquartered in Jackson, with 98,166 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
- 4
- Members
- 98,166
- Federal
- 2
- State-chartered
- 2
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Jackson
Jackson has 12 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 4 credit unions headquartered here — about 3.0 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 98,166 members — roughly 113 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
4
4.6 per 100k residents
98,166 members
Payday & loan stores
12
13.8 per 100k residents
9 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Jackson: Advance Financial (2), OneMain Financial (2), TitleMax (2), 1st Franklin Financial (1), Advance America (1).
What a $500 loan costs over 3 months
| Option | Payment | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan, re-borrowed 6 times (~460% 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 TN 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 Jackson
- Median household income
- $56,207
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 3.5%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 5.2 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
- 23.6%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 20.5%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Jackson are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Tennessee
| Payday loan in TN | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Allowed | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Loan amount | $500 | $200 – $2,000 |
| Fee limit | 15% of check amount ($75) | Application fee up to $20 |
| Typical APR | ~460% | 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: Tennessee law as summarized on our Tennessee 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 Jackson
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaders Credit UnionState-chartered | 87 Murray Guard Dr Ste A Jackson, TN 38305 | 90,743 | leaderscu.com |
| Resource Federal Credit UnionFederal | 525 Old Hickory Blvd Jackson, TN 38305 | 3,970 | experiencerfcu.com |
| Patriot Equity Credit UnionState-chartered | 1450 Union University Dr Jackson, TN 38305 | 2,069 | pecujax.org |
| Enlighten Federal Credit UnionFederal | 1306 Highway 70 Byp Jackson, TN 38301 | 1,384 | enlightenfcu.org |
Payday and installment loan stores in Jackson
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Jackson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2180 S Highland Ave Jackson, TN 38301 | (731) 418-4050 | — | 4.9 |
| 2287 N Highland Ave Jackson, TN 38305 | (731) 330-4158 | — | 4.8 |
| 1049 Union University Dr Jackson, TN 38305 | (731) 668-5626 | — | 4.3 |
| 605 Carriage House Dr e Jackson, TN 38305 | (731) 664-2211 | — | 3.8 |
| 1667 S Highland Ave Jackson, TN 38301 | (731) 256-2045 | — | 5.0 |
| 2089 N Highland Ave Jackson, TN 38305 | (731) 256-2034 | — | 5.0 |
| 25 Stonebrook Pl Jackson, TN 38305 | (731) 668-2119 | — | 4.9 |
| 955 North Parkway, Ste. H Jackson, TN 38305 | (731) 424-0982 | Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 1032 Vann Dr j Jackson, TN 38305 | (731) 410-7810 | — | 4.7 |
| 2544 Christmasville Cove Ste A Jackson, TN 38305 | (731) 300-3755 | — | 4.6 |
| 621 Old Hickory Blvd Ste L Jackson, TN 38305 | (731) 984-7150 | — | 4.9 |
| Suites E&F, 375 Vann Dr E Jackson, TN 38305 | (731) 664-7070 | — | 4.8 |
More about Jackson
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 Jackson 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.