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How to Get a Personal Loan With a 600 Credit Score

Several lenders offer personal loans for fair credit, but they often have higher interest rates.

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By Kat Tretina

Written by

Kat Tretina

Writer

Kat Tretina is a freelance writer who covers everything from student loans to personal loans to mortgages. Her work has appeared in publications like the Huffington Post, Money Magazine, MarketWatch, Business Insider, and more.

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Edited by Maddie Lloyd

Written by

Maddie Lloyd

Maddie is the Editorial Assistant at Credible. Her work has been featured on Zippia.

Updated March 1, 2024

Editorial disclosure: Our goal is to give you the tools and confidence you need to improve your finances.

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Many lenders offer personal loans for fair credit. You just need to know what to look for. The first thing is to check the minimum credit score required by the lender. Is it lower than yours? Next, make sure the lender offers the loan amount and terms you need. You can expect to pay a higher interest rate — personal loan interest rates for fair credit ranged from 27% to 30% in September 2023, according to Credible data. So shop multiple lenders to find the lowest rates and, ideally, loans with no origination fees.

Here’s everything you need to know about getting a personal loan with a 600 credit score:

Compare personal loan rates

Several personal loan lenders are willing to work with borrowers who have a fair credit score — generally meaning a FICO score between 580 and 669.

Here are Credible’s partner lenders that offer personal loans to borrowers with credit scores in the 600s:

Advertiser Disclosure
3.93.9

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

7.80% - 35.99%

Loan Amounts

$1000 to $50000

Min. Credit Score

620

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

4.44.4

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

-

Loan Amounts

$2500 to $40000

Min. Credit Score

660

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

4.54.5

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

8.49% - 35.99%

Loan Amounts

$1000 to $50000

Min. Credit Score

600

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

44

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

8.99% - 35.99%

Loan Amounts

$2000 to $50000

Min. Credit Score

600

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

44

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

9.57% - 35.99%

Loan Amounts

$1000 to $40000

Min. Credit Score

660

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

3.93.9

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

9.95% - 35.99%

Loan Amounts

$2000 to $35000

Min. Credit Score

550

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

3.93.9

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

11.72% - 17.99%

Loan Amounts

$3000 to $40000

Min. Credit Score

640

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

3.73.7

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

14.30% - 35.99%

Loan Amounts

$3500 to $40000

Min. Credit Score

640

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

3.93.9

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

18.00% - 35.99%

Loan Amounts

$1500 to $20000

Min. Credit Score

540

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

All APRs reflect autopay and loyalty discounts where available | LightStream disclosure | SoFi Disclosures | Read more about Rates and Terms

Compare Personal Loans

9 personal loans for a 600 credit score

Best for all credit types

Avant

3.9

Credible Rating

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

Est. APR

9.95 - 35.99%

Loan Amount

$2000 to $35000

Min. Credit Score

550

Pros and cons

More details

Best Close Rates if Pre-approved

Best Egg

4

Credible Rating

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

Est. APR

8.99 - 35.99%

Loan Amount

$2000 to $50000

Min. Credit Score

600

Pros and cons

More details

Best for no origination fees (and low rates)

Discover Personal Loans

4.4

Credible Rating

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

Est. APR

-

Loan Amount

$2500 to $40000

Min. Credit Score

660

Pros and cons

More details

Best for consolidating credit card debt

Happy Money

3.9

Credible Rating

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

Est. APR

11.72 - 17.99%

Loan Amount

$3000 to $40000

Min. Credit Score

640

Pros and cons

More details

Best online experience

LendingClub

4

Credible Rating

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

Est. APR

9.57 - 35.99%

Loan Amount

$1000 to $40000

Min. Credit Score

660

Pros and cons

More details

Best bad credit personal loans

OneMain Financial

3.9

Credible Rating

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

Est. APR

18.00 - 35.99%

Loan Amount

$1500 to $20000

Min. Credit Score

540

Pros and cons

More details

Best for fast funding and fair credit

Reach Financial

3.7

Credible Rating

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

Est. APR

14.30 - 35.99%

Loan Amount

$3500 to $40000

Min. Credit Score

640

Pros and cons

More details

Best for fair credit

Upgrade

4.5

Credible Rating

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

Est. APR

8.49 - 35.99%

Loan Amount

$1000 to $50000

Min. Credit Score

600

Pros and cons

More details

Best fast personal loans for all credit types

Upstart

3.9

Credible Rating

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

Est. APR

7.80 - 35.99%

Loan Amount

$1000 to $50000

Min. Credit Score

620

Pros and cons

More details

How to apply for a personal loan with a 600 credit score

If you’re ready to apply for a fair credit personal loan, follow these four steps:

