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 Pasadena, TX
6 credit unions are headquartered in Pasadena, with 68,886 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
- 6
- Members
- 68,886
- Federal
- 5
- State-chartered
- 1
Credit unions vs payday loan stores in Pasadena
Pasadena has 14 payday, installment and title loan stores but only 6 credit unions headquartered here — about 2.3 loan stores for every credit union. Local credit unions count 68,886 members — roughly 47 memberships per 100 residents.
Credit unions
6
4.1 per 100k residents
68,886 members
Payday & loan stores
14
9.6 per 100k residents
10 store chains
Biggest loan store chains in Pasadena: TitleMax (4), Texas Car Title and Payday Loan Services (2), 1st Franklin Financial (1), ACE Cash Express (1), Advance America (1).
What a $500 loan costs over 3 months
| Option | Payment | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Payday loan, re-borrowed 6 times (~662%+ 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 (TX 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 Pasadena
- Median household income
- $62,665
- Payday fee of $75, share of two weeks' income
- 3.1%
- Hours of work to pay the $75 fee
- 4.8 hours
- PAL payment of $174.50, share of monthly income
- 3.3%
- A $400 emergency equals
- 2.3 days of income
- Households earning under $25,000
- 17.9%
- Residents below the poverty line
- 19.7%
Income and poverty: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, by ZIP code; figures for Pasadena are population-weighted and approximate. Hours of work are based on the median individual income.
Payday loans vs credit union PALs: the rules in Texas
| Payday loan in TX | Credit union PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Allowed | Offered by many federal credit unions |
| Loan amount | No limit (CSO Model) | $200 – $2,000 |
| Fee limit | No state cap (fees set by city ordinances) (Varies) | Application fee up to $20 |
| Typical APR | ~662%+ | 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: Texas law as summarized on our Texas 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 Pasadena
| Credit union | Address | Members | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit UnionFederal | 5953 Fairmont Pkwy Pasadena, TX 77505 | 61,066 | gcefcu.org |
| Shared Resources Credit UnionState-chartered | P.O. Box 888 Pasadena, TX 77501 | 2,787 | srcu.net |
| I.B.E.W. Lu 66 Federal Credit UnionFederal | 4345 Allen Genoa Rd Pasadena, TX 77504 | 1,569 | mycu66.org |
| Pasadena Municipal Federal Credit UnionFederal | P.O. Box 1274 Pasadena, TX 77501 | 1,252 | — |
| Local 24 Employees Federal Credit UnionFederal | 5001 Red Bluff Rd Pasadena, TX 77503 | 1,168 | local24efcu.com |
| Ila 28 Federal Credit UnionFederal | 4100-A Greenshadow Dr Pasadena, TX 77503 | 1,044 | — |
Payday and installment loan stores in Pasadena
For comparison: storefront payday, installment and title lenders in Pasadena 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 113 W Southmore Ave Pasadena, TX 77502 | (713) 477-1624 | — | 5.0 |
| 2631 Red Bluff Rd Pasadena, TX 77506 | (713) 477-1212 | — | 5.0 |
| 3207 Spencer Hwy Pasadena, TX 77504 | (713) 946-2824 | — | 5.0 |
| 6902 Spencer Hwy Pasadena, TX 77505 | (281) 478-4552 | — | 5.0 |
|
Texas Car Title and Payday Loan Services
2 stores in Pasadena
texascartitleandpaydayloanservicesinc.com
|
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| 1801 S Richey St Pasadena, TX 77502 | (713) 534-0403 | — | 4.9 |
| 2710 Red Bluff Rd Pasadena, TX 77506 | (713) 475-2513 | — | 4.9 |
| 320 Southmore Ave #314 Pasadena, TX 77502 | (713) 472-0864 | — | 5.0 |
| 1348 Southmore Ave Pasadena, TX 77502 | (713) 473-6663 | — | 4.9 |
| 140 E. Southmore Ave. Pasadena, TX 77502 | (713) 589-1131 | Mon–Fri 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Sun closed |
— |
| 3515 Spencer Hwy Ste A Pasadena, TX 77504 | (713) 910-3770 | — | 4.9 |
| 817 Southmore Ave Suite 100 G Pasadena, TX 77502 | (713) 534-0004 | — | 5.0 |
| 1100 Pasadena Blvd #100 Pasadena, TX 77506 | (713) 472-5626 | — | 4.9 |
| 1221 Main St Pasadena, TX 77506 | (713) 473-3115 | — | 4.9 |
| Western Finance 1717 Shaver St Pasadena, TX 77502 | (713) 477-0912 | — | 4.9 |
More about Pasadena
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 Pasadena 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.