LendingClub
Pros: You can get a joint loan through LendingClub by adding a co-borrower to your application – something not all lenders offer.
Cons: You may have to undergo a more stringent verification process (i.e., providing more documentation to prove income, assets, and debt) due to pullbacks from the COVID-19 recession. If you have excellent credit, you may find better rates elsewhere as the lowest APR is higher than others on the list.
LendingPoint
Overview: LendingPoint is an online-only lender that offers unsecured personal loans to borrowers with “fair” credit” and steady income or employment.
Pros: The minimum credit score is 590, and the loans range from $2,000 to $25,000 with repayment terms between two to five years. You won’t have to pay a prepayment penalty if you decide to pay off your personal loan earlier than scheduled.
Cons: LendingPoint would prefer you be at your job for at least 12 months before applying to a loan, though it’s not a requirement. You need to make at least $35,000 per year, and you can’t add a co-borrower, a cosigner, or collateral to your loan to improve your chances of approval.
Payoff
Pros: The APR range is lower than many of its competitors, you don’t get charged late fees if you’re accidentally late making a payment, and you can receive free FICO score updates.
Cons: To qualify for a Payoff loan, you need at least three years of established credit and a 640+ credit score. You also wouldn’t qualify if you live in Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, or Nevada, or want to take out a personal loan for anything other than debt consolidation.
Excel
Overview: payday loans Wisconsin Prosper, a peer-to-peer lender, lends to borrowers with fair-to-excellent credit scores who want to consolidate debt and take on home improvement projects.
Pros: Co-borrowers and cosigners are allowed and might help boost your chances of getting approved for a personal loan with a better rate. Prosper’s loans range from $2,000 to $40,000 with repayment terms of three or five years.
Cons: If you don’t have solid credit, you may be stuck with an interest rate at the high end of the spectrum (% APR). Prosper also doesn’t offer secured loans.
Skyrocket Money
Overview: Rocket Loans, a subsidiary of Quicken Loans, is a personal loan lender that serves borrowers looking to consolidate debt or finance home improvement projects or auto expenses.
Pros: Rocket offers the lowest minimum credit score (540) of any lenders we reviewed, so you may qualify for a personal loan with a “poor” credit score. You can also get instant e-day funding through Rocket.
Cons: You can’t boost your approval odds by applying with a co-borrower or cosigner, or by using an asset as collateral for a secured loan (Rocket doesn’t offer secured loans).
Inform
Pros: Personal loans with Upgrade range from $1,000 to $50,000, with repayment terms between three to five years. You can apply for a joint loan if you want to better your chances of getting approved for a low rate.
Cons: If you have “fair” credit, you may end up with an APR as high as % and an origination fee as high as 8%. People who live in Hawaii and Washington, D.C., aren’t eligible for Upgrade personal loans.
Upstart
Overview: Upstart is an online lender that uses AI technology to evaluate and approve borrowers with non-traditional financial backgrounds, which includes those who may not have strong credit scores but are considered creditworthy in other respects (e.g., having a steady income and employment history).
Pros: Upstart’s AI technology factors employment and education history into your application, so if you have a limited credit history or are self-employed, your odds of getting a personal loan may be higher with Upstart than other lenders. The minimum credit score is 580 (considered “fair”), and you may receive funds as soon as the day after approval.
