Personal loans in Bethany, MO
A lender serving Bethany holds a Missouri license and answers to a Missouri regulator, not to any city office. The Census estimates 2,923 people in Bethany, larger than about 80% of the communities in Missouri. The 2020 count to the 2023 estimate shows about 0.4% growth. Rate ceilings, licensing requirements and product limits in Missouri are all set at the state level. Verify the lender's Missouri licence against the regulator named below. The nearest larger metro is Trenton, MO about 26 miles away.
Borrowing in Bethany: the local picture
Two layers matter for a Bethany borrower: the local population picture and Missouri's consumer-lending statutes.
- Population: a Census-estimated 2,923, 186th among Missouri's 937 places (Vintage 2023).
- Population trend: Growth of about 0.4% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison.
- Size percentile: roughly 80% of Missouri's places have fewer residents.
- Location: latitude 40.2682, longitude -94.0298 (Census Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Trenton (26 mi); Cameron (38 mi); Chillicothe (41 mi); Maryville (45 mi); Savannah (48 mi). Online lenders reach Bethany no matter how far the nearest branch is.
- Nearest smaller towns: New Hampton (9 mi); Ridgeway (9 mi); Coffey (11 mi) — useful context for the surrounding area.
What Missouri law requires in Bethany
Every row below records a Missouri rule, its publisher and its retrieval date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer credit lenders licensed and regulated by the Division of Finance's consumer credit section (Chapters 367 and 408, RSMo) Source says: "The consumer credit section of the Missouri Division of Finance is responsible for licensing and regulating various types of consumer finance companies" | Missouri Division of Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Missouri Division of Finance (Department of Commerce and Insurance) Source says: "We regulate state-chartered banks, trust companies, consumer credit facilities, mortgage brokers, and savings and loan institutions" | Missouri Division of Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Additional loan fee cap (30+ day loans) | Up to 10% of principal, capped at $100 (RSMo § 408.140) Source says: "a fee, not to exceed ten percent of the principal amount loaned not to exceed one hundred dollars may be charged by the lender" | Missouri Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 10% per annum, or the higher published 'market rate' (RSMo § 408.030) Source says: "a rate of interest not exceeding ten percent per annum on money due or to become due upon any contract" | Missouri Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed — unsecured loans of $500 or less require a license from the Director of the Division of Finance (RSMo § 408.500) Source says: "in the business of making unsecured loans of five hundred dollars or less shall obtain a license from the director of the division of finance" | Missouri Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
What a Bethany personal loan looks like
In Bethany, as throughout Missouri, federal Truth in Lending rules require a lender to disclose the APR and finance charge before you sign. The familiar mistake is to move a card balance into a personal loan and then run the cards back up, which doubles the debt instead of clearing it. The rate you see advertised is a range, not a promise, until a lender reviews your file.
A pre-application checklist for Bethany
Before you hand your details to a lender in Bethany:
- 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 Missouri licence by checking the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for an origination fee and any prepayment penalty before signing.
Common questions
What are my options in Bethany if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Bethany?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Bethany?
Does comparing loans in Bethany cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Ridgeway, MO — population 378
- Coffey, MO — population 152
- New Hampton, MO — population 227
- Eagleville, MO — population 281
- Gilman City, MO — population 332
- Pattonsburg, MO — population 339
- Blythedale, MO — population 214
- Mount Moriah, MO — population 77