“We can see people laughing in their cars or scrambling for a piece of paper so they can write the sayings down,” she says. “We have people who come in here for our loans because they’ve seen the sayings and they think we’ve got a sense of humor, we like to have fun, and they would like to do business with people like that.”
Personal Finance Company, started in Quincy in 1993, is part of a regional loan company with 124 offices in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Corporate headquarters are in Olympia, Ill. The company focuses on small personal loans.
“These days, you just can’t go to a bank for a $500 loan anymore,” says Hechler. “But you can get that loan here. Most customers have an answer within an hour and if they qualify, they have their money the same day.
“These are not customers with bad credit; we do not credit score,” she continues. “Instead, we look at the whole picture for each client. How well do they pay their bills on time, what other debts do they have, are they in a special situation? We have several clients who are unemployed and we have bent over backwards to help them. We know these good people and their habits. They are worth the risk.”
PFC is a member company of Securian Financial Group, one of America's largest providers of financial security to individuals, yet PFC’s continued success is based on earning customers' business through personal service at its local branches.
“We have a great group of employees in this Quincy office. We know our customers and we work every day to do what is best for them,” says Hechler of her co-workers, Heather O’Hearn, Sherri Bradley and Chasitie Hall.
PFC also works with many locally-owned retail outlets that offer in-house financing for their customers. So, when a customer is paying for a living room set or new mattress—or orthodontist or dental work—over a period of time, they are really using a PFC loan.
Most PFC loans are $500 to $5,000 for up to three years. Loans above $5,000 must be secured, which means the customer must prove they have collateral to cover the loan. The company offers free financing for shorter-term loans; lower interest rates for longer loans.
“This year has been busy,” says Hechler, “for two reasons. We still see those people who need $100 to cover groceries because their hours at work have been cut, but we are starting to see people getting comfortable spending again. More people are working and more are making large purchases, maybe to make up for things they couldn’t buy last Christmas.”
For more information on a personal loan for that last-minute Christmas present, call Hechler at 223-6065, visit www.personalfinancecompany.com or stop by their office Monday-Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Other times are available by appointment.
Meet Personal Finance Company