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Looking for a credit card, bank, mortgage or personal loan? Set up future-you for financial success with some of our Nerd-reviewed products.

Credit Cards

Earn cash back, pay down debt, or rake in the miles. These Nerd-reviewed products have something for everyone. Compare these deals from our partners and find the right card for you.

BEST ALL-PURPOSE TRAVEL REWARDS CREDIT CARD 2025

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

NerdWallet rating

5.0

Rates & Fees

Apply now

on Chase's website

Annual fee

$95

Rewards rate

1x-5x

Points

Intro offer

100,000

Points

Recommended Credit Score

690-850

(Good - Excellent)

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Enjoy beneﬁts such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
Member FDIC
View Rates and Fees

Pros

New cardholder bonus offer
Bonus categories
Primary rental car coverage
Flexible rewards redemption
Transfer partners

Cons

Has annual fee
Requires good/excellent credit
Complicated rewards

BEST CREDIT CARD FOR SIMPLE CASH BACK 2025

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

NerdWallet rating

5.0

Rates & Fees

Apply now

on Wells Fargo's website

Annual fee

Rewards rate

Cashback

Intro offer

$200

Recommended Credit Score

690-850

(Good - Excellent)

Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
$0 annual fee.
No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
View Rates and Fees

Pros

High rewards rate
No annual fee
Intro APR period

Cons

No bonus categories

Not sure these are right for you? Explore more cards

Online Savings Accounts

The best online savings accounts offer high interest rates while being a great place to park your money. Check out the offers from our partners, get the Nerds’ take on them, and start earning interest today.

BEST CHECKING ACCOUNT OVERALL 2025

SoFi Checking and Savings

NerdWallet rating

4.5

Learn more

at SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC

APY

3.80%

With $0 min. balance for APY

Bonus

$300

Earn up to $300 with direct deposit. Terms apply.

Barclays Online Savings Account

NerdWallet rating

4.5

Read review

APY

3.80%

With $0 min. balance for APY

Bonus

N/A

American Express® High Yield Savings Account

NerdWallet rating

4.5

Read review

APY

3.70%

With $0 min. balance for APY

Bonus

N/A

Not sure if these are right for you? Explore more online savings accounts

Personal Loans

Personal loans are unsecured loans with fixed APRs, generally from about 6% to 35.99%. Get the Nerds’ take on personal loans for good and bad credit, debt consolidation, home improvement and more.

BEST PERSONAL LOAN OVERALL 2025

SoFi Personal Loan

NerdWallet rating

5.0

Get rate

on SoFi's website

Est. APR

8.99-29.99%

Loan amount

$5,000-$100,000

Min. credit score

None

Qualifications
• Must be at least 18 years old in most states.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent or non-permanent resident, including DACA recipients and asylum seekers.
• Must be employed, have sufficient income from another source, or have an offer of employment to start within the next 90 days.
• Acceptable income sources: Employment, spouse’s income, retirement, alimony, child support, Social Security payments and disability benefits.
Available Term Lengths
• 2 to 7 years
Fees
• Origination fee: 0% to 7%.
• Late fee: None.
Disclaimer: Fixed rates from 8.99% APR to 29.99% APR. APR reflects the 0.25% autopay discount and a 0.25% direct deposit discount. SoFi Platform personal loans are made either by SoFi Bank, N.A. or , Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. SoFi may receive compensation if you take out a loan originated by Cross River Bank. These rate ranges are current as of 09/18/24 and are subject to change without notice. Not all rates and amounts available in all states. See SoFi Personal Loan eligibility details at https://www.sofi.com/eligibility-criteria/#eligibility-personal. 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. Loan amounts range from $5,000– $100,000. The APR is the cost of credit as a yearly rate and reflects both your interest rate and an origination fee of 9.99% of your loan amount for Cross River Bank originated loans which will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive and for SoFi Bank originated loans have an origination fee of 0%-7%, will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive. Autopay: 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. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi. Direct Deposit Discount: To be eligible to receive an additional (0.25%) interest rate reduction on your Personal Loan (your “Loan”), you must set up Direct deposit with a SoFi Checking and Savings account offered by SoFi Bank, N.A., or enroll in SoFi Plus by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee, all within 30 days of the funding of your Loan. Once eligible, you will receive this discount during periods in which you have enabled Direct Deposit to an eligible Direct Deposit Account in accordance with SoFi’s reasonable procedures and requirements to be determined at SoFi’s sole discretion, or during periods in which SoFi successfully receives payment of the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. This discount will be lost during periods in which SoFi determines you have turned off Direct Deposit to your Checking and Savings account or in which you have not paid for the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. You are not required to enroll in Direct Deposit or to pay the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee to receive a Loan.
View Rates and Fees

Pros

Multiple rate discounts.
Fast funding.
Large loan amounts.
Joint loan option.
Mobile app to manage loan.

Cons

No option to choose initial payment date.
High minimum loan amount.

