Bright Lending online loans settlement
Curtis Dixon et al. v. Benjamin E. Gatzke et al.
Also known as Aaniiih Nakoda Finance; Dixon v. Gatzke; Benjamin Gatzke; BWDS; 1:24-cv-11834
The lawsuit claimed Bright Lending loans charged interest far above Illinois and other state limits.
Copied from the official notice. Last compared Nov 7, 2026.
- You could get
- A share of the fund $15 million fund, split among everyone who files, at least $15.
Source
“Share of $15 million (at least $15) or debt cancelled”
From the administrator site: Official settlement site home page. Last compared Nov 7, 2026.
- Claims
- No claim form needed
Source
“If that address is incorrect, or if you would prefer to receive your cash payment electronically (ACH, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle) instead of by check, you must tell the Settlement Administrator by December 21, 2026.”
From the administrator site: Official FAQ. Last compared Nov 7, 2026.
- Who can file
- Took a Bright Lending loan, Oct 2020 to 2026; not NV or UT
Source
“Monetary Relief Class. All United States residents who (1) entered into at least one loan agreement with Bright Lending between October 1, 2020 and June 4, 2026; and (2) paid back at least one loan fully, excluding residents of Nevada and Utah. ... Debt Relief Class. All United States residents who (1) entered into at least one loan agreement with Bright Lending between October 1, 2020 and December 31, 2024; (2) did not fully pay back at least one loan; and (3) are not members of the Monetary Relief Class. The Debt Relief Class excludes residents of Nevada and Utah.”
From the administrator site: Official FAQ. Last compared Nov 7, 2026.
- Where
- 48 states and D.C.: check yours
Source
“All United States residents who (1) entered into at least one loan agreement with Bright Lending between October 1, 2020 and June 4, 2026; and (2) paid back at least one loan fully, excluding residents of Nevada and Utah.”
From the court record: Preliminary Approval Order, N.D. Ill. No. 1:24-cv-11834, Dkt. 89, filed 09/21/26 (hosted on the official site). Last compared Nov 7, 2026.
Quick answers
How much is the Bright Lending online loans settlement payout?
A share of the fund. $15 million fund, split among everyone who files, at least $15.
Do I need to file a claim for the Bright Lending online loans settlement?
No claim form. Payment is automatic. If your address on the notice is wrong, or you want your cash payment by ACH, Venmo, PayPal or Zelle instead of a check, tell the settlement administrator by December 21, 2026.
When will the Bright Lending online loans settlement pay?
Payment can only happen after the court gives final approval and any appeals are over.
The final approval hearing is set for Jan 19, 2027.
Is the Bright Lending online loans settlement legit?
The settlement administrator (the company that handles claims) is American Legal Claims Services, and the official site is www.brightlendingsettlement.com. Real notices point there; if a link in a message goes anywhere else, do not use it.
The official site never asks you to pay to file.
Also ending this week
Related settlements
Confirm with the administrator before you act.
Case details
- Case
- Curtis Dixon et al. v. Benjamin E. Gatzke et al.
- Court
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division
- Case number
- 1:24-cv-11834
- Administrator
- American Legal Claims Services
- Official site
- www.brightlendingsettlement.com
- Settlement fund
- $15 million
- Full payout terms
- Share of $15 million (at least $15) or debt cancelledMonetary Relief Class: a pro rata cash payment from the $15,000,000 Settlement Fund, based on the alleged usurious interest you paid above your loan's principal; $15 if you paid none above principal, and no payment less than $15. Debt Relief Class: the outstanding balance on a Bright Lending loan taken out between October 1, 2020 and December 31, 2024 is cancelled. Both classes: Bright Lending will ask credit bureaus to delete negative entries it reported for class-period loans.
- States
- Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Other dates
- Opt-out (exclusion) deadline
- (ahead) source document
- Objection deadline
- (ahead) source document
- Final approval hearing
- (ahead) source document
The court’s exact words
Monetary Relief Class. All United States residents who (1) entered into at least one loan agreement with Bright Lending between October 1, 2020 and June 4, 2026; and (2) paid back at least one loan fully, excluding residents of Nevada and Utah. ... Debt Relief Class. All United States residents who (1) entered into at least one loan agreement with Bright Lending between October 1, 2020 and December 31, 2024; (2) did not fully pay back at least one loan; and (3) are not members of the Monetary Relief Class. The Debt Relief Class excludes residents of Nevada and Utah.
Quoted from the official notice. Read the notice for the full definition.
Our notes: Two classes; you cannot be in both. Monetary Relief Class: United States residents (except residents of Nevada and Utah) who entered into at least one loan agreement with Bright Lending (Aaniiih Nakoda Finance, LLC, dba Bright Lending) between October 1, 2020 and June 4, 2026 and paid back at least one loan fully. Debt Relief Class: United States residents (except residents of Nevada and Utah) who entered into at least one Bright Lending loan agreement between October 1, 2020 and December 31, 2024, did not fully pay back at least one loan, and are not in the Monetary Relief Class. A Monetary Relief Class member who also has an unpaid loan from October 1, 2020 to December 31, 2024 may also get that loan cancelled. If you received the notice, the defendants' records show you are in one of the classes. People who exclude themselves by December 21, 2026 are out. The defendants are the people and companies said to be behind Bright Lending (Taylor McCabe, William Bell, Lyolene Dillon, Jarrett Azure, Ticia Cliff, Doug Stuart, Frank Doney, BWDS, LLC and Benjamin Gatzke).
You may be included if you are a U.S. resident who took a Bright Lending loan October 1, 2020 to June 4, 2026 and fully repaid one.
It covers, for debt relief, loans from October 1, 2020 to December 31, 2024 not fully paid back, if you are not in the cash class.
You are not included if you are a resident of Nevada or Utah, or if you exclude yourself by December 21, 2026.
Sources and checks (6)
Every fact people act on was copied from the official source and compared with it. How we check
- Official settlement site home page administrator site
- Official FAQ administrator site
- Official Key Dates page administrator site
- Official Estimated Award Eligibility page administrator site
- Long Form Class Notice (linked from the official site's documents page) administrator site
- Preliminary Approval Order, N.D. Ill. No. 1:24-cv-11834, Dkt. 89, filed 09/21/26 (hosted on the official site) court record
What changedLast change Oct 31, 2026
- Page created. No claim form: payment is automatic. source document
Questions
I already filed. What now?
There is no claim form, so there was nothing to file. The administrator pays class members automatically, usually after final approval and any appeals. Never pay anyone to check on a payment.
Opting out
To leave the settlement and keep your right to sue on your own, follow the official notice by Dec 21, 2026. If you opt out, you get no payment. Opting out and objecting have separate rules; we cannot tell you which is right for you.