South Carolina Payday Loan Laws: Limits, Fees, and Your Rights
South Carolina caps payday loans at $550 with a 15% fee and one loan at a time. See the SC Code rules and your payment plan rights.
Carmen Ortiz
Lending Regulation Editor
Carmen spent twelve years in the Arizona Attorney General's consumer protection division investigating small-dollar lenders, then four years as a senior policy analyst for a national nonprofit working on payday and installment loan reform. She has read more storefront loan agreements than she can count, and has personally walked complainants through the process of filing against a lender that broke state law.
For Payday Loan Compare she covers state-by-state payday loan statutes, rate and fee caps, CFPB rules, Military Lending Act protections, and what to actually do when a lender crosses the line. She writes from Phoenix.
16 articles by Carmen Ortiz
North Carolina Payday Loan Laws: How the 2001 Ban Works
North Carolina banned payday lending in 2001. See the statute, the 16% rate cap, how tribal lenders still target residents, and where to report one.
Federal Allotment Loans: Rules, Costs, and Red Flags
Federal allotment loans deduct straight from your paycheck. Learn the OPM and DFAS rules, the 36% MLA cap, real costs, and red flags before signing.
Virginia Payday Loan Laws: The 36% Cap Explained
Virginia's Fairness in Lending Act caps short-term loans at 36% plus fees. See the real limits and what changed since 2021.
Georgia Payday Loan Laws: The Felony-Track Payday Ban
Georgia bans payday loans outright and treats repeat violations as a felony. See the statute, penalties, and legal alternatives here.
Payday Loans in New York State: Why the Law Effectively Bans Them
Payday loans are illegal in New York under state usury law. See the caps, NYDFS enforcement, and legal cash options for New Yorkers.
Ohio Payday Loan Laws After the 2018 Fairness Act
See Ohio's current payday loan rules under HB 123: the 28% rate cap, loan limits, and real costs before you borrow.
Mississippi Payday Loan Laws: What Borrowers Really Pay
Mississippi lets lenders charge up to $21.95 per $100 with no rate cap. See the exact fee tiers, loan limits, and real APR math under state law.
Illinois Payday Loan Laws: What the 36% Cap Means for Borrowers Now
Illinois capped payday loans at 36% APR in 2021. See what the law covers, how IDFPR enforces it, and where to borrow legally now.
Getting a Payday Loan on Social Security: Costs and Protections
Can you get a payday loan on Social Security or SSI? See real APR costs, the federal garnishment shield, and cheaper alternatives for benefit income.
Washington State Payday Loan Rules: Fees, Limits, and Your Rights
Washington caps payday loans at $700 with a $95 max fee, 8 loans a year, and a free installment plan. Know your rights before you borrow.
California Payday Loan Rate Cap: What AB 539 Did and Didn't Touch
California's payday loan rate cap from AB 539 caps installment loans at 36%, but the 459% CDDTL payday product is untouched. The two regimes, six years on.
Texas Payday Loan Laws and the Credit Access Business Loophole
Texas payday loan laws cap interest at 10%, but a Credit Access Business fee loophole pushes real APRs past 600%. See the math, your rights, and how to escape.
Military Lending Act 36% Cap: Why Civilians Don't Get It
The Military Lending Act 36 percent cap protects active-duty borrowers from 391% payday APRs. Here's what it covers, who's left out, and the civilian gap.
Florida Payday Loan Laws: Fees, Limits, and the 60-Day Grace Period
Florida payday loan laws cap fees at 10% but a $500 loan still costs 304% APR. See the 60-day grace period rules and the installment loophole most articles miss.
How to File a CFPB Complaint Against a Payday Lender
How to file a CFPB complaint that actually gets a response: the narrative structure, the parallel filings, and the 15-day clock that pressures payday lenders.