About Bison Cash USA
Plain-English money help, built on public data.
Bison Cash USA is an independent education website for Americans facing a money emergency. We explain every way to cover a bill, rank the options by real cost, and show our sources for every number.
Our mission
Help people get through a money emergency without a debt trap
In the Federal Reserve's latest survey, 37% of adults said they would not cover a $400 emergency expense entirely with cash or its equivalent, and 59% had at least one major unexpected expense in the past year.12
When that happens, the easiest money to find is often the most expensive. A typical payday loan costs about 391% APR, and car title loans run around 300%.34 Meanwhile, cheaper options like payment plans and credit union loans capped at 28% APR are easy to miss.5 We built Bison Cash USA to put the cheapest options in front of people first.
Why a bison? The American bison was nearly wiped out in the 1800s and came back through decades of patient conservation. It is America's national mammal, and a good reminder that a bad stretch does not have to be the end of the story.
What we stand for
Three rules behind every page
Plain English, always
No jargon without an explanation. If a term like APR or finance charge matters, we show what it means with a real example.
Public data only
Every number links to a government agency, a credit bureau or a primary research source. If we cannot source it, we do not publish it.
Your interest first
We rank options by what they cost you. Payment plans and credit union loans come first because they are cheaper, even though we earn nothing from them.
Methodology
How we research and fact-check
Money decisions deserve numbers you can trust. This is the process every guide goes through before it is published and each time it is updated.
- 1
Start from the primary source
We go to the agency or researcher that produced a number, such as the Federal Reserve's G.19 release for loan rates, rather than repeating figures from other websites.
- 2
Verify and date every figure
We record the release date and the period the data covers, and we show both on the page so you know how fresh a number is.
- 3
Show our math
When we calculate a cost, like the interest on $1,000 over 12 months, we state the assumptions underneath the chart so you can check them.
- 4
Write it for real life
We test each guide against one question: would someone dealing with a surprise bill tonight understand what to do next?
- 5
Review on a schedule
Rate data is reviewed when the Federal Reserve publishes its monthly consumer credit release, and every page shows when it was last updated.
Our data sources
The organizations we rely on
We use public, primary sources. Here is what we take from each one.
- Federal Reserve BoardAverage loan and credit card rates (G.19) and the annual survey of household finances (SHED).federalreserve.gov
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauResearch on payday, title and buy now, pay later loans, plus plain-language rules on APR and fees.consumerfinance.gov
- Federal Trade CommissionFraud data and official guidance on spotting advance-fee loan scams.ftc.gov
- National Credit Union Administration rulesLimits for credit union payday alternative loans, including the 28% APR cap.americascreditunions.org
- Internal Revenue ServiceFederal limits on borrowing from 401(k) and other retirement plans.irs.gov
- National Consumer Law CenterState-by-state research on interest rate caps for small loans.nclc.org
- TransUnionQuarterly data on personal loan balances, borrowers and delinquency.transunion.com
- myFICOHow FICO Scores are calculated and how credit inquiries affect them.myfico.com
Advertiser disclosure
How we make money
Our guides and tools are free. If you choose to send a loan request through our apply page, a third-party lending network receives it and may pay us. That is the only way we earn money from visitors.
What we promise
- Rank borrowing options by total cost, not by who pays us
- Link every statistic to its source and show the date
- Tell you plainly when a page can lead to a paid partner
- Correct errors quickly and note the update date
What we will never do
- Lend money, broker loans or make credit decisions
- Charge you for guides, tools or a loan request
- Promise approval or a specific rate
- Ask for your Social Security number on a guide page
Who writes our guides
The Bison Cash USA editorial team
Our guides are written and checked by the Bison Cash USA editorial team. We are not financial advisors, lawyers or lenders, and nothing on this site is personal financial advice.
For advice about your own situation, a nonprofit credit counselor is a good free or low-cost place to start. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling lists member agencies at nfcc.org.
Corrections policy
Found a mistake or an outdated number? Tell us through our contact page. We review every report, fix confirmed errors, and update the date at the top of the page.
Editorial independence
Lending partners do not review, approve or pay for our guides, and they cannot change how we rank options.
Have a question we have not answered?
Browse our FAQ for quick answers, or compare every loan option side by side before you decide anything.
Bison Cash USA is not a lender. Submitting a request shares your information with a third-party lending network, and we may be compensated. Not all applicants qualify.
Sources
Sources for this page
Official and primary sources only. Last reviewed October 17, 2026.
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1
Federal Reserve BoardSurvey dataEconomic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Savings and Investments
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2
Federal Reserve BoardSurvey dataEconomic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: Fact Sheet
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3
Consumer Reports AdvocacyCFPB findingsSummary of CFPB payday loan research
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4
FINRA FoundationCFPB findingsCar Title Loans Can Take You for a Ride
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5
America's Credit UnionsNCUA rulesComparing PALs I and PALs II Loans