Our Review of Brightstar Cash
Article Title: How Does Brightstar Cash Stack Up?
Short Description: Brightstar Cash is owned by Niizh, LLC and is a Native American owned business created by the Lac Du Flambeau Indian Community, a Sovereign American Indian tribe. They offer bad credit installment loans to customers that cannot obtain traditional financing and need an emergency loan. But is an installment loan from Brightstar Cash worth it? We investigate...
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Summary of Brightstar Cash Loans
Brightstar Cash is a tribal lender that offers installment loans to people with bad credit. The minimum amount you can borrow is $300, with the maximum being $1,000. What about costs? Interest rates are very high and range between 510% – 699% APR. That said, if you’ve exhausted all other resources, this may be a good option for you.
User Review
( votes)Pros
- Decent option if you have bad credit and have exhausted all other options
- Quick access to cash. Typically funds loans within 24 business hours
- Access to cash up to $1,000
Cons
- Extremely high interest rates
- Not a good option for long term purchases
- Not a good option if you have average to good credit
- You can easily dig yourself deeper into debt
As financial technology continues to evolve so do the products offered. Lending is an area that has greatly benefited from the explosion in fin-tech, more specifically those that have average or less than average credit. For the longest time it was either a mortgage, auto loan or personal loan. Now, you can get short-term installment loans right from your computer and that is where tribal lenders come in.
Tribal lenders typically offer customers short-term installment loans that are to be a fast way to obtain cash to cover unexpected emergencies or bills. Keep in mind though that tribal lending is an expensive form of borrowing and should not be for a long-term financial solution. In this article, we are going to review Bright Star Cash and see how they stack up to their competitors.
Overview of Brightstar Cash
When you enter their website you are greeted with a simple yet professional looking landing page. The first thing you see is the beginning of the application process. If you know right away this is the company you want to work with you can simply begin the process, but odds are you want to learn a little bit more about Bright Star Cash.
A little down the page you will see that Bright Star Cash offers installment loans that have a fast application process and funds are sent via ACH to your bank account, typically by the next business day. This is critical because not only are competitors offering the same services, but these loans are intended for emergency uses.
At the bottom of the page you will notice the fine print as well as links to the other pages with information. Also, at the top of the page are links to the various pages. Within the fine print at the bottom of the page you will notice the states Bright Star Cash does not lend to.
Currently, the company does not lend to residents of:
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Maryland
- New York
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Also, Bright Star Cash does not lend to new customers in:
- Alabama
- California
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Wyoming
- Missouri
- Nevada
- Washington
- Pennsylvania
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Vermont
- Texas
- Arizona
Also, to be eligible for a loan with Bright Star Cash you must meet the following criteria:
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Abide by the terms and conditions of the company.
Brightstar Cash Loan Rates and Terms
As mentioned, Bright Star Cash offers short-term installment loans. The amounts you can borrow range from $300 to $1,000. At the bottom of the rates page, you will see the message “This is an expensive form of borrowing and is not intended to be a long-term financial solution”. The interest rates you can expect range from 510.02% up to 699.98%, which are extremely high compared to traditional methods but competitive within the tribal lending space.
Applying for the loan is quick and you can expect to receive your funds next day. Installment loans afford you the option to take out a loan and repay it over time should you need to.
Application Process
Now the critical part for any tribal lender is to have a truly quick and expedited application process. There are some that require a phone call to verify information, and Bright Star Cash does state they will reach out to you to complete the application process.
To begin the application process, you will go to the homepage and complete the fields presented, which include your name, email and phone number. From there you will go to a new page to continue to application process. When completing the process make sure you have your social security number and driver’s license number ready. Also, you will need to have your banking information of the account you wish to use.
Once you’ve completed the Brightstar Cash application process you can submit your form and wait for the approval. If everything is sent and approved prior to 2:30 CST, you will receive your funds on the next business day, otherwise it will be the day after next.
Before signing the loan, be sure to read the loan agreement as this will have the interest rate, along with any other fees or deadlines you must abide by. If you don’t feel comfortable, do not sign and ask if they can revise the terms.
Post Application and Support
After you’ve received your funds you are free to do with them as you wish. When it comes time for repayment you can either repay the loan via the amortization schedule that was given to you or you can elect to repay your loan early at any time. Bright Star Cash encourages you to repay your loan early because it will save you in interest expense you otherwise would have incurred.
Payments can either come for your selected bank account or you can mail a certified check to the address provided.
From there, you can find bits of information on the FAQ page which only has six questions. This is quite basic compared to others in the industry, but the questions that are present are relevant. Luckily, should you have any questions there is contact information across the website.
Overall, Bright Star Cash appears to be a solid company and has a professional looking website. Rates are competitive but their FAQ page does lack information you are likely going to have a question about. Head on over to their website and give them a look for yourself.
