Best Home Improvement Loans of October 2021

Key facts

Pros

• No fees.

• Offers co-sign and joint loan options.

• Offers .25% rate discount for setting up autopay.

• Offers unemployment protection.

• Provides mobile app to manage your loan.

Cons

• No secured loan option.

Qualifications

• Must legally be an adult in your state.

• Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or visa holder.

• Must be employed, have sufficient income or have an offer of employment to start within the next 90 days.

Available Term Lengths

2 to 7 years

Fees

• Origination fee: None.

• Late fee: None.

Disclaimer

Fixed rates from 4.99% APR to 19.63% APR (with AutoPay). SoFi rate ranges are current as of August 11, 2021 and are subject to change without notice. Not all rates and amounts available in all states. See Personal Loan eligibility details. Not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including evaluation of your credit worthiness, income, and other factors. See APR examples and terms. The SoFi 0.25% AutoPay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account.

Key facts

Pros

• No fees.

• Competitive rates among online lenders.

• Offers .5% rate discount for setting up autopay.

• Special features including rate beat program and satisfaction guarantee.

Cons

• No option to pre-qualify on its website.

• Requires several years of credit history.

• Does not offer direct payment to creditors with debt consolidation loans.

Qualifications

• Minimum credit score: 660.

• Several years of credit history.

• Multiple account types within your credit history, like credit cards, a car loan or other installment loan and a mortgage.

• Strong payment history with few or no delinquencies.

• Investments, retirement savings or other evidence of an ability to save money.

• Enough income to pay existing debts and a new LightStream loan.

Available Term Lengths

2 to 7 years

Fees

• Origination fee: None.

• Late fee: None.

Disclaimer

Your loan terms, including APR, may differ based on loan purpose, amount, term length, and your credit profile. AutoPay discount of .50% points is only available when selected prior to loan funding. Rates without AutoPay will be .50% points higher. To obtain a loan, you must complete an application on LightStream.com which may affect your credit score. Subject to credit approval. Conditions and limitations apply. Advertised rates and terms are subject to change without notice. Payment example: Monthly payments for a $10,000 loan at 6.14% APR with a term of 3 years would result in 36 monthly payments of $304.85. Truist Bank is an Equal Housing Lender. ©2021 Truist Financial Corporation. SunTrust, Truist, LightStream, the LightStream logo, and the SunTrust logo are service marks of Truist Financial Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Lending services provided by Truist Bank.

Key facts

Pros

• Allows secured and joint loans.

• Offers a wide range of repayment terms.

• Offers a 0.5% rate discount for setting up autopay.

• Offers significant rate discount for checking account customers.

• Offers rate discount with direct payment to creditors on debt consolidation loans.

Cons

• Charges origination fee.

• No co-signed loan option.

Qualifications

• Minimum credit score: 560; borrower average is 678.

• Minimum annual income: None; borrower average is $78,000.

• Minimum number of accounts on credit history: Two accounts.

• Maximum debt-to-income ratio: Less than or equal to 75%, including mortgage and calculating in your new personal loan.

Available Term Lengths

2 to 7 years

Fees

• Origination fee: 2.9% to 8%.

Disclaimer

Personal loans made through Upgrade feature APRs of 5.94%-35.47%. All personal loans have a 2.9% to 8% origination fee, which is deducted from the loan proceeds. Lowest rates require Autopay and paying off a portion of existing debt directly. For example, if you receive a $10,000 loan with a 36-month term and a 17.98% APR (which includes a 14.32% yearly interest rate and a 5% one-time origination fee), you would receive $9,500 in your account and would have a required monthly payment of $343.33. Over the life of the loan, your payments would total $12,359.97. The APR on your loan may be higher or lower and your loan offers may not have multiple term lengths available. Actual rate depends on credit score, credit usage history, loan term, and other factors. Late payments or subsequent charges and fees may increase the cost of your fixed rate loan. There is no fee or penalty for repaying a loan early. Personal loans issued by Upgrade's lending partners. Information on Upgrade's lending partners can be found at https://www.upgrade.com/lending-partners/. Accept your loan offer and your funds will be sent to your bank or designated account within one (1) business day of clearing necessary verifications. Availability of the funds is dependent on how quickly your bank processes the transaction. From the time of approval, funds should be available within four (4) business days. Funds sent directly to pay off your creditors may take up to 2 weeks to clear, depending on the creditor.

Key facts

Pros

• No fees.

• Wide variety of repayment term options.

• Offers .25% rate discount for setting up autopay.

• Offers direct payment to creditors for debt consolidation loans.


Cons

• No co-sign, joint or secured loan option.

Qualifications

• Minimum credit score: 660 FICO.

• May need to provide proof of income, including recent pay stubs or bank statements.

