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. You just need to know what to look for.
- First, 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.
With a 600 credit score, you can expect to pay a relatively high interest rate — personal loan interest rates for fair credit were around 30% in July 2024, according to Credible data. So shop multiple lenders to find the lowest rates and, ideally, loans with no origination fees.
5 personal loans for a 600 credit score
Best for all credit types
Loan Amount
$2,000 to $35,000
Borrowers with bad credit considered
Funds as soon as the next business day
2-year loan terms available
No discounts offered
Origination fee
Not available in HI, IA, MA, ME, NY, VT, or WV
Overview
Avant personal loans are a good choice for borrowers with bad credit looking for small- to moderate-sized personal loans. Loans are available up to $35,000 and you could get the money as soon as the next business day after approval. Plus, Avant is more likely than some lenders to approve the applications of borrowers who've prequalified with Avant. However, the lender charges an origination fee up to 9.99%, and its top-range interest rates are among the highest of the lenders we reviewed.
Fees
Origination fee, late fee, dishonored payment fee
Eligibility
Available in all states except HI, IA, MA, ME, NY, VT, and WV
Time to get funds
As soon as the next business day (if approved by 4:30 p.m. CT on a weekday)
Loan uses
Debt consolidation, emergency expense, life event, home improvement, and other purposes
Best for high close rates if pre-approved
Loan Amount
$2,000 to $50,000
Secured loans available
Low minimum income requirement
Scored second in J.D. Power's Consumer Lending Satisfaction Study
Funds in 1-3 business days
High close rate on loans through Credible platform
Origination fees
No discounts
Not available in DC, IA, VT, or WV
Overview
Best Egg is a solid lender for a wide range of borrowers and, notably, scored second for personal loan satisfaction in J.D. Power's Consumer Lending Study. It offers competitive rates, reasonable loan terms and amounts, and personal loans for fair credit. You'll need a FICO score of at least 600 to qualify, but the lower your score, the higher your APR may be. The APR includes the interest rate and origination fees, which range from 0.99% to 9.99% with Best Egg.
Note that if you successfully prequalify with Best Egg, you may be more likely to be approved for the loan relative to other lenders you prequalify with. Based on Credible data, borrowers who chose to apply for a loan with Best Egg were more than twice as likely to be approved (relative to most other Credible partners).
Fees
Origination fee, late fee, unsuccessful payment fee, check processing fee
Eligibility
Available in all states except DC, IA, VT, and WV
Time to get funds
As soon as 1 to 3 business days after successful verification
Loan uses
Credit card refinancing, debt consolidation, home improvement, and other purposes
Loan Amount
$2,000 to $50,000
Offers peer-to-peer lending (individuals can invest in personal loans)
Can fund in 1 business day
Open to borrowers with fair credit
Low minimum APR
Origination fee
Not available in Iowa or West Virginia
No discounts
Overview
Prosper is the only remaining true P2P marketplace in the peer-to-peer lending space that connects borrowers with individual investors for some loans. If you apply for a loan with Prosper, the funding may come from an individual who has chosen to invest in you.
Prosper offers personal loans between $2,000 and $50,000 with terms between 2 and 5 years, and funding as soon as one business day. You can use a personal loan through Prosper for a variety of purposes, including debt consolidation and home improvement. The platform has excellent customer service reviews on Trustpilot, as well.
Eligibility
Available in all states except IA and WV
Time to get funds
On average, within 5 days of accepting your offer
Loan uses
Debt consolidation, home improvement, vehicles, small business, new baby expenses, and other purposes
Best bad credit personal loans
Loan Amount
$1,500 to $20,000
Flexible eligibility requirements
Offers secured options
Competitive bad-credit loans
Physical presence
Availability
Origination fees
High starting APR
Overview
OneMain Financial has multiple options for bad-credit personal loans. There is no minimum credit score required (if you apply directly with OneMain), which means you could get a loan with bad credit (FICO below 580). Plus, cosigners are allowed — a cosigner is someone (ideally, with good credit) who promises to repay the loan if you can't, which can make it easier to qualify or lower your rate. And, secured personal loans are available. You secure a loan with collateral, which may also help you qualify or lower your rate.
Rates are higher than competitors and OneMain charges origination fees as either a flat fee up to $500, or a percentage from 1% to 10% (depending on your state of residence). Note that even if you prequalify for a personal loan with OneMain, getting approved isn't a given.
