Best Personal Loans of 2026 — Compare Rates & Apply

✓ April 2026 Update: Rates have remained steady. LightStream continues to offer some of the lowest APRs for borrowers with good credit. See full details below.

Lender	APR Range	Loan Amount	Term	Min. Credit	Best For	Funding	Action
LightStreamLowest Rates	6.99%–25.49%	$5K–$100K	2–12 yrs	660	Home improvement, large purchases	Same day	Check Rate
SoFiEditor's Pick	8.99%–29.99%	$5K–$100K	2–7 yrs	680	Debt consolidation, no fees	Same day	Check Rate
Marcus by Goldman Sachs	7.99%–28.99%	$3.5K–$40K	3–6 yrs	660	No-fee loans, flexible payments	1–4 days	Check Rate
Discover	7.99%–24.99%	$2.5K–$40K	3–7 yrs	660	Debt consolidation, established credit	Next day	Check Rate
UpgradeBest for Fair Credit	9.99%–35.99%	$1K–$50K	2–7 yrs	580	Fair/bad credit borrowers	1 business day	Check Rate
Upstart	7.40%–35.99%	$1K–$50K	3–5 yrs	300	Limited credit history, students	1 business day	Check Rate
PenFed Credit Union	8.49%–17.99%	$600–$50K	1–5 yrs	700	Credit union members, low rates	1–2 days	Check Rate
Prosper	8.99%–35.99%	$2K–$50K	2–5 yrs	640	P2P lending, flexible qualification	1–3 days	Check Rate

Lender	APR	Max Amount	Direct Pay to Creditors?	Rating	Action
SoFiBest Overall	8.99%–29.99%	$100,000	✓ Yes	★★★★★4.9	Check Rate
Discover	7.99%–24.99%	$40,000	✓ Yes	★★★★★4.7	Check Rate
Happy Money	11.72%–24.50%	$40,000	✓ Yes (credit cards)	★★★★☆4.4	Check Rate
Marcus	7.99%–28.99%	$40,000	No (funds to you)	★★★★★4.8	Check Rate

Lender	APR	Min. Credit Score	Max Loan	Reports to Bureaus	Action
UpstartMin 300 Score	7.40%–35.99%	300	$50,000	✓ All 3	Check Rate
Avant	9.95%–35.99%	580	$35,000	✓ All 3	Check Rate
OneMain Financial	18.00%–35.99%	None	$20,000	✓ All 3	Check Rate
Oportun	Up to 35.95%	None required	$18,500	✓ All 3	Check Rate

Lender	APR	Loan Amount	New / Used / Refi	Min. Credit	Action
PenFed Credit UnionLowest Rate	5.24%–17.99%	Up to $150K	New / Used / Refi	650	Check Rate
LightStream Auto	6.49%–14.49%	$5K–$100K	New / Used	660	Check Rate
Capital One Auto	6.99%–24.99%	$4K+	New / Used / Refi	600	Check Rate
Autopay	5.99%–29.99%	$2.5K–$100K	New / Used / Refi	580	Check Rate

Lender	Fixed APR	Variable APR	Loan Amount	Min. Credit	Action
SoFiBest Overall	4.74%–9.99%	4.99%–9.99%	No max	650	Check Rate
Earnest	5.19%–9.74%	4.99%–9.74%	$5K–$500K	650	Check Rate
Credible	4.84%–13.99%	5.28%–12.43%	$1K–$500K	670	Check Rate
ELFI	5.48%–8.94%	5.28%–8.74%	$10K–No max	680	Check Rate

Personal Loan FAQs

Most mainstream lenders require a minimum credit score of 660–680. However, lenders like Upstart, Avant, and Oportun work with scores as low as 300. The better your score, the lower your APR will be.

Personal loan amounts typically range from $1,000 to $100,000 depending on the lender and your qualifications. SoFi and LightStream both offer up to $100,000 for well-qualified borrowers.

An unsecured personal loan requires no collateral — your approval and rate are based entirely on your credit. A secured loan requires you to pledge an asset (like a car or savings account), which often results in lower rates but comes with the risk of losing that asset if you default.

Many online lenders fund as fast as the same business day or next day after approval. LightStream and SoFi are known for same-day funding. Traditional banks and credit unions may take 2–7 business days.

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Personal Loan FAQs