How much can I borrow with a personal loan?

Lending partners in The Lending Group network offer personal loans from $2,500 to $50,000. The amount you qualify for depends on your income, credit profile, debt-to-income ratio, and the lender's own limits.

What credit score do I need for a personal loan?

Most partners look for a FICO of 580 or higher, and the most competitive offers generally go to borrowers at 670 and above. Below 580 your options narrow considerably; adding a co-borrower or choosing a secured product may work better.

Does checking my personal loan rate hurt my credit score?

No. Comparing offers through The Lending Group uses a soft credit pull, which has no effect on your FICO or VantageScore and is visible only to you. A hard inquiry happens only if you select a specific offer and that lender runs one to finalize the loan.

Is The Lending Group a direct lender?

No. The Lending Group is an online lending marketplace. We do not fund loans, set rates, or make approval decisions. We match your single application to licensed U.S. lending partners so you can compare pre-qualified offers in one place.

How fast can I get a personal loan?

Comparing offers takes about 60 seconds. Once you select a lender and complete their verification, most approved loans deposit within 1 to 3 business days, and some partners offer same-day funding to eligible borrowers.

What APR can I expect on a personal loan in 2026?

Partners in our network advertise APRs from 6.99% to 24.99%. Excellent credit (780+) typically sees 6.99% to 10.99%; good credit (670–739) usually lands between 11.99% and 17.99%; fair credit (580–669) generally falls between 17.99% and 24.99%.

What can I use a personal loan for?

Most personal purposes qualify: debt consolidation, home improvement, medical and dental bills, auto repair, moving costs, weddings, funeral expenses, and emergencies. Common exclusions are post-secondary tuition, gambling, and any illegal purpose.

Are there fees on a personal loan?

Some lenders charge an origination fee of 1% to 8%, deducted from your disbursement; many partners in our network charge none. Always compare APR rather than the interest rate, because APR includes origination fees and gives you the true cost.

Can I pay off a personal loan early?

Loans in our network carry no prepayment penalty, so you can pay extra each month or clear the balance entirely at any time and keep the unaccrued interest. Confirm this in your specific lender's agreement before you sign.

Will a personal loan improve my credit score?

It often does, especially when used to consolidate credit cards. Personal loans are installment debt and do not count toward revolving credit utilization, so paying off card balances typically drops utilization sharply and adds 20 to 40 or more FICO points within one to two billing cycles. On-time payments then build payment history, which is 35% of your score.

Can I get a personal loan with bad credit?

Options exist below 620 but they are limited, priced near the top of the range, and often capped at smaller amounts. Adding a creditworthy co-borrower, providing additional proof of income, or spending a few months lowering card balances before applying will meaningfully improve your offers.

What is the difference between a personal loan and a credit card?

A personal loan gives you a lump sum at a fixed rate with a fixed payoff date, while a credit card is revolving credit at a variable rate with no required payoff date. Loans are cheaper for balances you will carry more than a few months; cards are better for purchases you clear each cycle.

Do I need collateral for a personal loan?

No. The personal loans offered through our network are unsecured, so you are not pledging your home, car, or savings. That is why rates are higher than a mortgage or HELOC but also why no asset is at risk if you fall behind.

How many personal loans can I have at once?

There is no legal limit, but each existing loan raises your debt-to-income ratio and reduces what a new lender will approve. Some lenders also cap how many of their own loans you may hold simultaneously.

Does applying affect my chances if I have recent inquiries?

Several recent hard inquiries can modestly reduce approval odds and pricing. Because comparing offers here is a soft pull, you can shop your rate without adding to that count.

What documents do I need to apply?

Have your legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, current address, employer and gross monthly income, and your bank routing and account numbers ready. Some lenders also request recent pay stubs, a bank statement, or a photo ID to verify.

Is my information secure?

Yes. The application is protected with 256-bit SSL encryption in transit, and information is shared only with the lending partners matched to your request. Read our privacy practices before submitting.

What happens if I miss a payment?

Payments more than 30 days late are typically reported to the credit bureaus and can cost 60 to 100 or more FICO points, and the lender may charge a late fee. Contact your lender before you miss a payment — most offer hardship options, deferments, or a modified schedule.

Personal Loans

Personal Loans: Compare Offers from Multiple Lenders

A personal loan is an unsecured, fixed-rate installment loan you repay in equal monthly payments over 24 to 84 months. The Lending Group is a free online marketplace: submit one soft-pull form and compare pre-qualified offers from $2,500 to $50,000 with APRs from 6.99% to 24.99%, without affecting your credit score.

