moneylender; loan company
Refers to a business or entity engaged in lending money, often used in legal and financial contexts.
Moneylenders are required by law to be registered.
消費者金融 refers specifically to consumer finance companies that provide small, unsecured loans to individuals, often at high interest rates. 貸金業者 is a broader legal term for any registered moneylending business, including both consumer and commercial lenders.
Compound of 貸金 (kashikin, 'loan') + 業者 (gyōsha, 'business operator').