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Money IQ: Loan App Guides and Reviews

The editorial side of compareloanapps.com. Plain-English guides on how loan apps actually price, where they are legal, which ones to avoid, and the math behind the marketing.

Every Money IQ guide in one place

Filter by topic, or scroll the full library of loan-app explainers, APR breakdowns, scam teardowns, and state-by-state guides written by our named US-based editors.

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The True Cost of Loan Apps: APR, Origination, Subscription
APR & economics

The True Cost of Loan Apps: APR, Origination, Subscription

Loan apps stack four very different fee shapes on top of each other: a flat APR, an origination cut, a monthly subscription, and a "voluntary" tip the UI is engineered to make feel mandatory. The one formula that normalizes all four into a single number, applied to a $300 advance across five real apps.

Portrait of Jordan Leventhal By Jordan Leventhal · 11 min read
Are Loan App Subscription Fees Worth It? The Break-Even Math
APR & economics Are Loan App Subscription Fees Worth It? The Break-Even Math
Best Loan Apps for Gig Workers and the Self-Employed
APR & economics Best Loan Apps for Gig Workers and the Self-Employed
Earned Wage Access: Employer-Partnered vs. Direct-to-Consumer
APR & economics Earned Wage Access: Employer-Partnered vs. Direct-to-Consumer
Cash Advance Apps vs. Payday Loans: What Happens to Your Bank Account
Basics

Cash Advance Apps vs. Payday Loans: What Happens to Your Bank Account

Both take the money straight from checking on payday. The mechanics, the overdraft risk, and the bureau fallout are very different.

Portrait of Maya Okafor By Maya Okafor · 9 min
Co-Signer and Joint Applicant Loan Apps: How They Work
Basics

Co-Signer and Joint Applicant Loan Apps: How They Work

A co-signer is legally on the hook for every missed payment. What joint and co-signed loan apps actually ask of your helper, and the bureau trail either way.

Portrait of Maya Okafor By Maya Okafor · 10 min
Do Loan Apps Show Up on Your Credit Report?
Basics

Do Loan Apps Show Up on Your Credit Report?

Which loan apps report to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, which ones stay silent, and what shows up if you miss a payment.

Portrait of Maya Okafor By Maya Okafor · 9 min
Loan Apps for Bad Credit: What Approves You Under 580 FICO
Basics

Loan Apps for Bad Credit: What Approves You Under 580 FICO

Under-580 FICO does not lock you out of the loan app market, but it reshapes who says yes. What underwrites on deposit flow instead of credit score.

Portrait of Maya Okafor By Maya Okafor · 10 min
App Store vs. Google Play: How They Police Loan Apps
Scams & traps

App Store vs. Google Play: How They Police Loan Apps

Apple and Google enforce very different rules on loan apps. The gaps are where the predatory products live.

Portrait of Ray Delacruz By Ray Delacruz · 10 min
How to Spot a Fake Loan App: The Tells and the Fees
Scams & traps

How to Spot a Fake Loan App: The Tells and the Fees

Fake loan apps follow the same pipeline every time: unsolicited SMS, sideloaded install, ID upload, advance fee, silence. The five tells to catch it early.

Portrait of Ray Delacruz By Ray Delacruz · 9 min