• May need to provide Social Security number, Individual Tax ID number or a photo ID.

Available Term Lengths

3 to 6 years

Fees

• Origination fee: None.

• Late fee: None.

Disclaimer

Your loan terms are not guaranteed and are subject to our verification of your identity and credit information. To obtain a loan, you must submit additional documentation including an application that may affect your credit score. The availability of a loan offer and the terms of your actual offer will vary due to a number of factors, including your loan purpose and our evaluation of your creditworthiness. Rates will vary based on many factors, such as your creditworthiness (for example, credit score and credit history) and the length of your loan (for example, rates for 36 month loans are generally lower than rates for 72 month loans). Your maximum loan amount may vary depending on your loan purpose, income and creditworthiness. Your verifiable income must support your ability to repay your loan. Marcus by Goldman Sachs is a brand of Goldman Sachs Bank USA and all loans are issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. Applications are subject to additional terms and conditions. Receive a 0.25% APR reduction when you enroll in AutoPay. This reduction will not be applied if AutoPay is not in effect. When enrolled, a larger portion of your monthly payment will be applied to your principal loan amount and less interest will accrue on your loan, which may result in a smaller final payment. See loan agreement for details.

Key facts

Pros

• No origination fee.

• Offers direct payment to creditors with debt consolidation loans.

• Offers mobile app to manage loan.

• Able to fund loans within one business day.

• Wide variety of repayment term options.

Cons

• Charges late fee.

• No co-signed, joint or secured loan options.

• No rate discount for autopay.

Qualifications

• Minimum credit score: 660; borrower average is 750.


• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

• Must be at least 18 years old.

• Must have a minimum household income of $25,000.

Available Term Lengths

3 to 7 years

Fees

• Origination fee: None.

• Late fee: $39.

Disclaimer

This is not a commitment to lend from Discover Personal Loans. Your approval for a loan is determined once you apply and is based on your application information and credit history. Your APR will be between 6.99%-24.99% based upon creditworthiness at time of application for loan terms of 36-84 months. For example, if you get approved for a $15,000 loan at 6.99% APR for a term of 72 months, you’ll pay just $256 per month. Our lowest rates are available to consumers with the best credit. Many factors are used to determine your rate, such as your credit history, application information and the term you select. Not all applications will be approved.

Key facts

Pros

• Option to change your payment date.

• Offers joint loan.

• Offers wide range of loan amounts. 


Cons

• No rate discount for autopay.

• Charges origination and late fees.

• Borrowers can choose from only two repayment term options.

Qualifications

• Minimum credit score: 640; borrower average is 726.

• Minimum credit history: 2 years.

• Minimum income: No minimum income requirement; borrower average is $113,000.

• Maximum debt-to-income ratio: 50% (excluding mortgage); borrower average is 18% with housing payment.

• No bankruptcies filed within the past year.

• At least three open accounts on credit report.

• Fewer than five credit bureau inquiries in the last six months.

• Must be at least 18 years old.

• Must provide Social Security number and a U.S. bank account.


Available Term Lengths

3 to 5 years

Fees

• Origination fee: 2.41 to 5%.

• Late fee: $15 or 5% of unpaid amount (whichever is greater).

• Insufficient funds fee: $15.

Disclaimer

For example, a three-year $10,000 personal loan would have an interest rate of 11.74% and a 5.00% origination fee for an annual percentage rate (APR) of 15.34% APR. You would receive $9,500 and make 36 scheduled monthly payments of $330.90. A five-year $10,000 personal loan would have an interest rate of 11.99% and a 5.00% origination fee with a 14.27% APR. You would receive $9,500 and make 60 scheduled monthly payments of $222.39. Origination fees vary between 2.41%-5%. Personal loan APRs through Prosper range from 7.95% to 35.99%, with the lowest rates for the most creditworthy borrowers. Eligibility for personal loans up to $40,000 depends on the information provided by the applicant in the application form. Eligibility for personal loans is not guaranteed, and requires that a sufficient number of investors commit funds to your account and that you meet credit and other conditions. Refer to Borrower Registration Agreement for details and all terms and conditions. All personal loans made by WebBank, Member FDIC.

Key facts

Pros

• No origination or prepayment fee.

• Joint loan option.

• Offers wide range of loan amounts and repayment terms.

• Rate discount for autopay.

• Able to fund loans on same or next business day.

Cons

• No option to pre-qualify.

• Some features only available to existing customers.

Qualifications

• Must provide personal and contact information.

• Must provide employment and income information; documentation may be required to verify this information.

• Must provide desired term and amount to borrow.

Available Term Lengths

1 to 7 years

Fees

• Origination fee: None.

• Late fee: $39.