Personal loans in Cambridge, IA
Cambridge sits inside Iowa, where a single set of consumer-lending rules governs every lender that operates. Roughly 828 residents live in Cambridge, the 325th-largest community in Iowa. Cambridge shed about 0.1% of its population between the 2020 base and the 2023 estimate. Every figure below is Iowa's own, carrying the publisher and the retrieval date. Use the calculator on this page to price an amount and term before you commit. The closest larger place is Huxley, IA about 3 miles away.
Borrowing in Cambridge: the local picture
Here is the sourced Census picture for Cambridge, plus the Iowa lending rules that apply to a loan taken out here.
- Population: an estimated 828 residents, 325th of 940 places in Iowa (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- Population trend: A drop of about 0.1% from 2020 to 2023.
- Size percentile: it is larger than about 65% of Iowa's Census places.
- Location: latitude 41.9017, longitude -93.5366 (Census Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Huxley (3 mi); Maxwell (7 mi); Elkhart (7 mi); Slater (8 mi); Nevada (9 mi). Living near a larger metro rarely changes what is available in Cambridge.
- Smaller places close by: Alleman (7 mi); Kelley (7 mi); Sheldahl (9 mi).
What Iowa law requires in Cambridge
This table holds the Iowa rate and licensing rules for consumer loans made in Cambridge.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (delayed deposit services; must be physically located in Iowa) Source says: "A person shall not operate a delayed deposit services business in this state unless the person is physically located in this state and licensed by the superintendent". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Regulated Loan Act license required (superintendent of banking) Source says: "shall not engage in the business of making loans ... without first obtaining a license from the superintendent of banking". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Iowa Division of Banking (IDOB), Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services Source says: "As part of the 2023 state government realignment, the IDOB became part of a new Department of Insurance and Financial Services". | Iowa Division of Banking as of 2026-09-16 |
| Delayed deposit fee cap | Fee cap: $15 on first $100 of check face amount; $10 on subsequent $100 increments Source says: "fifteen dollars on the first one hundred dollars ... or more than ten dollars on subsequent one hundred dollar increments". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 2 percentage points above the monthly average 10-year U.S. Treasury constant maturity rate (written agreements) Source says: "The maximum lawful rate of interest ... in any written agreement ... shall be two percentage points above the monthly average ten-year constant maturity interest rate". | Iowa Legislature (Iowa Code) as of 2026-09-16 |
What a Cambridge personal loan looks like
In Cambridge, as throughout Iowa, federal Truth in Lending rules require a lender to disclose the APR and finance charge before you sign. Only when you accept an offer and finish a full application does the lender run a hard inquiry, which may cost a few points for a short time. Whatever the offer, the loan should fit a budget you can already meet.
A pre-application checklist for Cambridge
Before you sign anything in Cambridge, run through this list:
- 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 Iowa licence by checking the regulator named above.
- Check that the monthly payment fits your budget next to your existing obligations.
Common questions
What are my options in Cambridge if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Cambridge?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Cambridge?
Does comparing loans in Cambridge cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Huxley, IA — population 4,634
- Elkhart, IA — population 1,041
- Alleman, IA — population 434
- Nevada, IA — population 6,967
- Kelley, IA — population 308
- Maxwell, IA — population 854
- Ames, IA — population 65,686
- Slater, IA — population 1,600