Best Personal Loans for Moving and Relocation in 2026

NerdWallet’s picks for best moving and relocation loans

Earnest: Best for flexible repayment terms

Consider Earnest if your moving expenses are on the high side; its loans run from $3,000 to $50,000. What we especially like about Earnest is its flexible repayment terms, which range from two to seven years, but in monthly increments rather than the yearly increments offered by most other lenders.

Earnest also offers competitive rates and options for rate discounts, but you’ll need at least good credit (a score of 680 or higher) to qualify.

Discover: Best for no fees

Discover checks the boxes for a top lender, offering next-day funding and a range of loan amounts to cover most moving expenses. And, unlike many other lenders, Discover doesn’t charge an origination fee, late fee or any other kind of fee.

The catch is that you need at least a 660 credit score to qualify. Most other lenders on this list have a lower minimum requirement.

Upgrade: Best if you have a co-signer

In our most recent review, Upgrade earned five out of five stars for loan flexibility. Not only does it offer a wide range of loan amounts ($1,000 to $75,000), but it also lets co-signers apply together. Adding a roommate, parent or partner to your loan application can boost your chances of qualifying and getting a lower rate on your moving loan.

We also like Upgrade’s competitive rates and opportunities for rate discounts. For example, the lender will knock off half a percentage point if you set up automatic payments.

Just make sure to factor in Upgrade’s origination fee, which ranges from 1.85% to 9.99% of the loan amount.

SoFi: Best for large loans

If you’re moving across the country or otherwise have large moving expenses, consider SoFi. It offers loans up to $100,000 with terms up to seven years. And if you need to share responsibility for such a large loan, SoFi offers joint loans that give you and your co-borrower access to the funds.

If you need a small loan, however, you’ll have to look elsewhere. SoFi’s minimum loan amount is $5,000.

Happen Bank: Best if you have a co-borrower

Like SoFi, Happen Bank (which rebranded from LendingClub in June 2026) offers joint loans for co-borrowers. The minimum credit score Happen Bank requires for primary borrowers is 600, but your co-borrower should have at least good credit and steady income.

Unlike SoFi, Happen Bank offers smaller loans starting at $1,000. You can also choose your repayment date before accepting a loan and change that date later. That flexibility is useful if your pay schedule changes.

Patelco Credit Union: Best for small loans

If you need just a few hundred dollars to cover your move, consider Patelco. It offers loans starting at $300 (and up to $100,000) with repayment terms ranging from six months to seven years. It also offers joint, co-signed and secured loans, in addition to unsecured loans.

Patelco is a credit union, so you have to become a member in order to receive a loan. Anyone can join, however, and you can pre-qualify first to see if the loan offer is worth becoming a member.

Upstart: Best if you have thin or bad credit

Upstart accepts borrowers without much — or any — credit history and effectively has no minimum credit score. While most lenders primarily focus on credit to determine whether you qualify and at what rate, Upstart considers nontraditional details like college education and work history.

We also appreciate that Upstart offers a wide range of loan amounts, from $1,000 to $75,000. That’s enough to just hire movers or to remodel parts of your new home.

But note the origination fee, which can be as high as 12%. Other lenders on our list charge origination fees, but they’re all capped under 10%.

How much does it cost to move?

The cost to move depends on several factors, such as how far you’re moving and where to, how much you’re bringing and how you’ll get there.

For example, hiring professionals to move your stuff across town can cost from $876 to $2,547, according to HomeAdvisor. Long-distance relocation can cost anywhere from $2,700 to $10,000.

And that’s just for hiring movers. Other expenses could include boxes and supplies, cleaning services and new furniture.

Make sure to budget for your move before applying for a moving loan, since you won’t be able to request more money once the loan is funded.

» Where to start? Your 2026 moving checklist

Should I get a personal loan for moving?

A personal loan may be the right choice if you don’t have savings or cheaper financing options, like a 0% interest credit card or a relocation package from a new employer.

Consider these pros and cons of moving loans.

Pros of moving loans

Cons of moving loans

Personal loan calculator

Before applying for a loan, use this personal loan calculator to determine your monthly loan payment and total interest costs, based on your desired loan amount, repayment term and estimated interest rate.

» MORE: Get details on how our calculator works

How to get a loan for moving

Here are the steps to apply for a personal loan.

