Title Loan Calculator
Title loan interest and total with fee warning.
What it does
Title loans trade car keys for fast cash at monthly rates near 25%: a $1,500 advance costs $1,125 in three months before fees. Rollovers compound the pain while repossession waits on misses.
The tool above takes principal, monthly rate, and months. It returns interest with total repayment and the fee warning.
The default $1,500 at 25% for 3 months costs $1,125.00 interest for $2,625.00 total. The small case of $1,000 for one month costs $250.
Consumer protection research prices these loans near 300% APR with rollover traps and car loss outcomes. Lending studies track matching fee stacks across storefronts.
Cheaper doors exist first: credit union small loans, creditor payment plans, and assistance programs all beat title counters. Borrow only against clean titles with payoff cash dated.
How to use
- Type the principal.
- Type the monthly rate.
- Type the months.
- Read interest first.
- Read total beside it.
- Read the fee warning last.
Formula
- principal
- Cash advanced in dollars.
- rate
- Monthly rate as percent.
- months
- Rollover months.
Consumer finance guidance frames title loans as high cost short term credit near 300% APR with rollover and repossession risks. Philanthropic lending research tracks the same fee structures and borrower outcomes. Totals here exclude lender fees, so contracts read higher.
Worked example
Example: $1,500 title loan
Defaults: $1,500 at 25% for 3 months.
- Loan: $1,500 at 25% monthly for 3 months.
- Interest: 1500 x 0.25 x 3 = $1,125.00.
- Total: 1500 + 1125 = $2,625.00.
- Rate: 25% monthly nears 300% APR.
- Risk: default surrenders the car title.
- Tool shows $1,125.00, $2,625.00, Plus fees; default risks the car.
Reference table
| Loan | Interest | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $1,500 at 25% x 3 | $1,125.00 | $2,625.00 |
| $1,000 at 25% x 1 | $250.00 | $1,250.00 |
| $500 at 10% x 6 | $300.00 | $800.00 |
| $2,000 at 20% x 2 | $800.00 | $2,800.00 |
Limits
- Interest only; fees apart.
- Simple rollover math assumed.
- State caps vary widely.
- No legal advice here.
Common mistakes
- Rolling over monthly.
- Ignoring fee stacks.
- Borrowing past payoff means.
- Missing payments with liens.
- Skipping credit union quotes.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
$1,000 at 25% for 1 month?
$250.00 interest, $1,250.00 total.
$500 at 10% for 6 months?
$300.00 interest, $800.00 total.
$50 principal?
Under $100 falls below storefront minimums: enter $100 up.
Questions
Interest math?
Principal times monthly rate times months, plus lender fees. Rollovers restart the meter.
APR scale?
Near 300% APR at typical 25% monthly rates. Payday and title products share the trap.
Fees on top?
Yes, plus origination, lien, and late fees that the tool excludes. Read the contract stack.
Miss a payment?
The car secures it: default means repossession, often after a single missed payment.
Alternatives priced?
No, this prices the loan. Credit unions, payment plans, and assistance cost less.
Qualify how?
Rarely, and only with clean titles, valid ID, insurance, and a spare key set.