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 Kingsport, TN
4 credit unions are headquartered in Kingsport, with 379,920 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
- 379,920
- Federal
- 1
- State-chartered
- 3
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Kingsport
Kingsport has 11 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 4 credit unions headquartered here — about 2.8 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 379,920 members — roughly 432 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
4
4.5 per 100k residents
379,920 members
Payday & loan stores
11
12.5 per 100k residents
9 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Kingsport: Advance Financial (3), 1st Franklin Financial (1), Advance America (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 (~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 Kingsport
- Median household income
- $56,200
- 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
- 22.1%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 17.8%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Kingsport 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 Kingsport
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastman Credit UnionState-chartered | P. O. Box 1989 Kingsport, TN 37662 | 357,321 | ecu.org |
| Appalachian Community Federal Credit UnionFederal | 201 E New St Kingsport, TN 37660 | 12,381 | myacfcu.org |
| Kingsport Press Credit UnionState-chartered | 528 W Center Street Kingsport, TN 37660 | 6,138 | kpcu.org |
| Horizon Credit UnionState-chartered | 1201 N Eastman Rd Kingsport, TN 37664 | 4,080 | horizoncu.org |
Payday and installment loan stores in Kingsport
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Kingsport 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1104 E Stone Dr Kingsport, TN 37660 | (423) 438-1765 | — | 4.3 |
| 2357 Fort Henry Dr Kingsport, TN 37664 | (423) 972-4796 | — | 4.9 |
| 4270 Fort Henry Dr Kingsport, TN 37663 | (423) 438-1435 | — | 4.9 |
| 1001 E Stone Dr Ste F Kingsport, TN 37660 | (423) 230-6482 | — | 4.8 |
| 1425 E. Stone Dr., Suite 4 Kingsport, TN 37660 | (423) 392-1994 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sat–Sun closed |
— |
| Suites A & B, 2633 E Stone Dr Bldg 1 Kingsport, TN 37660 | (423) 723-8510 | — | 4.3 |
| 1233 N Eastman Rd Ste 325 Kingsport, TN 37664 | (423) 245-1350 | — | 4.9 |
| 2003 N Eastman Rd Ste 30 Kingsport, TN 37660 | (423) 245-3195 | — | 3.5 |
| 1101 E Stone Dr Kingsport, TN 37660 | (423) 245-1429 | — | 4.9 |
| 1101 E Stone Dr Ste 9 Kingsport, TN 37660 | (423) 398-7012 | — | 4.7 |
| 1112 E Stone Dr Kingsport, TN 37660 | (423) 246-3920 | — | 4.8 |
More about Kingsport
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 Kingsport 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.