Borrow $2,500 to $50,000 for nearly any personal purpose
Fixed APRs from 6.99% to 24.99% — your rate never changes
Checking offers is a soft credit pull with zero score impact
Most approved loans fund in 1–3 business days
No fee to compare, and no obligation to accept any offer
Terms from 24 to 84 months so you can size the payment

Check my rate →Estimate my payment

Soft credit check • No impact to your credit score • 60-second form

256-bit SSL
Soft credit pull
60-second form
No fee to compare

At a glance

Loan amounts: $2,500 – $50,000
APR range: 6.99% – 24.99% fixed
Repayment terms: 24 – 84 months
Minimum credit score: 580 (620+ preferred)
Time to compare offers: About 60 seconds
Typical funding time: 1 – 3 business days
Collateral required: None — unsecured
Credit check to compare: Soft pull only
Cost to use marketplace: $0 to the borrower

Personal loan rates by credit score (2026)

Credit band	FICO range	Typical APR	What to expect
Excellent	780–850	6.99% – 10.99%	Best pricing, longest terms, largest amounts available.
Very good	740–779	8.49% – 13.99%	Strong offers from most partners with minimal conditions.
Good	670–739	11.99% – 17.99%	Widest range of competitive offers; comparison matters most here.
Fair	580–669	17.99% – 24.99%	Fewer partners, smaller amounts, may require proof of income.
Building	Below 580	Limited availability	Consider a co-borrower or a secured product instead.

APRs shown are the ranges advertised by lending partners in The Lending Group network as of 2026 and are illustrative, not an offer of credit. Your actual rate depends on credit profile, income, debt-to-income ratio, loan amount, term, and state of residence. The Lending Group does not set rates or make credit decisions.

What is a personal loan?

A personal loan is a lump sum of money you borrow from a lender and repay in fixed monthly installments over a set period, typically two to seven years. Unlike a credit card, it is not revolving — you receive the full amount up front, the interest rate is locked at signing, and there is a defined payoff date from day one.

Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning you are not pledging a house, car, or savings account as collateral. The lender's decision rests on your creditworthiness: credit score and history, verifiable income, debt-to-income ratio, and employment stability. Because there is no collateral to seize, unsecured personal loan rates sit above mortgage and auto loan rates but well below credit card rates.

The defining advantage is predictability. A $15,000 loan at 12.99% APR over 60 months costs $341 per month, every month, until it is gone. There is no variable rate that resets when the Federal Reserve moves, no minimum payment that stretches the balance across decades, and no penalty for the balance sitting there — because the schedule guarantees it will not.

Personal loans are used for debt consolidation, home improvement, medical bills, auto repair, moving costs, weddings, and emergencies. Common exclusions across lenders include post-secondary tuition, gambling, business capital at some partners, and any illegal purpose.

How The Lending Group marketplace works

The Lending Group is an online lending marketplace, not a direct lender. We do not fund loans, set interest rates, or make approval decisions. What we do is take a single application and match it against a network of licensed U.S. lending partners so you can see multiple pre-qualified offers side by side without filling out the same form five times.

This matters because personal loan pricing varies enormously between lenders for the same borrower. Two lenders looking at an identical 690 FICO applicant can quote APRs eight percentage points apart, driven by their own risk models, funding costs, and appetite for a given credit band. On a $20,000 five-year loan, eight points is roughly $5,400 in interest. Comparing is the single highest-value thing a borrower can do, and it takes about a minute.

Comparing offers through our form is a soft credit inquiry. Soft pulls are visible only to you, are never shown to other lenders, and have no effect whatsoever on your FICO or VantageScore. You only encounter a hard inquiry if you choose a specific offer and that lender runs one to finalize underwriting — and by then you already know your rate.

Using the marketplace is free to you. We are compensated by our lending partners when a match results in a funded loan, which is disclosed on every page and never changes the rate you are quoted. You are under no obligation to accept anything you see.

What determines your personal loan rate

Credit score is the dominant factor. It typically explains more of your rate than everything else combined, which is why the table above is organized around it. Moving from a 660 to a 700 FICO can shift your offers by three to five percentage points — often worth waiting a couple of months if you are close to a band boundary and the expense is not urgent.

Debt-to-income ratio is the second lever. Lenders compare your total monthly debt obligations against gross monthly income; most want to see 43% or lower, and the best pricing usually goes to borrowers under 36%. Paying down a card balance or closing out a small installment loan before applying can measurably improve your offers.

