[ad_1]
Our experts answer readers’ personal loan questions and write unbiased product reviews (here’s how we assess personal loans). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own.
When shopping for a personal loan, most borrowers make the interest rate their top priority. The lower the interest rate, the less the total cost of the loan will be. While other factors like fees and term lengths also are important when when selecting a lender, interest rates are critical in making your final choice.
Best Low-Interest Personal Loans
- LightStream Personal Loan: Best for maximum loan amounts
- Discover Personal Loan: Best for money-back guarantee
- American Express Personal Loan: Best for low minimum APR
- Upstart Personal Loan: Best for low credit scores
- Wells Fargo Personal Loan: Best from a brick-and-mortar lender
- Reach Financial Personal Loan: Best for debt consolidation
- Prosper Personal Loan: Best for co-signed loan
Next Step: See if you’re prequalified for a loan without impacting your credit score.
The best personal loans with low interest rates have a minimum rate below 8%, which is reflected in our list of top picks. Keep in mind that you’ll only qualify for the lowest personal loan rates if you have an excellent credit score.
Compare the Best Loans With Low Interest Rates
LightStream Personal Loan
Regular APR
7.99% to 25.49% (with AutoPay discount, rates vary by loan purpose)
Loan Amount Range
$5,000 to $100,000
- Competitive APR
- Approval decisions should come shortly after applying
- Loans can be funded the same day
- Wide range of borrowing amounts and terms
- No fees
- Only available to people with good credit
- No pre-approval option
Product Details
- Loan amounts range from $5,000 to $100,000
- Loan term lengths range from 2 to 12 years
- Apply online and you’ll receive a response shortly during business hours.
- Receive your funds as soon as the same day
- Loans are made by Truist Bank, member FDIC
Discover Personal Loans
Regular APR
6.99% to 24.99%
Loan Amount Range
$2,500 to $40,000
- 30-day money back guarantee
- Low minimum APR
- No origination fees
- Low maximum loan amount
- Late fees
- No co-borrowers allowed
Product Details
- Loan term lengths range between 36 to 84 months
American Express Personal Loan
Check rates
Regular APR
5.91% to 17.97%
Loan Amount Range
$3,500 to $40,000
Minimum Credit Score
Undisclosed
- No prepayment penalties or origination fees
- Low starting APR
- Funds available quickly
- Ability to prequalify for a loan
- Limited repayment term lengths
- High minimum loan amount
- Must be a card member to apply
- Hefty late fee
Product Details
- Loan term lengths range from 1 to 3 years
- Receive your funds as soon as the next day
Upstart Personal Loan
Regular APR
4.60% to 35.99%
Loan Amount Range
$1,000 to $50,000 (borrowers in four states are subject to higher minimum loan amounts: Massachusetts: $7,000, Ohio: $6,000, New Mexico: $5,100, Georgia: $3,100)
- Small minimum loan amounts
- No prepayment penalty
- Quick loan fund disbursement
- Only three and five year terms
- Potential for high origination fees
Product Details
- Loan amounts range from $1,000 to $50,000. However, borrowers in four states are subject to higher minimum loan amounts: Massachusetts: $7,000, Ohio: $6,000, New Mexico: $5,100, Georgia: $3,100
- Loan term lengths are either 3 or 5 years
- Can have origination fees up to 8%
- Considers employment and education history when making loan approval decisions
- Loans are made through one of several Upstart-powered bank partners
Wells Fargo Personal Loan
Regular APR
7.49% to 23.74% (with relationship discount)
Loan Amount Range
$3,000 to $100,000
Minimum Credit Score
Undisclosed
- Large maximum loan amounts
- Discounts for current customers
- Established brick-and-mortar lender
- No origination fee or prepayment penalty
- Significant late fees
- History of mismanaging customer information
- No online applications for non-customers
Product Details
- Loan amounts range from $3,000 to $100,000
- Term lengths range from 1 to 7 years
- Rate discounts to customers who have a checking account with the bank and who make their loan payments automatically through that account
- Non-customers must apply by visiting a branch and talking with a banker
- Loans made by Wells Fargo, member FDIC
Reach Financial Personal Loan
Check rates
Regular APR
5.99% to 35.99%
Loan Amount Range
$3,500 to $40,000
- Low minimum interest rate
- Relatively fast funding speed
- Can only use loan to consolidate debt or refinance credit cards
- Origination fee
- Late fee
- Not available in all states
Product Details
- Loan term lengths between 24 to 60 months
- Loans unavailable in Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia
- Your creditors are paid directly about 48 hours after your loan is approved
- Make payments either biweekly or monthly
- Reach will only consolidate unsecured debt
Prosper Personal Loan
Check rates
Regular APR
6.99% to 35.99%
Loan Amount Range
$2,000 to $50,000
- Able to add coborrower
- Offers loans for a variety of uses
- Many requirements to qualify
- Prosper may not find an investor for your loan
- Origination and late fee
Product Details
- Loan amounts range from $2,000 to $40,000
- Loan term lengths are either three or five years
- Origination fee between 1% to 5%, depending on your financial situation
- Late fees are 5% of the payment amount or $15, whichever is greater
- Loans made by Prosper Funding LLC
Low-Interest Loan Frequently Asked Questions
Personal loan interest rates can be from around 5% to 32%, so a good rate would be one the lower end of that range. The interest rate on a personal loan that you qualify for will depend on variety of factors, including the term of the loan and your credit score.
