Personal loans in Empire, MI
A personal loan taken out in Empire, Michigan is priced from your credit file and your income, not from your address. An estimated 358 people make their home in Empire, a figure that ranks 472nd in Michigan. The trend between 2020 and 2023 is upward by roughly 2.9%. To lend to consumers in Michigan, a company must hold a state licence, and each sourced row below names the regulator behind it. Verify the lender's Michigan licence against the regulator named below. Borrowers who want a bigger city can look to Benzonia, MI about 14 miles away.
Borrowing in Empire: the local picture
Two layers matter for a Empire borrower: the local population picture and Michigan's consumer-lending statutes.
- Population: an estimated 358 residents, 472nd of 533 places in Michigan (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- Population trend: Higher by roughly 2.9% since the 2020 count.
- Size percentile: bigger than about 11% of the places in Michigan.
- Location: coordinates 44.8126, -86.0593 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Benzonia (14 mi); Frankfort (15 mi); Thompsonville (21 mi); Traverse City (23 mi); Suttons Bay (23 mi). A branch is convenient; it is not what sets your APR.
- Smaller towns nearby: Honor (10 mi); Lake Ann (12 mi); Beulah (13 mi).
What Michigan law requires in Empire
Every row below records a Michigan rule, its publisher and its retrieval date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State lending regulator | Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Source says: ""Department" means the department of insurance and financial services" | Michigan Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Regulated lender interest/finance charge cap | 25% per annum (Credit Reform Act, MCL 445.1854(1)) Source says: "may charge, collect, and receive any rate of interest or finance charge for an extension of credit not to exceed 25% per annum" | Michigan Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 7% per annum maximum by written agreement; 5% legal rate (MCL 438.31) Source says: "it shall be lawful for the parties to stipulate in writing for the payment of any rate of interest, not exceeding 7% per annum" | Michigan Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed — deferred presentment service transactions (2005 PA 244; MCL 487.2121 et seq.), licensed and regulated by DIFS Source says: "AN ACT to regulate the business of providing deferred presentment service transactions; to require the licensing of providers of deferred presentment service transactions" | Michigan Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | License required from the commissioner to make regulated loans (Regulatory Loan Act, MCL 493.1 et seq.) Source says: "a person shall not engage in the business of making loans of money ... without first obtaining a license from the commissioner" | Michigan Legislature as of 2026-09-16 |
What a Empire personal loan looks like
A longer term lowers the monthly payment on a Empire loan but raises the total interest, so the smallest payment is not always the cheapest loan. A lender who will not put the terms in writing is a reason to walk away. No advertised example rate is a quote for your own situation.
A pre-application checklist for Empire
Before you apply in Empire, complete these steps:
- 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 Michigan 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 Empire if my credit is poor?
What loan size can I expect in Empire?
Do I have to pledge anything to borrow in Empire?
Does comparing loans in Empire cost me credit score points?
Nearby places
- Honor, MI — population 333
- Beulah, MI — population 310
- Benzonia, MI — population 558
- Lake Ann, MI — population 251
- Frankfort, MI — population 1,277
- Elberta, MI — population 315
- Thompsonville, MI — population 484
- Copemish, MI — population 193