BEST PERSONAL LOAN FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT 2025

LightStream

NerdWallet rating

4.5

Get rate

on LightStream's website

Est. APR

6.49-25.29%

Loan amount

$5,000-$100,000

Min. credit score

660

Qualifications
• Minimum credit score: 660, but can vary depending on the loan purpose and amount.
• Maximum debt-to-income ratio: 50%.
• Minimum credit history: 3 years.
• Income sources accepted: Employment, retirement, rental income, alimony, child support, Social Security payments and disability benefits.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is at least 18 years old and has a U.S. bank account.
Available Term Lengths
• 2 to 7 years
Fees
• Origination fee: None.
• Late fee: None.
Disclaimer: Rates quoted are with AutoPay. Your loan terms are not guaranteed and may vary based on loan purpose, length of loan, loan amount, credit history and payment method (AutoPay or Invoice). AutoPay discount is only available when selected prior to loan funding. Rates without AutoPay are 0.50% points higher. To obtain a loan, you must complete an application on LightStream.com which may affect your credit score. You may be required to verify income, identity and other stated application information. Payment example: Monthly payments for a $10,000 loan at 7.99% APR with a term of 5 years would result in 60 monthly payments of $202.72. Some additional conditions and limitations apply. Advertised rates and terms are subject to change without notice. Truist Bank is an Equal Housing Lender. © 2024 Truist Financial Corporation. Truist, LightStream, and the LightStream logo are service marks of Truist Financial Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Lending services provided by Truist Bank.
View Rates and Fees

Pros

No fees.
Rate discount for autopay.
Long repayment terms and large loan amounts.
Fast funding.
Rate Beat program and Experience Guarantee.

Cons

No option to pre-qualify.
No direct payment to creditors with debt consolidation loans.
High minimum loan amount.

BEST PERSONAL LOAN FOR FAIR CREDIT 2025

Upstart

NerdWallet rating

5.0

Get rate

on Upstart's website

Est. APR

6.70-35.99%

Loan amount

$1,000-$50,000

Min. credit score

None

Qualifications
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident living in the U.S.
• Must be at least 18 years old in most states.
• Must have a valid email address and Social Security number.
• Must have a full- or part-time job, a full-time job offer starting within six months or another source of regular income.
• Must have a personal bank account at a U.S. financial institution with a routing number.
• No bankruptcies in the last 12 months.
• No current delinquent accounts on your credit reports.
• Fewer than six hard inquiries on your credit report in the last six months, excluding student, auto and mortgage loans.
• Minimum credit score: None.
• Minimum annual income: $12,000.
Available Term Lengths
• 3 to 5 years
Fees
• Origination: 0% to 12%.
• Late fee: 5% of the unpaid amount or $15, whichever is greater.
• Insufficient funds fee: $15.
Disclaimer: The full range of available rates varies by state. A representative example of payment terms for an unsecured Personal Loan is as follows: a borrower receives a loan of $10,000 for a term of 60 months, with an interest rate of 18.60% and a 8.51% origination fee of $851, for an APR of 23.07%. In this example, the borrower will receive $9149 and will make 60 monthly payments of $258. APR is calculated based on 5-year rates offered in December 2024. There is no downpayment and no prepayment penalty. Your APR will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will be approved.
View Rates and Fees

Pros

Accepts borrowers with bad credit or thin credit histories.
Has a low income requirement.
Fast approval and funding.
Allows secured loans.
Option to change your payment date.

Cons

Origination fee.
No rate discounts.
No joint or co-signed loans.
No direct payment to creditors on debt-consolidation loans.

Not sure if these are right for you? Explore more personal loans

Mortgages

Compare some of our Nerd-reviewed mortgage options, then reach out to multiple lenders to see how much you can save. It pays to compare quotes.

BEST MORTGAGE LENDER FOR VA LOANS 2025

NBKC

NerdWallet rating

4.5

Learn more

at NBKC

Min. credit score

620

VA:	620
FHA:	620
CONVENTIONAL:	620
JUMBO:	640

Min. down payment

Pros

Mortgage rates are on the low side compared to other lenders, according to the latest federal data.
VA loans represent more than a quarter of purchase volume, a larger share than many lenders NerdWallet reviews.
Offers a variety of loan types for purchase and refinance, including fixed- and adjustable-rate loans and government options

Cons

HELOCs and no-down-payment loans are available only in the Kansas City metro area.
Mobile app focuses on online banking, not mortgages.
You’ll need to share contact information to see customized mortgage rates.

BEST MORTGAGE LENDER FOR REFINANCING 2025

Rocket Mortgage, LLC

NerdWallet rating

4.5

Learn more

at Rocket Mortgage, LLC

Min. credit score

620

VA:	580
FHA:	580
CONVENTIONAL:	620
JUMBO:	680

Min. down payment

Pros

Reported average time to close is 15 days faster than industry average.
FHA and VA loans make up 40% of Rocket Mortgage’s total loan volume.
Borrowers can apply via mobile app.

Cons

Origination fees are on the higher end, according to the latest federal data.
No construction or renovation loans.
Physical branches are only available in Detroit, Cleveland, and Phoenix.

Rate

NerdWallet rating

5.0

Learn more

at Rate

Min. credit score

620

USDA:	620
VA:	580
JUMBO:	700
FHA:	580
CONVENTIONAL:	620

Min. down payment

Pros

Fully underwritten mortgage approval in as little as one day for qualified borrowers.
Generous selection of loans, including government-backed, interest-only, jumbo and renovation.
Advertises a HELOC that can be funded in as few as five business days.

Cons

Origination fees are on the high side, according to the latest federal data.
HELOC requires immediate, full withdrawal of funds.

Not sure if these are right for you? Explore more mortgages