Research & Data

Our own analysis of short-term loan costs and borrower behaviour.

One State Line Away: How Crossing a Border Changes the Same Loan
The same loan costs a different amount depending on which side of the state line you borrow from.
Where Payday Lending Is Off the Table — and What Replaces It
Half the country does not allow the classic two-week payday loan. Here is what the rules actually say.
How Much and How Long: Loan Caps Across the States That Allow It
Where lending is allowed, the ceilings differ by thousands of dollars and by weeks of term.

How we work with data

  • We run the numbers ourselves and show the work — the table and the dataset are open.
  • Only states with enough responses are included; below that the share swings on noise.
  • We refresh as new data arrives and print the date on the page.