  1. Review your credit. Lenders will check your credit to determine if they should lend to you. It’s a good idea to review your credit report ahead of time to make sure there aren’t any errors dragging down your credit score. You can check your credit report for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.
  2. Compare lenders and choose a loan option. Be sure to compare as many lenders as possible to find the right loan for you. Consider not only rates but also repayment terms and any fees the lender charges. After shopping around, choose the loan that best fits your needs.
  3. Submit the application. After deciding on a lender, you’ll need to complete a full application and submit any required documentation, such as tax returns or bank statements.
  4. Get your funds. If you’re approved, the lender will have you sign for the loan so they can release the funds to you (often through direct deposit). The time to fund for personal loans is typically a week or less — though some lenders offer same or next-day funding.

It’s also a good idea to consider how much a low interest personal loan will cost you over time. You can estimate how much you’ll pay for a loan using our personal loan calculator below.

Check Out: Best Installment Loans

Can you get a personal loan with a 600 credit score?

Yes, you can get a personal loan with a 600 credit score — there are even lenders that specialize in offering fair credit personal loans.

But keep in mind that if you have a credit score between 580 and 669, you’ll generally be considered a “subprime” borrower — meaning lenders might see you as a more risky investment. Because of this, you’ll likely pay a higher interest rate than borrowers with good to excellent credit.

In addition to your credit score, lenders may also consider your Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited, or CIBIL, rating. Your CIBIL rating is calculated by your payment history for different loan types and credit institutions over a period of time. CIBIL scores range from 300 to 900, and a score above 700 is considered good.

Even if you don’t need a cosigner to qualify, having one might get you a lower interest rate than you’d get on your own.

Here are lenders that offer cosigned personal loans:

Advertiser Disclosure
4.64.6

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

8.49% - 17.99%

Loan Amounts

$600 to $50000

Min. Credit Score

760

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

44

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

-

Loan Amounts

$20000 to $200000

Min. Credit Score

660

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

3.93.9

Credible rating

Fixed (APR)

18.00% - 35.99%

Loan Amounts

$1500 to $20000

Min. Credit Score

540

Check Rates

on Credible’s website

View Details

All APRs reflect autopay and loyalty discounts where available | LightStream disclosure | SoFi Disclosures | Read more about Rates and Terms

If you decide to take out a personal loan, remember to consider as many lenders as possible to find a loan that fits your needs. Credible makes this easy — you can compare your prequalified rates from multiple lenders in two minutes.

Compare Personal Loans

How to raise your credit score

If you can wait to take out a loan, spending some time improving your credit score first could help you qualify for lower interest rates and better loan terms. Having a lower interest rate could help you save money on your loan over time.

Here are several ways to potentially build credit:

  • Pay your bills on time. Your payment history accounts for 35% of your credit score. Paying all of your bills — such as utility and credit card bills — on time could help improve your credit over time, especially if you’ve missed payments in the past.
  • Pay down existing debt. Your credit utilization (the amount of credit you’ve used compared to your total available credit) makes up 30% of your credit score. If you can pay down the balances on your accounts, you might see a boost to your credit.
  • Dispute errors on your credit report. One in five people have errors on their credit reports, according to the Federal Trade Commission. If you’re one of these people, you could end up with less favorable loan terms — or even damaged credit. Take some time to review your credit report and dispute any issues with the major credit bureaus.
  • Reduce your debt-to-income ratio. Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio measures the amount you pay in monthly debt compared to your income. This ratio informs lenders of your ability to manage monthly payments, and a good one is considered to be 40% or less.

To calculate your DTI, add up your monthly debt payments and divide the total payment cost by your gross monthly income. Your DTI doesn’t directly affect your credit, but many lenders take it into consideration when deciding if they should approve your loan.

What credit score should I aim for?

Generally, borrowers with good to excellent credit get better loan terms.

If you want to improve your fair credit score, aiming for a score anywhere from 670 to 739 is a good place to start — this will put you in the good credit range and will likely qualify you for better rates and terms.

Meet the expert:
Kat Tretina

Kat Tretina is a freelance writer who covers everything from student loans to personal loans to mortgages. Her work has appeared in publications like the Huffington Post, Money Magazine, MarketWatch, Business Insider, and more.

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