LightStream is a solid option for good- and excellent-credit borrowers, with no fees and a promise to beat competitors’ rates.
4.5
NerdWallet Rating
Disclosures from LightStream
LightStream offers unsecured personal loans with no fees in a wide range of amounts and repayment terms. The lender also offers joint personal loans for two co-borrowers to cover a shared expense.
Among its many consumer-friendly features, LightStream allows borrowers to choose when they receive their money. The lender can deposit funds into your account as early as the same day or up to 90 days after approval for home improvement loans.
Scheduling a later fund date allows time to plan for your first payment or align your loan with the expenses you need to cover.
What the nerds think
“LightStream has many features that make its loans favorable for good- to excellent-credit borrowers, especially those looking to cover major home improvements. You won’t easily find other lenders with personal loan amounts up to $100,000 and repayment terms up to 20 years for unsecured home improvement loans. This lender also shines by offering to beat a competitor’s rate if you’re approved for a lower APR — essentially setting you up to get the best rate available.”
Read more about our ratings methodologies for personal loans.
LightStream lends to borrowers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. It typically accepts loan applicants with good-to-excellent credit scores, at least a few years of credit history and a variety of account types on their credit history. However, the lender says a high credit score doesn’t guarantee loan approval, as it examines other factors of creditworthiness.
» MORE: How to get a personal loan
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Personal loan lenders offer different rates, loan amounts and special features, so it pays to weigh other options. The best personal loan is usually the one with the lowest APR.
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
EST. APR 6.49-24.89% | EST. APR 6.53-35.99% | EST. APR 8.74-35.49% | EST. APR 7.74-35.99% |
LOAN AMOUNT $5K-$100K | LOAN AMOUNT $1K-$60K | LOAN AMOUNT $5K-$100K | LOAN AMOUNT $1K-$50K |
MIN. CREDIT SCORE 660 | MIN. CREDIT SCORE 600 | MIN. CREDIT SCORE None | MIN. CREDIT SCORE 600 |
4.8
out of 5
(44 reviews)
95%
Would recommend this product
Rating Breakdown
(34)
(6)
(2)
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Michelle F.
Verified NerdWallet Customer
So the time it took to get the loan once I decided that's what I wanted to do was very simple. The website used to do the requesting was very easy to use. And it was easy to gain all the information so that I could do a check against other loans options and decide which one I felt was best.
February 4, 2026
Rita H.
Verified NerdWallet Customer
I didn't make it all the way through the application part. I kind of put my information in, got the rates from several different organizations, and chose the one with the best rate. But what I did do with LightStream was very easy. It's a pretty easy system to use.
January 28, 2026
Lance M.
Verified NerdWallet Customer
Would you recommend this product? Yes
Very satisfied with the product. I've been really happy with it. It got set up I liked how it was pretty automated. It was easy to set up. The process was quick and painless. And the payments just started automatically. It was easy to set up the auto payment feature, which I think is the key for something like this. Obviously, never want to miss a payment. Get it on auto setup, which they helped me do really quickly and easily, and everything's been going great. So, really satisfied. And yes, I would recommend it.
January 27, 2026
Rana G.
Verified NerdWallet Customer
Would you recommend this product? Yes
It was good. It was easy to use and they funded the money fast.
January 27, 2026
Charles B.
Verified NerdWallet Customer
Would you recommend this product? Yes
It went well and I was very satisfied.
January 27, 2026
Nalvi D.
Verified NerdWallet Customer
Would you recommend this product? Yes
It was fairly straightforward. I selected the option online. I applied. I got the email. I like that it was fairly easy to accomplish. I set up the automatic payments at the time when I took out the loan. I didn't have to worry about it again. So it was kind of like set it and forget it.
January 27, 2026
Robert W.
Verified NerdWallet Customer
Would you recommend this product? Yes
It was very quick and efficient. I'm very satisfied. Big and efficient.
January 27, 2026
Anthony D.
Verified NerdWallet Customer
Would you recommend this product? Yes
It was simple. It was really efficient. The approval process was really quick and the disbursement of the funds were really quick, too.
January 26, 2026
Gary T.
Verified NerdWallet Customer
Would you recommend this product? Yes
Actually, it went pretty easily. We discussed, parameters of it and my availability, eligibility. And they had what I wanted. They gave me a decent rate that was doable and it got done. So, I mean, if you tell me you're going to do something and you have what I want, and it all ends up in the end, I get what I want and just did what you said. I got nothing to be upset about.
January 24, 2026
Kevin K.
Verified NerdWallet Customer
Would you recommend this product? Yes
The application process was very easy, very simple and quick.
January 23, 2026
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