Generally, the best way to get the lowest personal loan rates is to have an excellent credit score. While you can’t dramatically improve your credit score overnight, you can start by making sure you pay your bills on time and in full. Additionally, you can reduce your credit utilization ratio, or the amount of credit you’re using divided by the total credit available to you.
The lenders we have on our list are a great place to start looking for a low-interest loan. We’ve compiled lenders with the lowest minimum rates on the market, so you’ll likely find the best deals here — provided you have a great credit score.
Best Low-Interest Loan Company Reviews
LightStream Personal Loan
LightStream lends amounts of as much as $100,000 for borrowers looking to find large expenses with a loan that has low interest rates. The company offers same-day funding if the application is approved, verified, and signed before 2:30 p.m. ET.
LightStream also has a wide range of repayment term lengths, from two to 12 years. This is great if you’re looking to spread out the cost of your loan over a long period.
Watch out for: Lightstream doesn’t have preapproval. Borrowers looking for low-interest loans like to shop around to compare rates. Usually, this involves getting preapproved by several different companies and comparing the offers before settling on one. LightStream doesn’t offer preapprovals for its personal loans. You’ll have to go through the full approval process. That includes a hard pull of your credit report, which can temporarily lower your credit score.
Lightstream Personal Loan Review
Discover Personal Loan
Discover personal loans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, differentiating them from competitors. If you decide within 30 days of getting your loan that you don’t want it anymore, you may return the funds via check and won’t be charged any interest. This may be helpful if you find a lender with a lower interest rate or if you end up not needing the loan amount you initially requested.
Discover also has repayment terms ranging from three to seven years, so you have options if you want to spread out the cost of your loan. You’re also able to pay off your loan early at any time without a fee.
Watch out for: Hefty late fee. Discover charges up to $39 in late fees. If you fall behind on your payments, those fees will increase the overall cost of your loan. Some other lenders on our list don’t charge any fees.
American Express Personal Loan
American Express has some of the lowest minimum APRs available. If you have an excellent credit score and can qualify for the lowest interest rate, this could be a great lender for you.
The company also gets you funds quickly. Borrowers will usually get their money within one to two business days after loan approval.
Watch out for: Eligibility requirements. To get a personal loan with American Express, you need to be a card member. You need a relationship with the company outside of your personal loan, which may be an added step you prefer to avoid.
American Express Personal Loan Review
Upstart Personal Loan
Upstart has low interest rates and can get you your money faster than many other lenders. You may be able to get your loan proceeds as soon as the day after you apply.
Upstart’s minimum credit score is 300. If you have a poor credit history, it may be easier to qualify for a loan with low rates from this lender than with some of the others on our list. Keep in mind that you’ll usually be charged a higher interest rate with a lower credit score.
Watch out for: High origination fees. Upstart’s personal loans can have origination fees up to 8%. On a $5,000 loan, for example, that would work out to an origination fee of $400.
Wells Fargo Personal Loan
Wells Fargo is one of the largest banks in the country, with roughly 4,700 locations in 36 states. Borrowers looking for a low-interest personal loan who prefer face-to-face interactions will find ample opportunities to connect with a Wells Fargo representative. States where branches aren’t available are Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, West Virginia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Hawaii.
Wells Fargo also has a high maximum loan limit of $100,000, which is perfect for borrowers who need to finance a large purchase.
