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Avant Personal LoansAvant 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. Prepayment penalty: None Unsuccessful payment fee: $15 Minimum Credit Score: 550 Origination Fee: 0.95% to 9.99% Check processing fee: None Do they allow a cosigner: No Late fee: $25 Time to fund: As soon as the next business day (if approved by 4:30 p.m. CT on a weekday) Best for: All credit types |
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Best Egg Personal LoansBest Egg is a solid lender for a wide range of borrowers. 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). Prepayment penalty: None Unsuccessful payment fee: $15 Minimum Credit Score: 600 Origination Fee: 0.99% to 9.99% Check processing fee: $7 Do they allow a cosigner: No Late fee: $15 Time to fund: As soon as 1 - 3 business days after successful verification Best for: High Close Rates if Pre-approved |
| | | Loan amount Up to $200,000 | |
BHG Financial Personal LoansBHG Financial stands out for offering the largest loan amounts — up to $200,000 — 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 660 or higher. The primary applicant has to meet both income and FICO requirements, the co-applicant only has to meet the income requirements.
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. Prepayment penalty: None Unsuccessful payment fee: Up to $20 Minimum Credit Score: 660 Origination Fee: 3% to 4% Check processing fee: None Do they allow a cosigner: Yes Late fee: Between 5-15 days late, borrower may be charged 5.00% of the outstanding payment or $40 whichever is less. Time to fund: Funding in as few as 5 days Best for: Large personal loans |
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Citibank Personal LoansCiti offers no-fee personal loans to borrowers with very good credit (a FICO credit score of 740 or higher). No-fee means no origination fees and no late fees, and Citi is one of very few lenders that don’t charge either. (Origination fees are deducted from the loan upfront, reducing the amount you receive).
Though Citi requires a relatively high credit score to qualify, its minimum income requirement is low. The company also offers a generous 0.50 percentage point autopay discount and makes same day funding available to current Citi customers.
Citi offers relatively small loans, as low as $2,000. But the maximum amount you can borrow is capped at $30,000, which is less than most of its competitors. Another drawback is that the minimum APR is relatively high. Just keep in mind that even with excellent credit, you may not qualify for a lender’s lowest advertised rate, which is one reason it’s good to prequalify with multiple lenders before applying.
Citi personal loans are available nationwide. Citi came in 3rd in J.D. Power’s 2024 Consumer Lender Satisfaction Study, and is currently subject to a lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General. Prepayment penalty: None Unsuccessful payment fee: None Minimum Credit Score: 740 Origination Fee: None Check processing fee: None Do they allow a cosigner: No Late fee: None Time to fund: Same day with an existing Citi account, or within 2 business days with a non-Citi account Best for: No fees |
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Discover Personal Loans Discover Personal Loans offers low APRs, repayment terms up to seven years, no origination fees, nationwide availability, and doesn't require your Social Security number to prequalify on its site. You'll need to have an annual income of at least $40,000, and a FICO score 660 or higher, to be eligible. If your credit score is fair or poor, you'll need to go elsewhere, as Discover doesn't allow cosigners.
Funds are available as soon as the next business day after loan approval. Prepayment penalty: None Unsuccessful payment fee: None Minimum Credit Score: 660 Origination Fee: None Check processing fee: None Do they allow a cosigner: No Late fee: $39 Time to fund: Funds can be sent as soon as the next business day after acceptance Best for: No origination fees (and low rates) |
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Happy Money Personal LoansHappy Money has been in operation since 2009 (formerly known as Payoff). It's an option for fair-credit borrowers (plus those with better credit), and notably has a relatively low top-end APR. In other words, you could qualify for a lower rate with Happy Money with fair credit, relative to other lenders that offer fair-credit loans. The company does charge an origination fee on some loans, up to 5%, but that's not as high as some other lenders' origination fees.
You should be prepared to wait a few days to get your money, as funding can take three to five days once approved. And loans aren't available in Massachusetts or Nevada. Happy Money has an A+ rating with the BBB and is ideal for debt consolidation and credit card consolidation loans. Prepayment penalty: None Unsuccessful payment fee: None Minimum Credit Score: 640 Origination Fee: 2% to 5% Check processing fee: None Do they allow a cosigner: No Late fee: None Time to fund: As soon as 2 - 5 business days after verification Best for: Consolidating credit card debt |
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LendingClub Personal LoansLendingClub is a solid lender for good credit borrowers and some fair credit borrowers that apply directly on its website. It's easy to prequalify with LendingClub, especially if you're uncomfortable providing your Social Security number, as the company doesn't require it at the prequalification stage. (You will need to provide it if you move forward with a full application.)
While prequalification is not a guarantee that you'll be approved for a loan, LendingClub does a better job than most other Credible partner lenders at approving applicants that have successfully prequalified. In other words, you're less likely to have your application declined once you apply (if you've already prequalified). LendingClub may charge an origination fee between 3% and 8%. Prepayment penalty: None Unsuccessful payment fee: $15 Minimum Credit Score: 660 Origination Fee: 3% to 8% Check processing fee: $7 Do they allow a cosigner: No, but co-borrowers allowed Late fee: 5% of late payment or $15 (whichever is greater) Time to fund: Get funds in as little as 3 days Best for: Online experience |
| | Loan term 3, 4, or 5 years | | |
LendingUSA Personal LoansLending USA offers funding for a wide array of products and services, and sometimes offers six-month interest-free promotions on loans made through its merchant partners. Loans made through Credible are available for debt consolidation, credit card refinancing, and home improvement, and are best for borrowers with good credit or fair credit.
Just note that you may be charged an origination fee, and loans aren’t available nationwide. If applying via Credible, you should have a minimum FICO score of 660 to qualify. Prepayment penalty: None Unsuccessful payment fee: Yes Minimum Credit Score: 660 Origination Fee: 5% Check processing fee: None Do they allow a cosigner: No Late fee: Yes Time to fund: 1-3 business days Best for: Interest-free merchant financing |
| | | Loan amount Up to $100,000 | |
LightStream Personal LoansLightstream is one of three Credible partner lenders to offer loan amounts up to $100,000, which makes it ideal for financing large expenses like home improvements or weddings. Funds are available as soon as the same day you apply, and you'll have up to 20 years to repay certain types of loans, including home improvement loans, RV loans, and boat loans. There are no origination fees, and rates are low — as of this writing, Lightstream's lowest APR beats SoFi's advertised lowest APR by 1 percentage point. But you'll need good credit to qualify.
Note that unlike most lenders, Lightstream does not let you prequalify. Nor does it provide a contact phone number next to its customer service hours on its website. Prepayment penalty: None Unsuccessful payment fee: None Minimum Credit Score: 700 Origination Fee: None Check processing fee: None Do they allow a cosigner: No Late fee: None Time to fund: As soon as the same business day Best for: Best home improvement loans |
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OneMain Financial Personal LoansOneMain Financial has multiple options for bad-credit personal loans. There is no minimum credit score requirement, meaning you could get a personal loan with bad credit or no credit. 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. According to internal Credible data, OneMain had one of the lowest rates of loan approval after prequalification among partner lenders. Prepayment penalty: None Unsuccessful payment fee: $10 to $50 Minimum Credit Score: 540 Origination Fee: $25 to $500 Check processing fee: None Do they allow a cosigner: Yes Late fee: $5 - $30 Time to fund: As soon as 1 - 2 days after acceptance Best for: Bad credit personal loans |
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