Loan term cuts both ways. Longer terms lower the monthly payment but raise both the APR you are quoted and the total interest you pay. A $20,000 loan at 12% costs about $4,000 in total interest over 36 months and roughly $9,700 over 84 months. Choose the shortest term whose payment you can comfortably sustain, not the lowest payment on offer.

Loan amount, income stability, length of credit history, and state of residence all contribute. Some states cap APRs or restrict certain loan structures, so identical borrowers in different states occasionally see different offer sets.

Advantages and trade-offs

The advantages are structural. Fixed rates protect you from rate increases. Fixed terms guarantee a payoff date. Because personal loans are installment debt rather than revolving debt, they do not count toward credit utilization — so using one to clear card balances typically drops utilization sharply and adds 20 to 40 or more FICO points within one or two billing cycles. Funds arrive as cash you control, usable for almost any legitimate purpose.

The trade-offs are real. Unsecured rates are higher than secured borrowing: a HELOC or home equity loan will almost always beat a personal loan on rate if you own a home with equity and can wait the two to six weeks those products take to close. Some lenders charge origination fees of 1% to 8%, deducted from your disbursement, though many in our network charge none — always compare APR rather than the headline interest rate, since APR includes those fees.

There is also a discipline risk worth naming plainly. Consolidating credit cards into a personal loan frees up the card limits. Borrowers who then re-run those cards end up with both the loan and new card debt. If consolidation is your goal, pair it with a written plan for the cards you just paid off.

When a personal loan is not the right tool

If you can retire the balance within one or two billing cycles, a credit card is fine and rewards may make it a small net win. Personal loans make sense once a balance will sit for six months or more.

If you own a home with meaningful equity, a HELOC or home equity loan will usually beat a personal loan on rate because the debt is secured by the property. The trade-offs are longer closing timelines, potential closing costs, and — critically — that your home becomes collateral. Our personal loan vs. HELOC guide walks through where each one wins.

If you need under $2,500, most marketplace lenders will not serve you efficiently. A credit union small-dollar loan or a 0% purchase promotion is usually a better fit.

If your credit is below 580 and income is thin, additional unsecured debt may compound the problem rather than solve it. A nonprofit credit counseling agency accredited by the NFCC can review options including a debt management plan at no or low cost.

Personal loan vs. other borrowing options

How an unsecured personal loan stacks up against the alternatives most borrowers weigh, using typical 2026 U.S. market figures.

	Personal loan	Credit card	HELOC	401(k) loan
Typical APR	6.99% – 24.99% fixed	~22.8% variable	~8% – 10% variable	~8.5% (prime + 1%)
Collateral	None	None	Your home	Your retirement balance
Time to funding	1–3 business days	Immediate	2–6 weeks	3–10 business days
Payment structure	Fixed installment	Revolving minimum	Draw then repay	Payroll deduction
Definite payoff date	Yes	No	After draw period	Yes (5 years)
Builds credit history	Yes	Yes	Yes	No — not reported
Biggest risk	Higher rate than secured	Compounding interest	Foreclosure	Taxes if you leave your job

How it works

Step 1
Tell us what you need
Enter your loan amount, purpose, and basic contact details. The form takes about 60 seconds and never asks for payment.
Step 2
Compare pre-qualified offers
We match your profile against our network of licensed lending partners with a soft credit pull. Your credit score is not affected.
Step 3
Pick the offer that fits
Review APR, monthly payment, term, and any origination fee side by side. Compare total cost, not just the monthly payment.
Step 4
Finish with your chosen lender
Complete verification directly with the lender you select. Most approved loans deposit funds in 1–3 business days.

What lenders in our network look for

Be at least 18 years old (19 in Alabama and Nebraska) and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Have a verifiable source of recurring income — employment, self-employment, benefits, or retirement
Hold an active checking account in your own name for direct deposit and repayment
Provide a valid Social Security number and government-issued photo ID
Typically a FICO score of 580 or higher, with the most competitive offers going to 670 and above
A debt-to-income ratio generally at or below 43%, including the payment on the new loan
A verifiable U.S. residential address and a phone number where you can be reached

Requirements vary by lender. Meeting them does not guarantee an offer, and The Lending Group does not make credit decisions — see our marketplace disclosure.

