About Northlight
Northlight explains short-term borrowing in the United States: payday loans, cash advances, installment loans and the cheaper options that people are rarely told about. We started the site in 2026 with one aim: a person who needs money this week should be able to see the price, the rules in their state and the alternatives on one page, before signing anything.
What we are, and what we are not
Northlight is an information website. We are not a lender, a bank or a loan broker. We do not make loans, we do not make credit decisions, and we cannot tell you whether a lender will accept you. Northlight is an independent publication; it is not owned by a lender or a bank.
What you will find here
- Costs in dollars and as an APR. Every price example shows the fee, the total to repay and the annual percentage rate.
- The law in your state. One page for each state and D.C., with the statute, the limits and the regulator, and a table that compares them all.
- A calculator that applies your state’s legal maximum, at /tools/payday-loan-calculator/.
- Alternatives first. Where a cheaper option exists, we name it, including options that earn us nothing.
How we work
Figures come from state statutes, state regulators and federal consumer agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission and the National Credit Union Administration. Each page lists its sources and the date it was last checked. The full method is in our editorial policy.
How the site is paid for
We explain this on a separate page, including what we plan to change: how we make money.
Contact
Questions, corrections and privacy requests go through the contact page. Pages are published under the Northlight name, not individual bylines, and we answer for them as a publication.