Blog - Advice & Insights on Personal Loans

Expert advice on lending money to friends and family, loan agreements, repayment strategies, and keeping relationships healthy when money is involved.

My Ex Owes Me Money and Is Ignoring Me. What Should I Do?. A practical, calm plan for tracking money an ex owes you, documenting the balance, sending one clear message, and deciding whether to escalate.

Family Loan Agreement Template: What to Include Before Money Changes Hands. A practical, plain-English family loan agreement template with clauses for repayment, interest, late payments, signatures, records, and relationship-safe communication.

Family Loans vs. Bank Loans: Which Is Better for Borrowers and Relationships?. A detailed comparison of family loans and bank loans, including cost, speed, relationship risk, documentation, taxes, privacy, and repayment tracking.

I Want to Lend Money to My Adult Child. How Do I Structure It Properly?. A parent-focused guide to loans to adult children, including gifts vs. loans, repayment schedules, interest, tax considerations, written terms, and boundaries.

How Do I Track Who Owes Me Money Without Spreadsheets?. A practical guide to tracking money owed by friends, family, roommates, and exes without messy spreadsheets, forgotten texts, or mental math.

How to Give Someone Money Without Offending Them. Scripts and structure for offering money to a friend or family member without making them feel judged, controlled, pitied, or indebted in the wrong way.

Someone Owes Me Money and Is Avoiding Me. What Should I Do?. A calm step-by-step plan for when someone owes you money, ignores texts, avoids repayment, or disappears after borrowing from you.

Private Lending Laws: What You Need to Know Before Lending Money. Is it legal to lend money to friends? When do you need a license? Here's everything you need to know about private lending laws in the United States.

Maximum Interest Rates for Private Loans: 50-State Guide (2026). What's the maximum interest rate you can charge on a personal loan? This state-by-state guide covers usury laws across all 50 states.

When Do You Need a License to Lend Money? A Clear Guide. Lending money to a friend is legal. But when does lending become a business that requires licensing? Here's how to know the difference.

The $184 Billion Problem: Why Personal Loans Between Friends Need Better Tracking. Americans lend $184 billion informally each year. 60% of those loans damage relationships. Here's why — and what the data says we should do about it.

3 in 4 Lenders Experience This Problem — Here's How to Avoid It. 75% of people who lend money to friends or family experience payment-related misunderstandings. The solution is simpler than you think.