River Valley Loans Review: With Up To 700%+ APR, Pick A Better Option

Is River Valley Loans legit?

River Valley may be a “real” lender, but it’s hard to consider APRs exceeding 700% legit. It’s a tribal lender, meaning it doesn’t have to abide by state laws, and it can charge whatever it wants.

If you don’t have good credit and you need a loan fast, try other lenders that offer installment loans with more reasonable rates for borrowers with bad credit.

How River Valley Loans compares to other lenders

5 of 5 results

Updated regularly

Finder Score	Loan amount	Turnaround time	Requirements
Promoted 9.5 Excellent EarnIn	9.5 Excellent	Up to $150/day, with a max of $1000 between paydays	1–2 business days standard; minutes with Lightning Speed	At least 18 and a US resident, Valid Social Security number, At least 60 days of banking history, Proof of consistent income, Positive bank balance, Get paid by direct deposit.	Access up to $150 per day, with a max of $1000 between paydays. Not available to CT or Washington, D.C. residents. Subject to EarnIn terms & conditions.	Important information EarnIn is not a bank. Access limits are based on your earnings and risk factors. Available in select states. Terms and restrictions apply. Visit EarnIn.com for full details. Expedited transfers available for a fee. Visit Earnin.com for full details.	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading
Promoted 8.2 Great Cleo	8.2 Great	$20 to $250	3 to 4 days or instant for a fee.	Not stated	Automatically monitor your spending plus access cash advances up to $100 at a time.	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading
Promoted 9.4 Excellent Varo Cash Advance	9.4 Excellent	Up to $250 today. Build up to $700 over time with direct deposit at Varo. Average loan: $195. Qualifications Apply.	Instant, once qualified	You must have an active Varo Bank Account with a positive balance, no delinquent Varo Line of Credit or charged off Believe account in prior 6 months. Varo Advance qualification is subject to evaluation of consumer reports and Varo account activity.	Important information Varo Advance qualification is subject to evaluation of consumer reports and Varo account activity. If approved, initial limits range from $20- $250. Unlock higher limits up to $700 over time when you bring your qualifying direct deposit to Varo and build a positive history with us. Negative repayment history may impact credit. Fees range from $1.60 - $100 based on loan amount, and deposits to your Varo Bank Account. Your current limit and applicable fees can be viewed in the Varo App. Qualifying direct deposits are electronic deposits of your paycheck, pension or government benefits (such as Social Security or unemployment) from your employer or government agency to the extent that can be identified. Tax refunds and government stimulus payments, Person-to-Person payments (such as Venmo or Varo to Anyone), and funds deposited using a Varo routing number are not considered a direct deposit.	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading
9.4 Excellent OppLoans Installment Loans	9.4 Excellent	$500 to $5,000	As soon as the same business day	+18 years old, Receive paychecks through direct deposit, $1,500 minimum monthly income, Live in eligible state	Not available in: CO, CT, GA, IA, MD, MA, NY, SD, VT, WV. Comes with the option to change your due date so you won’t fall behind on repayments.	Important information The advertised APR is an estimate based on currently available information, is not final, and is subject to change. If approved, your actual rate will be determined and assigned based on your creditworthiness, income, application information, and other relevant factors. Applications submitted on the OppLoans platform will be originated by one of our bank partners and serviced by OppLoans. Please see the Rates and Terms for details regarding the availability of products in your state of residence. Subject to credit approval and verification. Actual approved loan amount and terms are dependent on our bank partners’ standard underwriting guidelines and credit policies. Funds may be deposited for delivery to your bank via ACH as soon as the same business day if verification is completed and final approval occurs before 12:00 PM CT on a business day. If approval occurs after 12:00 PM CT on a business day or on a non-business day, funds may be delivered as soon as the next business day. Availability of the funds is dependent on how quickly your bank processes the transaction. Installment loan amounts typically range from $500 to $5,000. Annual percentage rate (APR) ranges from 129% to 195%. Installment loan lengths range from 9 to 18 months. Example: A $2,000 installment loan repayable in 9 monthly payments with an APR of 160% would have monthly payments of $394.58. Loan amount, APR, and repayment terms may vary by state, please see https://www.opploans.com/rates-and-terms for additional information. Approval is not guaranteed. If approved, your actual rate will fall within the marketed range of rates, and will be determined and assigned based on your creditworthiness, income, application information, and other relevant factors. Not all applicants will qualify for the lowest available rates. This is an expensive form of credit and you should determine whether the offered product(s) meets your financial needs. OppLoans’ Bank Partners may use credit report information provided by Clarity Services and Experian as part of the application process to determine your creditworthiness. The credit inquiry will appear as a soft credit inquiry on your Experian credit report and a hard credit inquiry on your Clarity report. Therefore it will not affect your FICO credit score. OppLoans and its Bank Partners report customer payment history to the three major credit bureaus. On-time payments may improve credit score.	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading
8.8 Great Albert Instant	8.8 Great	$25 to $1,000	Within minutes	An active bank account with transaction history linked to Albert	Advance up to $1,000 in minutes with Albert Instant.	Important information Albert is not a bank. Savings account provided by Wells Fargo, N.A., Member FDIC. Albert plans start at $19.99/mo. Try for 30 days before you're charged. Fees auto-renew until canceled. Cancel in the app. Terms apply. Albert Instant Line of Credit is an unsecured line of credit issued by FinWise Bank, a Utah chartered bank, Member FDIC. Limits range from $25-$1,000. Draw fees apply. Terms and eligibility criteria including geographic restrictions apply. In some states, Albert may offer you an Albert Instant Advance instead. Limits range from $25-$1,000, subject to terms and eligibility criteria. No Albert subscription is required for Albert Instant Line of Credit or Albert Instant Advance. See Albert Terms of Use for additional important terms.	Go to siteView details Compare product selection Compare	loading

