Merigold at a glance
- Population: roughly 348 people; 233rd of 299 places in Mississippi (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 378 people at the 2020 Census, the baseline for the trend below (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: population fell about 7.9% (US Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimate vs 2020 Census).
- Rank among Mississippi places: 233rd by size among 299 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: about 22% of Mississippi's Census places are smaller (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 33.8391, -90.7264 (Census Gazetteer, US Census Bureau).
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Mound Bayou, MS (3 mi); Renova, MS (4 mi); Cleveland, MS (7 mi); Shelby, MS (8 mi); Boyle, MS (9 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Nearest smaller communities: Winstonville, MS (5 mi); Pace, MS (8 mi); Duncan, MS (14 mi), each a US Census place.
What a personal loan costs in Merigold
Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning no collateral is pledged, and they are repaid in equal installments over a fixed term.
APR is the figure that lets you compare like with like, since it wraps fees into the rate; run your own numbers with the personal loan calculator.
Choosing a longer term eases the monthly budget but adds interest over the life of the loan; a shorter term costs more per month and less overall.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Mississippi lending rules that apply in Merigold
Read the table as the compliance picture for a lender serving Merigold: label, sourced figure, publisher and date.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payday lending status | Legal and licensed — check cashers (delayed-deposit/payday transactions) are licensed consumer-finance industries regulated by DBCF (Miss. Code § 75-67-501 et seq.) Source says: "These industries include Money Transmitter, Small Loan, Check Cashers, Pawnbroker, Title Pledge, Consumer Loan Broker" | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Small loan license required (Small Loan Regulatory Law; Miss. Code § 75-67-105) Source says: "No person shall engage in the business of lending money ... without being the holder of a valid and subsisting license" | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance (DBCF) Source says: "The Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance's (DBCF) mission is to regulate, supervise and safeguard financial institutions chartered and licensed in Mississippi" | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
| Delayed-deposit (payday) fee caps | $20 per $100 advanced on checks ≤$250; $21.95 per $100 on checks over $250 (DBCF rule) Source says: "Delayed deposit transaction: $20.00 per $100.00 advanced for checks $250.00 and under" | Mississippi Secretary of State (DBCF administrative regulations) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | See the latest published figure value_text left null: the maximum finance charge for licensed small-loan lenders is set by Miss. Code § 75-17-21, which § 75-67-119 references as the limit; no retrievable official page published the current figure for direct verification. | Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Merigold
The steps below are worth completing first when you borrow in Merigold:
- Pull your free credit reports and dispute any error — it is the cheapest way to improve the rate you are offered.
- Run your figures through the personal loan calculator on this site so you know the payment before a lender quotes one.
- Pre-qualify with at least three lenders and compare the APR, not the interest rate.
- Check that the lender is licensed in Mississippi using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.