CLEARBORROW · UPDATED NOVEMBER 12, 2026

How we compare borrowing options

What the directory includes

The directory lists thirteen selected partner services. It is not a ranking of the whole market. Listings are grouped by what the product does, because the products are not interchangeable:

• Loan matching services pass your request to a network of lenders. The matched lender sets the price.
• Cash advance apps advance part of an expected deposit, often with membership or express fees.
• Credit-building plans help create payment history. They are not emergency cash.
• Offer directories list other companies’ products.

The default order is alphabetical. We do not give star ratings or name a “best” provider, because a published range cannot tell us which offer a particular reader will receive.

What we check for every provider

Each provider overview records the same facts, taken from the provider’s own public pages:

• Role: is the company the lender, a matching service, an app or a directory?
• Amount: the published minimum and maximum, and whether different pages disagree.
• Cost: published APR range, fees, subscriptions and optional express charges.
• Repayment: published term range and payment schedule.
• State availability: states the provider explicitly excludes.
• Data sharing: who receives your information and which marketing permissions you give.
• Open questions: what we could not confirm, listed on the page instead of being guessed.

Each overview links to its sources and shows the date they were reviewed.

How guides and articles are made

Guides explain a product or a decision, for example payday vs installment loans or how APR differs from an interest rate. General rules come from primary sources: CFPB, FTC, NCUA, MyCreditUnion.gov and, for credit scoring, FICO. Provider-specific statements are attributed to the provider.

Worked examples are calculated independently. Payment examples use a fixed-rate amortization formula; fees deducted at funding are subtracted from the cash you receive and counted as a borrowing cost. Figures are rounded to the cent and labelled as illustrations, not offers.

Research and drafting are AI-assisted. The editor, Petrov Andriy, chooses the topic and sources, edits the text and approves publication. No page claims a review by a licensed financial professional unless a named reviewer appears in its byline.

Unknown and conflicting information

If a figure cannot be confirmed, the page says it is unknown. Where a provider’s pages contradict each other, for example a headline APR that differs from the detailed disclosure, we show both and treat the higher-risk reading as unresolved. We do not fill gaps with competitor data, undated reviews or commission information, and a missing fee is never treated as zero.

Filters and side-by-side comparison

Amount filters use published ranges. Providers with unknown limits stay visible and are marked. Conflicting maximums are treated as unknown. Credit-building plans are hidden when you enter a borrowing amount, because they do not provide cash.

The state filter removes only documented exclusions. A provider that remains visible is not confirmed as available in your state. Side-by-side comparison shows published facts next to each other; it is not a recommendation.

Calculator assumptions

The calculator models equal monthly payments on a fixed-rate balance. It shows the monthly payment, total repayment, cash received after any deducted fee and the total cost of borrowing. It is not a legal APR calculation and does not include late fees, insurance or variable rates. Always compare it with the lender’s Truth in Lending disclosure.

Money and independence

We may earn a commission when you use a partner link. Commission amounts are never shown as loan costs and do not change the order of listings or what a page says about cost and risk. Read the advertising disclosure.

Google Analytics 4 measures page views and partner-link clicks (provider, offer ID, destination, placement and page). We use this to see where readers leave, not to collect personal financial information.

Updates and corrections

Each page shows the date it was last reviewed. Terms, fees and availability can change after that date; we do not monitor providers continuously. If you find an error, use the corrections process. Material corrections to a cost, availability or role statement are noted on the page.

Limits of this method

• We do not borrow from providers or test every app with a live account.
• We do not verify a lender’s state license for you. Check it with your state regulator before signing.
• We do not know your credit file, income or state rules, so we cannot predict approval or your price.