Fees
Origination fee, unsuccessful payment fee, late fee
Eligibility
Must have photo I.D. issued by U.S. federal, state or local government
Time to get funds
As soon as 1 to 2 days after acceptance
Loan use
All except business, and education
Loan Amount
$1,000 to $50,000
Fair credit borrowers eligible
Autopay and direct pay discounts
Can fund in as little as 1 business day
Mobile app
Secured loans available
High maximum origination fee
Cosigners not accepted on home improvement loans
Low J.D. Power ranking
Overview
Upgrade has a suite of features that make it a very attractive lender: competitive interest rates, discounts for direct pay and autopay, as soon as same-day funding, up to seven-year repayment terms, and nationwide availability. Plus, loans are available to fair-credit borrowers, and you don't need to input your Social Security number to prequalify on the website. Upgrade even offers secured personal loans, which is not common among lenders.
However, Upgrade does charge an origination fee of 1.85% to 9.99%. You must have a FICO score of at least 600 and a minimum income of $25,000 annually to qualify.
Loan amount
$1,000 to $50,000 ($3,005 minimum in GA; $6,600 minimum in MA)
Loan uses
Credit card refinancing, debt consolidation, home improvement, major purchase, other
Best fast personal loans for all credit types
Loan Amount
$1,000 to $50,000
May fund in 1 business day
No minimum credit score requirement on lender site
Low minimum APR
Trustpilot score of 4.9/5 stars
May charge a high origination fee
No discounts offered
Overview
Upstart has one of the lowest available APRs of Credible partner lenders and of all non-partners we reviewed, making it a good choice for well-qualified applicants. However, it's also is one of few lenders that doesn't have a minimum credit score requirement (if you apply on the lender's website), which makes it an option if you have bad credit or no credit history. Upstart may charge an origination fee as high as 12%, but good-credit borrowers may not be charged one at all.
Trustpilot gives Upstart 4.9 stars, which is the highest of all lenders we reviewed.
Time to get funds
As soon as 1 to 3 business days
Loan uses
Pay off credit cards, consolidate debt, relocate, make a large purchase, and other purposes
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:
- 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 using Credible's credit monitoring tool.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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, and you'll need to find a personal loan for bad credit. Because of this, you’ll likely pay a higher interest rate than borrowers with good to excellent credit.
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 DisclosureOverview
BHG Financial stands out for offering the largest loan amounts — up to $200,0001 — of any Credible partner lenders. Simply put, if you need an unsecured personal loan over $100,000, there are very few places to look, but BHG is one. You'll have up to 10 years to repay the loan, but you'll need an annual income of at least $100,000 to qualify and a FICO score that's 6601,2 or higher.
Loan amounts start at $20,000, so look elsewhere for small loans. And BHG charges a modest origination fee between 3% and 4%, depending on your financial profile. Loan funds are available within five to 14 days of loan approval. Note that you can't prequalify with BHG.
Fees
Origination fees, late fees, other fees may apply
Eligibility
Available in all states except Illinois, North Dakota, and Montana
Loan uses
Debt consolidation, baby (adoption), engagement ring financing, moving (relocation), business, home improvement, special occasion, cosmetic procedures, major purchase, taxes, credit card refinancing, medical expenses, vacation, wedding, other
Overview
OneMain Financial has multiple options for bad-credit personal loans. There is no minimum credit score required (if you apply directly with OneMain), which means you could get a loan with bad credit (FICO below 580). Plus, cosigners are allowed — a cosigner is someone (ideally, with good credit) who promises to repay the loan if you can't, which can make it easier to qualify or lower your rate. And, secured personal loans are available. You secure a loan with collateral, which may also help you qualify or lower your rate.
Rates are higher than competitors and OneMain charges origination fees as either a flat fee up to $500, or a percentage from 1% to 10% (depending on your state of residence). Note that even if you prequalify for a personal loan with OneMain, getting approved isn't a given.
Fees
Origination fee, unsuccessful payment fee, late fee
Eligibility
Must have photo I.D. issued by U.S. federal, state or local government
Time to get funds
As soon as 1 to 2 days after acceptance
Loan use
All except business, and education
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.
Learn More: How To Build Credit
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.
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Meet the expert:
Kat Tretina
Kat Tretina is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance. Her work has been published in The Wall Street Journal's Buy Side, U.S. News, and Money.com.