Watch out for: History of controversies. Wells Fargo’s recent past has been mired in scandals, including a December 2022 ruling from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordering the bank to pay a $3.7 billion penalty as a result of widespread legal violations, including in the auto and mortgage loan space. Other lenders on our list don’t come with the same baggage.
Wells Fargo Personal Loan Review
Reach Financial Personal Loan
Reach Financial could be a good choice for borrowers looking for a low-interest personal loan for debt consolidation. It has very fast funding speed. The company pays off your creditors directly — you won’t have any money go into your account — and will do so within roughly 48 hours after your loan is approved.
The company’s loan minimum is relatively low — you’re able to take out a loan as small as $3,500. See our guide to the best debt consolidation loans for options with higher limits.
Watch out for: Limited loan purpose. You’re only able to use your loan funds to consolidate or refinance debt. The other lenders on our list allow borrowers to use a personal loan for pretty much any purpose. Borrowers looking to cover other expenses will have to choose a different lender.
Reach Financial Personal Loan Review
Prosper Personal Loan
Prosper allows you to add a co-borrower to your account, a feature not all lenders offer. Enlisting a co-signer can help you get a lower interest rate on your personal loan than you would’ve otherwise received, or qualify for a loan that was out of reach on your own.
The company also has a low loan minimum of $2,000 and may be a good option for borrowers who only need a little bit of cash.
Watch out for: Many eligibility requirements. You may have trouble meeting all of Prosper’s qualifications for a personal loan, particularly if your finances aren’t in great shape. These include a debt-to-income ratio below 50%, and fewer than nine credit bureau inquiries (excluding duplicate inquiries) within the last six months.
Other Low-Interest Loan Companies We Considered
- SoFi Personal Loan. SoFi is an excellent personal loan lender, with no fees and an unemployment protection program. However, it has a higher minimum credit score requirement than any of the lenders on our list, and its minimum rate isn’t as low as the lenders we’ve chosen.
- Avant Personal Loan, Avant is a great lender for borrowers with bad credit, as it recommends a credit score between 600 and 700 to qualify for a loan. However, its minimum rate is higher than all of the lenders on our list.
- PenFed Credit Union Personal Loan. PenFed is one of our best credit unions for personal loans, with a low loan minimum of just $600. However, you need to be a member to get a loan, and its lowest rates are higher than the lenders we picked.
Low-Interest Loan Company Trustworthiness
Whether you’re interested in taking out a $5,000 loan or a $50,000 loan, finding the right provider can help with your loan approval experience. We’ve looked at each institution’s Better Business Bureau score to offer you another piece of information to pick a company that provides low-interest personal loans. The BBB measures businesses based on factors like their responsiveness to customer complaints, truthfulness in advertising, and openness about business practices. Here is each company’s score:
Our top picks are rated A+ or higher by the BBB, with the exception of Wells Fargo, which has a history of problematic behavior.
Most recently, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in December 2022 ordered Wells Fargo to return $2 billion to customers and pay a $1.7 billion penalty for legal violations involving auto loans, mortgages, and deposit accounts. The bank illegally charged fees and interest penalties on auto and mortgage loans. Additionally, it misapplied payments to those loans for many customers.
If these and other legal issues with Wells Fargo in recent years make you uncomfortable, you may consider getting a personal loan from a different lender.
Know that a high BBB score does not ensure a positive relationship with a credit card consolidation loan provider, and you should keep researching and talk to others who have used the company to get the most complete information possible.
Why You Should Trust Us: Our Methodology
We rate all personal loan products in our reviews and guides on a 1-5 scale. The overall rating is a weighted average that takes into account seven different categories, some of which are judged more heavily than others. They are:
- Interest rate (20% of rating)
- Fees (20% of rating)
- Term lengths and loan amounts (15% of rating)
- Funding speed (15% of rating)
- Borrower accessibility (15% of rating)
- Customer support (7.5% of rating)
- Ethics (7.5% of rating)
Each category’s weighting is based on its importance to your borrowing experience. Rates and fees have the most direct impact on the overall cost of your loan, so we weigh those the most heavily. Customer support and ethics are still very important parts of the borrowing experience, but do not directly tie to a personal loan’s terms, so they have less of an impact on the overall rating.
See our broader ratings methodology for personal loans »
[ad_2]
Source link
