The reading room

Guides

Long-form answers to the questions behind the search boxes — written against the two Carolinas’ actual statutes and regulators, with every number sourced. No authors’ bios were harmed in the making of these pages; the sourcing is the authority here.

Why North Carolina Has No Payday Loans — and What That Means for Borrowers

One of the few states that closed the market on purpose — and the trade-off it made.

South Carolina’s Deferred-Presentment Law: The $550 Cap, Read Line by Line

The rules that govern every licensed storefront advance in South Carolina.

Tribal Loans vs. State-Licensed Loans: Which Rules Actually Apply

Same borrower, same need, two different legal universes.

Earned-Wage Access in the Carolinas: The Free-ish Advance Nobody Prices

The advance channel regulators mostly like — and the fine print it has anyway.

What Happens If You Default on an Online Loan in the Carolinas

The part of the agreement nobody reads until they need it.