What credit score is needed for a personal loan?
Generally, borrowers need a credit score of at least 610 to 640 to even qualify for a personal loan. To qualify for a lender's lowest interest rate, borrowers typically need a score of at least 800.
Many give preference to borrowers with good or excellent credit scores (690 and above), but some lenders accept borrowers with bad credit (a score below 630). The typical minimum credit score to qualify for a personal loan is 560 to 660, according to lenders surveyed by NerdWallet.
Most lenders that offer personal loans of $3,000 or more require a 580+ credit score for approval, along with enough income to afford the monthly payments. Other common loan requirements include being at least 18 years old, being a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or visa holder, and having a valid bank account.
| Credit score range | Average APR | Average loan amount |
|---|---|---|
| 720+ | 14.34% | $19,657.52 |
| 680-719 | 21.19% | $16,032.83 |
| 660-679 | 32.30% | $12,392.46 |
| 640-659 | 44.50% | $10,010.65 |
| Lender | Loan Amounts | APRs |
|---|---|---|
| SoFi | $5,000 - $100,000 | 8.99% - 29.99% Fixed APR with all discounts |
| Wells Fargo | $3,000 - $100,000 | 7.49% - 23.24% |
| USAA | $1,000 - $100,000 | 7.24% - 17.65% |
| Discover | $2,500 - $40,000 | 7.49% - 24.99% |
Yes, you can get a $5,000 loan with bad credit if you have enough income to afford the monthly payments, but the loan is likely to have a high interest rate. Several lenders offer $5,000 personal loans for people with credit scores under 640, and a few may not even require a credit check at all.
The best way to borrow $5,000 with no credit check is to apply for a personal loan from a lender that will not do a hard inquiry into your credit history, like Upstart or OneMain Financial. To determine if you can repay the loan, the lender will look into other things like your income and employment status.
Some of the easiest loans to get approved for if you have bad credit include payday loans, no-credit-check loans, and pawnshop loans. Personal loans with essentially no approval requirements typically charge the highest interest rates and loan fees.
You can check your credit score for free with LendingTree Spring — without impacting your credit. While credit scores range from 300 to 850, the minimum credit score for a personal loan is typically 580. However, borrowers with scores of 640 or higher tend to get better loan rates and terms.
| Payoff period | APR | Monthly payment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 15% | $451 |
| 2 years | 15% | $242 |
| 3 years | 15% | $173 |
| 4 years | 15% | $139 |
What is the minimum credit score for an unsecured loan?
Payment history is weighed the most heavily in determining your credit score, along with your total outstanding debt. Generally, borrowers need a credit score of at least 610 to 640 to even qualify for a personal loan. To qualify for a lender's lowest interest rate, borrowers typically need a score of at least 800.
| Loan Amount | Loan Term (Years) | Estimated Fixed Monthly Payment* |
|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | 5 | $415.07 |
| $25,000 | 3 | $771.81 |
| $25,000 | 5 | $514.57 |
| $30,000 | 3 | $926.18 |
| Payoff period | APR | Monthly payment |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years | 15% | $485 |
| 3 years | 15% | $437 |
| 4 years | 15% | $278 |
| 5 years | 15% | $238 |
Requirements for a $20,000 Personal Loan
Requirements vary by lender, but most lenders require borrowers to have a credit score in the good to excellent range — meaning a score of at least 670.
A personal loan will cause a slight hit to your credit score in the short term, but making on-time payments will bring it back up and can help improve your credit in the long run. A personal loan calculator can be a big help when it comes to determining the loan repayment term that's right for you.
Representative 6.1% APR, based on a loan amount of £10,000, over 5 years, at a Fixed Annual Interest Rate of 5.9358%, (nominal). This would give you a monthly repayment of £193.02 and a total amount repayable of £11,581.20.
A hardship loan provides funds that can help you get by during a difficult financial time. This loan can help bridge an income gap or cover an emergency. Borrowers are typically approved within a day or two and receive funds in less than a week.
No-credit-check loans skip the credit check and use other criteria to approve borrowers. For example, a lender might look at your income or bank account balance instead. Or it may ask for collateral and grant you a loan based on its value. Once approved, you'd pay the loan back just as you would any other type of loan.
LendingTree customer reviews are generally positive. As of the time of writing, the company has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars based on nearly 12,000 reviews on Trustpilot. Among these reviews, over 9,700 customers give it a five-star rating and another 12,260 give it four stars.
- Upgrade. : Best for poor credit.
- Prosper. : Best for peer-to-peer lending.
- LendingPoint. : Best for long repayment terms.
- Upstart. : Best for thin credit.
- Avant. : Best for fair credit.
- Oportun. : Best for small loans.
- LendingClub. : Best for co-borrowers.
- SoFi. : Best for discounts.
Is Credit Ninja a real thing?
CreditNinja is a reputable and trustworthy online lender, offering personal installment loans to borrowers in need.
Some BNPL lenders don't require a credit check, while others may perform a soft inquiry that doesn't affect your score. Payday and title loans. Title loans are secured by your car title and payday loans are similar to paycheck advances.
The Loan approval process at ICICI Bank is simple, quick and instant. Once a customer's Personal Loan is approved, it takes only 3 seconds for the amount to be disbursed into your Account.
The best quick loans overall are from LightStream. The company provides funding as soon as the same day you apply, has an APR range of 7.49% - 25.99%, and offers loan amounts of $5,000 - $100,000. To qualify for a loan from LightStream, borrowers must have a credit score of at least 660.
Secured loans tend to have less stringent requirements and more favorable terms because the lender can take your collateral if you miss your loan payments. Some of the easiest loans to get in this category include auto title loans and pawnshop loans, but these also tend to be relatively expensive loans.
