Bells at a glance
- Population: 1,521 residents, the 685th-largest of 1,224 places in Texas (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 Census recorded 1,521 residents here (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: essentially flat from the 2020 Census base to the 2023 estimate (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Texas places: 685th by size among 1,224 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: it exceeds roughly 44% of Texas's Census places by population (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 33.6165, -96.4127 (Census Gazetteer, US Census Bureau).
- Nearest larger cities: Whitewright, TX (7 mi); Sherman, TX (12 mi); Bonham, TX (13 mi); Howe, TX (14 mi); Denison, TX (14 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller towns: Savoy, TX (3 mi); Tom Bean, TX (8 mi); Ector, TX (8 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Bells
Personal loans are closed-end installment debt, so the monthly payment and the payoff date are known from the start.
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.
Lenders weigh your credit history, income and debts when they set the rate, and the term you choose then determines how that rate compounds into total cost.
A payment that strains the budget is a warning sign; a smaller loan or a little more saving time is the safer route.
Texas lending rules that apply in Bells
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | License required for non-depository lenders charging more than 10% interest; Chapter 342 governs consumer loans (Tex. Fin. Code § 342.051) Source says: Non-depository lenders who engage in making, transacting, or collecting loans with a rate of interest greater than 10% must be licensed by the OCCC. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) Source says: The OCCC licenses and regulates non-depository lenders in the state of Texas. | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 10% per year maximum; a greater rate is usurious unless otherwise provided by law (Tex. Fin. Code § 302.001) Source says: The maximum rate or amount of interest is 10 percent a year except as otherwise provided by law. | Texas Legislature (Texas Constitution and Statutes) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal via licensed credit access businesses (payday/title-loan brokers); the third-party lender itself is not licensed (Tex. Fin. Code ch. 393) Source says: the credit access business that serves as the broker is the licensee in this regulated industry | Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Bells
Run through this list before signing anything in Bells:
- 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 Texas using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.