Frequently asked questions

What is a personal loan?: A personal loan is an unsecured, fixed-rate installment loan repaid in equal monthly payments over a set term, usually 24 to 84 months. You receive the money as a lump sum and can use it for most personal purposes, including debt consolidation, home improvement, medical bills, and emergencies.
How much can I borrow with a personal loan?: Lending partners in The Lending Group network offer personal loans from $2,500 to $50,000. The amount you qualify for depends on your income, credit profile, debt-to-income ratio, and the lender's own limits.
What credit score do I need for a personal loan?: Most partners look for a FICO of 580 or higher, and the most competitive offers generally go to borrowers at 670 and above. Below 580 your options narrow considerably; adding a co-borrower or choosing a secured product may work better.
Does checking my personal loan rate hurt my credit score?: No. Comparing offers through The Lending Group uses a soft credit pull, which has no effect on your FICO or VantageScore and is visible only to you. A hard inquiry happens only if you select a specific offer and that lender runs one to finalize the loan.
Is The Lending Group a direct lender?: No. The Lending Group is an online lending marketplace. We do not fund loans, set rates, or make approval decisions. We match your single application to licensed U.S. lending partners so you can compare pre-qualified offers in one place.
How much does it cost to use The Lending Group?: Nothing. Comparing offers is free to you with no obligation to accept any of them. We are compensated by our lending partners when a match results in a funded loan, and that compensation never changes the rate you are quoted.
How fast can I get a personal loan?: Comparing offers takes about 60 seconds. Once you select a lender and complete their verification, most approved loans deposit within 1 to 3 business days, and some partners offer same-day funding to eligible borrowers.
What APR can I expect on a personal loan in 2026?: Partners in our network advertise APRs from 6.99% to 24.99%. Excellent credit (780+) typically sees 6.99% to 10.99%; good credit (670–739) usually lands between 11.99% and 17.99%; fair credit (580–669) generally falls between 17.99% and 24.99%.
What can I use a personal loan for?: Most personal purposes qualify: debt consolidation, home improvement, medical and dental bills, auto repair, moving costs, weddings, funeral expenses, and emergencies. Common exclusions are post-secondary tuition, gambling, and any illegal purpose.
Are there fees on a personal loan?: Some lenders charge an origination fee of 1% to 8%, deducted from your disbursement; many partners in our network charge none. Always compare APR rather than the interest rate, because APR includes origination fees and gives you the true cost.
Can I pay off a personal loan early?: Loans in our network carry no prepayment penalty, so you can pay extra each month or clear the balance entirely at any time and keep the unaccrued interest. Confirm this in your specific lender's agreement before you sign.
Will a personal loan improve my credit score?: It often does, especially when used to consolidate credit cards. Personal loans are installment debt and do not count toward revolving credit utilization, so paying off card balances typically drops utilization sharply and adds 20 to 40 or more FICO points within one to two billing cycles. On-time payments then build payment history, which is 35% of your score.
Can I get a personal loan with bad credit?: Options exist below 620 but they are limited, priced near the top of the range, and often capped at smaller amounts. Adding a creditworthy co-borrower, providing additional proof of income, or spending a few months lowering card balances before applying will meaningfully improve your offers.
What is the difference between a personal loan and a credit card?: A personal loan gives you a lump sum at a fixed rate with a fixed payoff date, while a credit card is revolving credit at a variable rate with no required payoff date. Loans are cheaper for balances you will carry more than a few months; cards are better for purchases you clear each cycle.
Do I need collateral for a personal loan?: No. The personal loans offered through our network are unsecured, so you are not pledging your home, car, or savings. That is why rates are higher than a mortgage or HELOC but also why no asset is at risk if you fall behind.
How many personal loans can I have at once?: There is no legal limit, but each existing loan raises your debt-to-income ratio and reduces what a new lender will approve. Some lenders also cap how many of their own loans you may hold simultaneously.
Does applying affect my chances if I have recent inquiries?: Several recent hard inquiries can modestly reduce approval odds and pricing. Because comparing offers here is a soft pull, you can shop your rate without adding to that count.
What documents do I need to apply?: Have your legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, current address, employer and gross monthly income, and your bank routing and account numbers ready. Some lenders also request recent pay stubs, a bank statement, or a photo ID to verify.
Is my information secure?: Yes. The application is protected with 256-bit SSL encryption in transit, and information is shared only with the lending partners matched to your request. Read our privacy practices before submitting.
What happens if I miss a payment?: Payments more than 30 days late are typically reported to the credit bureaus and can cost 60 to 100 or more FICO points, and the lender may charge a late fee. Contact your lender before you miss a payment — most offer hardship options, deferments, or a modified schedule.

See your real rate in 60 seconds

Compare offers from multiple lending partners with one soft-pull form. No fee, no obligation, no impact to your credit score.

Check my rate See current rates