Personal Loan Guidance to Help You Borrow Smarter
Expert guidance, lender comparisons and insights based on millions of real loan offers
Personal loan guides
Personal loans
You can borrow money for almost anything with a personal loan. Estimate the cost of your loan and compare top lenders with this expert LendingTree guide to loans.
Debt consolidation loans
Debt consolidation loans let you combine multiple debts into one — ideally with lower monthly payments and rates.
Personal loans for bad credit
Having bad credit doesn’t keep you from borrowing — it just means you need to borrow smarter. Find out how much personal loans for bad credit actually cost and what you need to qualify.
Debt consolidation loans for bad credit
Combine multiple debts into one — even with bad credit. Compare lenders, see realistic rates and understand what you need to qualify.
Quick loans
Borrow money fast with online loans from reputable lenders. You could get your money as soon as the day you apply.
Unsecured loans
Borrow without risking valuable collateral like your car, home or savings account. Unsecured loans just require your signature and a promise to repay.
Personal loans with a cosigner
Get better approval odds and potentially lower rates when you apply with another person who has good credit. Cosigners vouch for your ability to pay.
Personal loans for fair credit
Compare reputable lenders and read expert guidance on how to borrow with fair credit — without getting scammed.
Personal loans with no credit check
Compare loans from lenders that check your bank history and income rather than your credit.
Who qualifies for personal loans?
People who get personal loan offers typically have better credit, higher income and longer credit histories than those who don’t.
But you don’t need perfect credit to get loan offers through LendingTree — the average credit score for people who receive offers is 653 (fair credit).
How users who get personal loan offers differ from those who don’t
| Received at least one offer | Received no offers | |
|---|---|---|
| Credit score | 653 | 598 |
| Self-reported income | $70,551 | $52,217 |
| Requested loan amount | $14,365 | $10,596 |
| Age of oldest account | 11.5 years | 7.6 years |
Personal loan payment calculator
Break down your APR and term length into a dollars-and-cents monthly payment with the LendingTree personal loan calculator. Then see if your estimated payment fits in your budget.
Average personal loan amounts by credit tier
The better your credit, the more money you’ll likely be offered for a personal loan. Borrowers with excellent credit qualify for almost twice as much as borrowers with bad credit, according to LendingTree data.
| Credit tier | Average offered loan amount |
|---|---|
| Excellent (800 and above) | $19,486 |
| Very good (740-799) | $19,591 |
| Good (670-739) | $17,385 |
| Fair (580-669) | $12,840 |
| Poor (under 580) | $10,376 |
| All credit scores | $16,267 |
Personal loan lender reviews
OneMain Financial
OneMain Financial offers loans for bad credit with reasonable rates and fast funding, but you may need to use your car as collateral to get a large loan.
Upstart
Upstart uses AI to consider factors beyond credit score and offer loans to more applicants.
SoFi
SoFi ranks as one of the best personal loan lenders according to LendingTree’s impartial rating methodology because of its fast funding and lack of required fees.
Best Egg
Best Egg offers unique secured loans, including its Secured Loan + Homeowner Discount, which is backed by fixtures in your home.
Rocket Loans
Rocket Loans has competitive rates for fair credit and some of the fastest funding in the market.
Prosper
Prosper lets you borrow directly from other people instead of banks, which can make it easier to qualify.
Our editorial team applies the same scoring model and standards to every lender. Lenders cannot pay to influence our ratings. Read more about our editorial guidelines.
Finding the right personal loan with LendingTree
You’d shop around for flights. Why not your loan? LendingTree makes it easy. Instead of applying to just one lender and hoping for a good rate, see multiple lenders compete for your business — so you can choose the best offer.
Tell us what you need
Take two minutes to share a few details about yourself and how much you want to borrow. It’s free, simple and secure.
Shop your offers
LendingTree users receive 11 personal loan offers on average. Compare yours side by side to find the one that works best for you.
Get your money
Users save an average of $1,659 by choosing the offer with the lowest rate. Once you pick a lender and sign your paperwork, you could see money in your account in as little as 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
There’s no universal minimum credit score for personal loans — each lender has its own set of requirements. That said, lenders typically look at your credit score, payment history, income, debt-to-income ratio and employment. Learn more about personal loan requirements.
While personal loan applications peak in the summer, there’s no consistent time of year when people are more likely to get a personal loan offer, according to LendingTree data. The best way to time the system is to improve your credit before you apply.
Not directly. The Federal Reserve decides the federal funds rate, or the rate at which depository institutions (like banks) lend each other money. This influences the rates that lenders charge consumers. Learn more about how Fed rates affect you.