» Get started: Pre-qualify with multiple lenders on NerdWallet

Moving loans for bad credit

Having strong credit and a low debt-to-income ratio give you the best chances of qualifying, but you can still get a loan with bad credit.

Some online lenders have low minimum credit score requirements and even consider factors beyond your credit score. These lenders may also offer ways to boost your approval odds by offering joint or secured personal loans.

» COMPARE: Best loans for bad credit

Credit union loans are another good option, since they tend to offer lower rates and more flexible terms for borrowers with lower credit scores. Federal credit union loans can start under $1,000 and have maximum APRs of 18%.

» COMPARE: Top credit unions for personal loans

Alternatives to moving loans

Savings are the cheapest way to pay for a move, so if you have an emergency fund or time to budget beforehand, you could avoid borrowing as much or getting a loan altogether.

If not, compare alternatives with a personal loan to find the financing option that’s best for your plans.

Relocation package: If you’re relocating for a new job, ask your new company about paying for some or all of your moving expenses. If you didn’t discuss it during the negotiation process, it could be worthwhile to ask before going into debt for the move.

Credit cards: Borrowers with good or excellent credit may qualify for a 0% APR credit card, which charges no interest if the balance is paid off within the promotional period — usually 15 to 21 months.

Family and friends: Getting a loan from family or friends can be a low- or no-interest way to borrow money that won’t affect your credit score. Tread lightly with this option if borrowing money would mean risking your relationship with the lender.

Sell your stuff: Do you really need that piano? Selling larger items like a couch or pool table puts cash in your pocket and reduces moving costs. List items for sale online or hold a moving sale.

» MORE: Where to sell stuff online

How we chose the best personal loans

Our team of consumer lending experts follows an objective and robust methodology to rate lenders and pick the best.

30+

Lenders reviewed

We review over 35 lenders, including major banks, top credit unions, leading digital platforms, and high interest installment lenders operating across multiple states.

25+

Categories assessed

Each lender is evaluated across five weighted categories and 27 subcategories, covering affordability, eligibility, consumer experience, flexibility, and application process.

60+

Data points analyzed

Our team tracks and reassesses hundreds of data points annually, including APR ranges, fees, credit requirements, and borrower tools, ensuring up to date, accurate comparisons.

Star rating categories

We evaluate more categories than competitors and carefully weigh how each factor impacts your experience.

Affordability

25%

We review lenders’ annual percentage rate offerings and the competitiveness of each lenders’ APR range. We also assess whether a lender charges an origination fee and any opportunity for borrowers to receive a rate discount.

Customer experience

20%

We consider the experience of the consumer trying to manage a personal loan, which means accessibility of customer service representatives, whether borrowers can choose and change their payment due date, and the ability to track their loan on a mobile app.

Underwriting and eligibility

20%

We consider the rigorousness of each lender’s underwriting practices and how widely available their loans are. This category includes whether a lender does a hard credit check before providing a loan, the range of credit profiles they accept and how many states their loans are offered in.

Loan flexibility

20%

We assess how flexible lenders can be with borrowers, including whether they offer multiple loan types, personal loan amounts and repayment term options and whether they offer direct payment to creditors on debt consolidation loans.

Application process

15%

We consider the lender’s full application process, including a borrower’s ability to preview their loan offer via pre-qualification, whether basic loan information such as APR range and repayment terms are available and easy to find online and how quickly a loan can be funded after approval.

5.0

Overall score

NerdWallet’s review process evaluates and rates personal loan products from more than 30 financial technology companies and financial institutions. We collect over 60 data points and cross-check company websites, earnings reports and other public documents to confirm product details. We may also go through a lender’s pre-qualification flow and follow up with company representatives. NerdWallet writers and editors conduct a full fact check and update annually, but also make updates throughout the year as necessary.

Our star ratings award points to lenders that offer consumer-friendly features, including: soft credit checks to pre-qualify, competitive interest rates and no fees, transparency of rates and terms, flexible payment options, fast funding times, accessible customer service, reporting of payments to credit bureaus and financial education. Our ratings award fewer points to lenders with practices that may make a loan difficult to repay on time, such as charging high annual percentage rates (above 36%), underwriting that does not adequately assess consumers’ ability to repay and lack of credit-building help. We also consider regulatory actions filed by agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. We weigh these factors based on our assessment of which are the most important to consumers and how meaningfully they impact consumers’ experiences.

NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings. Read more about our ratings methodologies for personal loans and our editorial guidelines.

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