Choose a route by the decision you need to make: cash amount, payment dates, credit questions or income records. These are different borrowing situations, not a promise that each label represents a separate available loan product.
On this page
- Choose your starting point
- Compare the decisions, not marketing labels
- How to read the amount and payment choices
- Match your income evidence to the request
- Check availability before making a plan
- Continue with the details you need
- Questions about this decision
- Continue with the detail you need
- Sources and calculation notes
- Continue when you have checked the details
Choose your starting point
You do not need to read every page. Select your main concern and the tool will show up to three relevant routes. It does not rank lenders, assess your credit or choose a loan for you. If the shortage returns each month, the budgeting-help route comes first.
Find your next useful page
Choose broad categories only. Nothing here is sent to an application.
Enter the inputs, then select Show my reading routes.
This page’s planning tool runs in your browser. Inputs are not saved or sent by this tool. It does not check credit, prequalify you or produce a loan offer.
Compare the decisions, not marketing labels
| Route | Question it owns | What the label does not promise |
|---|---|---|
| Bad credit | What is reviewed, when, and with what consent? | Approval regardless of your history. |
| Small loan | What is the minimum gap worth financing? | No fees or no verification because the amount is small. |
| Short term | Can a larger payment shorten repayment? | A universal six-month term or permission to extend later. |
| Unsecured | Does the contract pledge collateral? | No repayment obligation or no collection risk. |
| Personal purpose | Is the expense permitted and worth financing? | Every purpose is eligible. |
| Direct lender | Who is creditor, funder and servicer? | The website operator necessarily performs all those roles. |
Some routes overlap in everyday language. You might have a small emergency expense and a credit concern at the same time. That does not call for three loans or three applications: use the relevant pages to examine one complete offer.
How to read the amount and payment choices
Keep your assumptions fixed when comparing amounts. Otherwise a difference in term or fee can look like a difference caused only by the cash amount. Here is one intentionally simple example; all figures are teaching scenarios, not an available-price list.
| Illustrative principal | Regular payment | Total payments |
|---|---|---|
| $500.00 | $89.26 | $535.58 |
| $1,000.00 | $178.53 | $1,071.16 |
| $1,500.00 | $267.79 | $1,606.73 |
The amount selector lets you change the shared assumptions. To isolate the effect of a fee or a longer term, use the two-offer comparison instead.
Match your income evidence to the request
Payroll
Keep income dates and deductions separate from the gross amount. Start with general preparation.
Self-employed
Separate customer receipts, operating expenses and transfers between your own accounts. Use the self-employed worksheet.
Gig or platform work
Track a payment once, even if it appears in both a platform statement and a bank record. See gig-worker guidance.
Benefits or public employment
Use the appropriate guidance for SSI questions or federal payroll; a job or benefit category is not an approval decision.
Check availability before making a plan
- 1Confirmed in an offerThe named product, state and terms match current written information.
- 2UnavailableThe product is not available for that application; do not plan on receiving it.
- 3Not yet establishedYou have a general page or an old record, not enough information to rely on availability.
These categories explain how to read evidence. They are not a live state-availability check.
Do not read “not yet established” as “probably available.” This catalog does not maintain a live state-pricing feed. The records page explains the distinction between company history and current authorization. Before budgeting around a loan, confirm the actual product and jurisdiction.
Continue with the details you need
The complete directory below remains usable without JavaScript. Follow the issue that changes your decision rather than sending another request to reach a different page.
Application preparation worksheet
A two-page, fillable PDF for organizing questions and document categories. No email sign-up; keep completed copies private.
Application preparation worksheet — download PDFQuestions about this decision
Are these different products or different borrowing situations?
Mostly they are different decisions or constraints within installment borrowing. The actual product is identified in the offer and agreement. A route labeled “emergency” or “bad credit” does not itself change the contract.
Which page explains payment dates?
Use Monthly Payments for the calendar and the difference between monthly, twice-monthly and biweekly schedules. Use Rates & Terms to calculate amounts and total cost; the two pages answer different questions.
Where should I start with irregular income?
Start with Income-Based planning for your cash-flow budget, then use Self-Employed or Gig Workers for the records. Do not assume an annual average proves money will be available on a particular due date.
Can I choose an amount before applying?
You can calculate the cash you need and model several amounts. That is preparation, not confirmation that an amount will be offered. A later offer may differ or may not be available.
Why is an option not available for my state?
Availability depends on the actual product, jurisdiction and current provider requirements. Ask the party presenting the offer for the applicable explanation. This reading selector does not know your application status.
Continue with the detail you need
Sources and calculation notes
The examples on this page are original planning illustrations, not Cash-Installment prices or approval criteria. Actual offers, eligible states, credit checks and repayment rights must be checked in the current disclosures.
How information is preparedCompany records and licensingReport a correction
Continue when you have checked the details
A planning result is not a loan offer. Read the current application notices and any written offer before choosing to proceed.