Personal loans in Bell, FL
The question that matters first in Bell, Florida is not the rate on offer but whether the payment leaves room in your budget. An estimated 558 people make their home in Bell, a figure that ranks 363rd in Florida. From the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate, the population rose by about 10.1%. When Florida caps or restricts a product, lenders either change the terms or withdraw it from the state. Compare APR, not the interest rate, because the APR folds in most fees. The next larger city is Trenton, FL about 11 miles away.
Borrowing in Bell: the local picture
Here is the sourced Census picture for Bell, plus the Florida lending rules that apply to a loan taken out here.
- Population: a Census-estimated 558, 363rd among Florida's 411 places (Vintage 2023).
- Population trend: Roughly 10.1% more residents than the 2020 Census counted.
- Size percentile: roughly 12% of Florida places rank below it.
- Location: 29.7568, -82.8620 (Census Gazetteer coordinates).
- Nearest larger cities: Trenton (11 mi); Fanning Springs (12 mi); Fort White (15 mi); Branford (15 mi); High Springs (17 mi). A bigger neighbour may offer more branches; the rate you see still follows your credit, not your address.
- Nearest smaller towns: La Crosse (28 mi); Worthington Springs (30 mi); Otter Creek (30 mi) — useful context for the surrounding area.
What Florida law requires in Bell
Each figure in the table below carries a publisher and a date; where the state publishes nothing, we point to the source rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 18% per annum simple interest (loans/advances of $500,000 or less; loans above $500,000 are exempt from this cap) Source says: "it shall be usury and unlawful ... to ... charge ... a rate of interest greater than the equivalent of 18 percent per annum simple interest". | Florida Legislature (The Florida Senate, Online Sunshine) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (deferred presentment providers; money services business license under chapter 560) Source says: "Businesses intending to engage in deferred presentment transactions must be licensed as a money services business under chapter 560, Florida Statutes". | Florida Office of Financial Regulation as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer finance loan license required (chapter 516) Source says: "A person must not engage in the business of making consumer finance loans ... unless ... the person first obtains a license from the office". | Florida Legislature (The Florida Senate, Online Sunshine) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) Source says: "The Office of Financial Regulation is a state-government agency created by the Governor and Cabinet to provide regulatory oversight for Florida's financial services industry". | Florida Office of Financial Regulation as of 2026-09-16 |
| Deferred presentment fee cap | 10% of the amount provided (transactions not repayable in installments) Source says: "A deferred presentment provider or its affiliate may not charge fees that exceed 10 percent of the currency or payment instrument provided". | Florida Legislature (The Florida Senate, Online Sunshine) as of 2026-09-16 |
What a Bell personal loan looks like
Because a personal loan payment is fixed, the total cost is knowable in advance — the main difference from a credit card, where the balance revolves. The quoted APR tracks your credit score: an excellent file may earn a single-digit rate, while damaged credit can push the rate into the high twenties or thirties. Deal only with a lender licensed in Florida, which you can check with the regulator named below.
A pre-application checklist for Bell
These are the steps that most influence the offer you get in Bell:
- Order your free credit reports and dispute anything inaccurate — it is the cheapest way to move the rate you are offered.
- Price the payment first with our personal loan calculator before any lender quotes you.
- Pre-qualify with three or more lenders, then compare the APR rather than the interest rate.
- Confirm the lender holds a Florida licence by checking the regulator named above.
- Write down the purpose of the loan and your repayment plan before you apply.
Common questions
What are my options in Bell if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Bell?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Bell?
Does comparing loans in Bell cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Trenton, FL — population 2,192
- Fanning Springs, FL — population 1,307
- Branford, FL — population 756
- Fort White, FL — population 648
- Chiefland, FL — population 2,420
- High Springs, FL — population 6,648
- Cross City, FL — population 1,790
- Newberry, FL — population 8,010