Is 7% high for a personal loan?
A good personal loan interest rate depends on your credit score: 740 and above: Below 8% (look for loans for excellent credit) 670 to 739: Around 14% (look for loans for good credit) 580 to 669: Around 18% (look for loans for fair credit)
Avoid loans with APRs higher than 10% (if possible)
According to Rachel Sanborn Lawrence, advisory services director and certified financial planner at Ellevest, you should feel OK about taking on purposeful debt that's below 10% APR, and even better if it's below 5% APR.
| Borrower credit rating | Score range | Estimated APR |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 720-850. | 12.64% |
| Good | 690-719. | 14.84% |
| Fair | 630-689. | 18.69%. |
| Bad | 300-629. | 21.74%. |
A high-interest loan charges interest and fees that are higher than most other loans. Typically, a loan with an annual percentage rate, or APR, over 36% is considered a high-interest loan. If you need cash fast or have low credit, you may be offered a high-interest loan or feel like you don't have any other options.
A high-interest loan is one with an annual percentage rate above 36% that can be tough to repay. You may have cheaper options. By Annie Millerbernd. Annie Millerbernd. Assistant Assigning Editor | Personal loans, high-interest loans, cash advance apps.
Bad credit loans cost more
The interest rate for a bad credit loan may be over 30 percent. You may also be charged higher origination fees with bad credit which are usually deducted from the loan funds. Higher interest rates also mean higher monthly payments and more interest paid over the term of the loan.
In general, the higher your credit score, the lower the rate will be. Individuals with excellent credit, which is defined as any FICO credit score between 720 and 850, should expect to find personal loan interest rates at about 9% to 13%, and many of these individuals may even qualify for lower rates.
Personal loans are becoming an increasingly popular financing option, and as of the third quarter of 2023, more than 23.2 million borrowers held an unsecured personal loan with an average balance of $11,692, according to TransUnion.
| Payoff period | APR | Monthly payment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 15% | $451 |
| 2 years | 15% | $242 |
| 3 years | 15% | $173 |
| 4 years | 15% | $139 |
A 5% APR is good for pretty much all types of borrowing, except for mortgages. On personal loans, credit cards, student loans, and auto loans, 5% is much cheaper than the average rate.
Is 12% high for a loan?
In most circ*mstances, a 12% interest rate on a personal loan definitely qualifies as a good rate unless the borrower has nearly perfect credit. To guarantee that you will be able to qualify for an interest rate near 12%, you will need to have a good to excellent credit score of over 700 points.
The interest rate on a $5,000 loan from a major lender is usually around 6.4% to 35.99%. It's difficult to pinpoint the exact interest rate that you'll get for a $5,000 loan since lenders take many factors into account when calculating your interest rate, such as your credit score and income.
As mortgage rates hit 8%, home 'affordability is incredibly difficult,' economist says. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate hit 8% for the first time since 2000. Homebuyers must earn $114,627 to afford a median-priced house in the U.S., according to a recent report by Redfin, a real estate firm.
Generally, the best way to secure some of the lowest interest rates on a personal loan is to make sure you're applying with an excellent credit score. The better your credit score, the more favorable your personal loan terms will be.
| Bank | Minimum interest rate on personal loan (%) |
|---|---|
| HDFC Bank | 10.5 |
| State Bank of India | 12.30 |
| Bank of Baroda | 13.15 |
| Punjab National Bank | 13.75 |
In most cases, you can pay off a personal loan early. Your credit score might drop, but it will typically be minor and temporary. Paying off an installment loan entirely can affect your credit score because of factors like your total debt, credit mix and payment history.
Taking out a personal loan can make more sense than tapping credit cards or home equity in some cases – but it's not always a good idea to borrow one. There are situations where this could be a good idea, but always remember that taking out a personal loan increases your overall debt.
A high-yield savings account that pays 5% interest is highly competitive. Not only does it significantly outpace the average savings account interest rate, but it's on the high end of the scale even for high-yield savings products.
In general, personal loan amounts range from $1,000 up to $50,000, though some lenders may offer loans up to $200,000. The average personal loan amount was about $11,500 as of Q2 2023, according to data from TransUnion. Below, we look at how average personal loan balances vary by generation and state.
The interest rate of your personal loan depends on your financial report and credit score. You can negotiate your interest rate to adjust your EMI to make it more manageable.
How much is considered a small personal loan?
When we say small personal loans, we're generally referring to loans in amounts of $3,000 or less. Some lenders have minimum loan requirements that exceed this threshold, but for this list we'll consider lenders that offer loans in amounts that start at a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
| Payoff period | APR | Monthly payment |
|---|---|---|
| 36 months | 15% | $3,467 |
| 48 months | 15% | $2,783 |
| 60 months | 15% | $2,379 |
| 72 months | 15% | $2,115 |
| Loan Amount | Loan Term (Years) | Estimated Fixed Monthly Payment* |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 5 | $514.57 |
| $30,000 | 3 | $926.18 |
| $30,000 | 5 | $608.15 |
| $35,000 | 3 | $1080.54 |
A $20,000 loan at 5% for 60 months (5 years) will cost you a total of $22,645.48, whereas the same loan at 3% will cost you $21,562.43. That's a savings of $1,083.05. That same wise shopper will look not only at the interest rate but also the length of the loan.
| Loan duration | Average monthly payments ($7,000 loan) | |
|---|---|---|
| Poor credit | Excellent credit | |
| 1–12 months | $826.51 | $646.88 |
| 13–24 months | $367.03 | $318.62 |
| 25–36 months | $264.41 | $221.24 |
