# Learn Center: Payday Loan Guides, Tools & Explainers | PayKedge

> Free guides, calculators and explainers about payday loans, your borrower rights and lower-cost alternatives. Reviewed by accredited financial counselors.

Источник: https://paykedge.com/money-guides/

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# Learn Center

Everything you need to make a short-term borrowing decision with your eyes open — explainers, in-depth guides, free tools and real borrower stories.

## Start here — payday-loan basics

Plain-language explainers, written and reviewed by accredited financial counselors.

[What Is a Payday Loan?The fundamentals: structure, fees, APR and the debt-cycle risk.](/money-guides/what-is-a-payday-loan/)

[Payday vs Installment vs TitleThree short-term products compared side by side on cost and risk.](/money-guides/payday-vs-installment-vs-title/)

## In-depth guides

Longer reads for borrowers facing a specific situation right now.

[What If You Can’t RepayYour rights, extended payment plans, and how to stop a default.](/guides/what-if-you-cant-repay/)

[Already Have a Payday Loan?A step-by-step plan to break the rollover cycle for good.](/guides/already-have-a-payday-loan/)

[Borrower’s Bill of RightsTILA, TCPA, FDCPA, FCRA and MLA protections, in plain English.](/guides/borrowers-bill-of-rights/)

## Free tools

Interactive utilities — no sign-up, no application required.

[Loan Cost CalculatorSee the true dollar cost of a loan in your state.](/tools/cost-calculator/)

[Rollover Cost SimulatorWatch the fees stack up every time a loan is renewed.](/tools/rollover-simulator/)

[Affordability CheckerHonest red / yellow / green verdict: can you repay it?](/tools/affordability-checker/)

[Payday vs. AlternativesSix ways to cover a shortfall, ranked by real cost.](/tools/payday-vs-alternatives/)

[State Eligibility CheckerCheck what you can legally borrow by ZIP code.](/tools/state-eligibility-checker/)

[Scam SpotterVerify a lender’s license and flag fake-lender red flags.](/tools/scam-spotter/)

## More from PayKedge

Real borrower experiences, our research, and the people behind the content.

[Borrower StoriesThree real-world case studies of short-term borrowing](/stories/)

[Our ExpertsMeet the counselors and journalists who review our content](/authors/)

[Research & DataOriginal analysis of payday-loan costs and borrowers](/research/)

## Guides & explainers (3)

Step-by-step money guides written by our editorial team and reviewed before publication — newest first. [All 12 guides →](/money/)

[How to spot a small-dollar loan scamReal lenders never ask for money upfront, never call from burner numbers, and never guarantee approval. If you spot any of those three signs, walk away…Sophia Underwood · August 25, 2026](/money/how-to-spot-a-loan-scam/)

[Budgeting when your income is irregularBase your budget on your lowest-earning month from the past year, not your average. This one shift protects you from the trap that sinks most gig workers,…Carmen Bauer · August 20, 2026](/money/budgeting-on-an-irregular-income/)

[What APR Really Means on a Two-Week LoanA 391% APR on a two-week $300 payday loan translates to $46 in fees—not 391% of your loan. The APR formula assumes you borrow for a full year, which almost…Sophia Underwood · August 18, 2026](/money/what-apr-really-means/)