During the week ending Jan. 18, 2026:
- Average personal loan interest rates on 3-year loans were at 13.97% APR, up 0.25 percentage points from 13.72% last week and down sharply from 14.93% this time last year.
- Average personal loan interest rates on 5-year loans were at 18.78% APR, up 0.68 percentage points from last week's average of 18.10% and down significantly from 20.73% this time last year.
Read More: APR vs Interest Rate: Understanding the Differences
Current personal loan interest rates
Personal loan interest rate trends by year
Despite week-to-week volatility, average rates for 3-year and 5-year loans have seen a general downward trend since May 2025. The chart below shows average prequalified rates for borrowers with credit scores of 720 or higher who used the Credible marketplace to select a lender.
Tip
Personal loans are a popular way to consolidate and pay off credit cards and other debt. Prequalify to gauge whether you're likely to get approved for a personal loan and the rates you might qualify for.
Current personal loan interest rates by credit score
Personal loan interest rates tend to range between 6.49% APR and 35.99% APR, but the rate you qualify for depends on factors including your credit score and the length of the repayment term. For example, the data chart below shows that borrowers with excellent credit scores are more likely than others to qualify for APRs in the 10% to 16% range on 3-year loans and 5-year loans. On the other hand, borrowers with fair credit may expect much higher APRs.
Here are the current ranges of prequalified APRs for borrowers in different credit score categories on the Credible marketplace:
Borrowers with bad credit tend to receive the highest APRs of any credit score category, with rates typically falling in the 32% to 36% range.
Keep in mind that all lenders use different methods to evaluate borrowers, which is why it's important to prequalify with several.
Personal loan interest rates by loan purpose
What you use a personal loan for also affects the interest rate. See how average interest rates for each top loan purpose below vary. Data is sourced from the Credible personal loan marketplace and based on closed loans data from January 2025 through December 2025.
Disclosure: Based on personal loans closed from January 2025 through December 2025. Source: Credible.
Where are personal loan interest rates headed?
Average rates increased for the second consecutive week in January, adding uncertainty to the short-term outlook. Although a downward trend seemed likely at the start of the year, rates for 3-year and 5-year terms on the Credible marketplace ended the week slightly higher than at this time last month.
The Federal Reserve meets next week to decide whether to adjust the federal funds rate, the benchmark that affects rates on personal loans and other types of credit. The CME Fedwatch forecasting tool currently predicts a 95% probability that the rate will remain unchanged.
The Fed cut the benchmark rate three times in the final months of 2025, but rates have continued to fluctuate without showing a significant decline since then. Overall, though, average rates on 3-year and 5-year loans have fallen by about 2 to 3 percentage points since this time last year.
Another source of uncertainty is the ongoing tension between the Fed and the White House. The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into Chairman Jerome Powell's testimony to Congress about the cost of renovating the Fed’s headquarters. Powell has alleged that the probe is a ploy to force his resignation or coerce the Fed into cutting rates. Recent news reports say Powell plans to attend this week's Supreme Court proceedings on President Trump's bid to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook.
The target range for the federal funds rate is at 3.50% to 3.75%, down from a high of 5.25% to 5.50% in 2024.
Read More: The Fed's Effect on Personal Loan Rates Explained
See other personal loan interest rates:
- Credit card consolidation loan interest rates
- Debt consolidation loan interest rates
- Home improvement loan interest rates
- Bad credit personal loan interest rates
What are personal loans used for?
The most common use for a personal loan is debt consolidation, according to Credible marketplace data. Debt consolidation, including credit card refinancing, accounted for more than $61 million of disbursed loans in December — more than 66% of people approved for a loan via the Credible marketplace used it for either debt consolidation or credit card refinancing. The average disbursed loan amounts for debt consolidation and credit card refinancing were $23,931 and $21,166, respectively.
Home improvement was the next most common loan purpose, with more than $6.7 million disbursed in December. The average amount for home improvement loans was $20,361.
About Credible
Credible is a multi-lender marketplace that empowers consumers to compare prequalified rates across dozens of lenders based on their credit score, income, and other financial factors. Credible's integrations with leading lenders and credit bureaus allow consumers to quickly compare accurate, personalized loan options ― without putting their personal information at risk or affecting their credit score.
Credible also provides no-cost credit monitoring tools that help you manage debt and check your credit score for free.
The Credible marketplace provides an unrivaled customer experience, as reflected by more than 7,870 5-star Trustpilot reviews and a TrustScore of 4.8/5.
Where we get our data
Credible is a personal loans marketplace that partners directly with lenders to offer loans for a wide range of credit profiles and loan purposes. Because of the relationships with our bank and fintech partners, we have access to the most current rates that real borrowers are being approved for, along with average rates by credit score and loan purpose, how easy or hard it is to get approved, and more. The data we use is primary source data, updated weekly, and does not include any personally identifiable information about borrowers.
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