BOULDER, Colo. — August 26, 2026 — 1F Cash Advance today adopted a five-point consumer-disclosure standard governing Tennessee communications that mention short-term credit and household utility costs.
Effective immediately, the standard applies to Tennessee-directed online content and materials used at company locations in Chattanooga, Memphis, Jackson, and Knoxville. It establishes required cost disclosures, source controls, assistance-first presentation, and limits on claims about consumer credit activity.
Five required disclosure practices
Tennessee-directed communications must:
- Present the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), utility hardship arrangements, local nonprofit assistance, and accredited credit counseling before discussing high-cost credit.
- State the amount provided, finance charge, total payment, due date, term, and annual percentage rate in each representative credit example.
- Distinguish inquiries, applications, approvals, and completed transactions when reporting company data.
- Identify the measurement period, comparison period, geographic scope, methodology, and source for any reported trend.
- Separate external research from company observations and link directly to any outside material used to support a factual claim.
The standard also prohibits using outages, severe weather, or events such as Winter Storm Fern as marketing hooks. Communications may not claim that utility prices or weather caused a change in credit activity unless documented evidence supports that conclusion.
Data and source controls
1F Cash Advance is not reporting Tennessee inquiry, application, approval, or transaction trends in this announcement. The company has not completed the methodology review required under the new standard and therefore makes no causal or directional claim about Tennessee credit activity.
Any future company-data release must define the measured event, explain how duplicate records are handled, state the relevant dates and locations, and distinguish consumer-stated reasons from company interpretation.
The source-attribution provision was prompted in part by a review of public reporting available from WSMV and policy material published by ThinkTennessee. No statistic from either publisher is used to support a factual claim in this release, and 1F Cash Advance has not independently validated either publisher’s underlying data.
Company role and provider identification
This announcement establishes a communications policy; it is not an offer of credit and does not represent that 1F Cash Advance will be the creditor in any transaction.
Before a consumer submits information through a Tennessee-directed credit page, the page must identify:
- The operating legal entity.
- Whether that entity acts as a lender, broker, or referral service.
- The creditor responsible for the proposed agreement, when known.
- Any applicable Tennessee license or registration information.
- The available amount, term, payment schedule, eligibility conditions, and approval criteria.
No approval, amount, rate, or payment schedule is promised by this announcement. Consumers should verify a provider’s authority through the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions and review the written agreement before proceeding.
Tennessee cost and risk notice
A payday loan in Tennessee may be regulated as a deferred-presentment transaction. Tennessee law generally limits the face amount to $500, the term to 31 calendar days, and the service charge to 15% of the face amount. Consumers should confirm current requirements with state regulators because the written agreement controls the actual transaction terms.
Representative maximum-fee example: A transaction with a $300 face amount and a 15% service charge would have these terms:
- Amount provided: $255
- Finance charge: $45
- Total payment: $300
- Term: 14 days
- Due date: 14 days after funds are provided
- Approximate annual percentage rate: 460%
This example is provided only to explain cost disclosure. It does not indicate that these terms are available to any consumer.
Short-term credit can be costly and is not utility assistance. Eligibility, available amounts, terms, and approval criteria vary by provider. A missed payment may lead to bank charges, collection activity, and additional financial strain. Consumers should examine applicable renewal or extension limits and all payment consequences stated in the agreement.
Lower-cost options to consider first
Tennessee residents facing a utility deadline should first review:
- The state’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
- Payment arrangements or hardship programs offered by the utility provider.
- Local assistance listed through Tennessee 211.
- Nonprofit credit counseling through the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
About 1F Cash Advance
1F Cash Advance maintains an online presence and Tennessee locations in Chattanooga, Memphis, Jackson, and Knoxville. Information about company services, consumer disclosures, and contact channels is available at 1firstcashadvance.org.
Media contact
Contact Person: Media Relations
Company Name: 1F Cash Advance
Email: info@1firstcashadvance.org
Website: https://1firstcashadvance.org/