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How we picked these

What is the Finder Score?

The Finder Score crunches 3+ types of short-term loans across 65+ lenders. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees and features, as well as the type of loan eg investor, variable, fixed rate - this gives you a simple score out of 10.

To provide a Score, we compare like-for-like loans. So if you're comparing the best short-term loans for all credit types, you can see how each short-term loan stacks up against other short-term loans with the same borrower type, rate type and repayment type.

Read the full breakdown

Where River Valley Loans falls short

Most personal loans cap rates around 36%, although that can vary a bit by state. By comparison, River Valley Loans charges 450%, 750% or more, which are considered predatory rates. Plus, it has a pattern of complaints from customers saying it isn’t transparent about APRs, leading vulnerable customers to sign up without realizing how much the loan costs.

What makes River Valley Loans shine?

The only real redeeming feature of this lender is that it’s willing to extend loans to borrowers with poor credit who may have very few alternatives. If your car breaks down or you have an emergency vet bill, you may be able to get a fast loan from River Valley.

But you should probably consider other possibilities first, such as asking a friend or family member for help. Or, if you only need a small loan before your next paycheck, you may want to opt for a cash advance app instead. With no interest or late fees, a cash advance app is a much less expensive solution, and you typically only need a job and a bank account to qualify. It doesn’t even check your credit.

River Valley Loans details

River Valley Loans contact info

Calculate your monthly loan payment

Use our loan repayment calculator to compare monthly loan payments and the total cost of the loan based on different rates and loan terms.

How to qualify for River Valley Loans

River Valley doesn’t have a minimum credit score to qualify, but it has a few other requirements:

• At least 18 years old
• Valid checking account
• Proof of income
• Verifiable contact information
• Not currently in a bankruptcy proceeding

How to apply

Follow these steps to apply with River Valley Loans:

1. Visit River Valley Loans’ website and fill out the online application.
2. Wait for an email letting you know the status of your application. Some information may need to be verified at this point.
3. Review the loan agreement if approved, and sign if you agree with the terms.
4. Receive your loan funds, which should be deposited on the next business day.

River Valley Loans reviews and complaints

River Valley Loans has an F rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) because it failed to respond to 51 complaints, and it has no positive reviews. Most reviewers complain about its unbelievably high rates and report APRs ranging from 450% to 700% or more. Many customers also maintain that rates were not disclosed prior to signing.

The lender does better on Trustpilot, with customers praising the quick and easy process and fast funding. But even satisfied customers said it should only be used in an emergency and advised paying it off as soon as possible. Others complain about high rates, being approved for less than promised and not qualifying for a second loan after repaying their first one early.