Rocket Loans Personal Loans: 2021 Review

Compared with other online lenders, Rocket Loans lacks some convenient features, like the ability to choose or change your payment date and the option to send funds directly to your other creditors with a debt consolidation loan.

But Rocket Loans’ competitive rates on personal loans, same-day funding and range of loan amounts might be the perfect fit for some fair-credit borrowers.

Rocket Loans is best for borrowers who:

• Have at least a 640 credit score.

• Need funds fast.

• Don’t want to add a co-signer, co-borrower or collateral to the application.

Rocket Loans at a glance

Key terms to know about personal loans

» MORE: Best online loans

Where Rocket Loans stands out

Autopay discount: If you set up automatic loan payments from your bank account, you can receive a rate discount of 0.3 percentage points, which is a larger discount than other lenders.

Wide range of loan amounts: Rocket Loans offers a wide range of loan amounts, from $2,000 to $45,000, which allows borrowers to cover a variety of expenses like debt consolidation or home improvement projects.

Pre-qualify with soft credit pull: Rocket Loans allows you to check your rate before committing to a loan with a soft credit pull, which doesn’t hurt your score. If you accept the offer, a hard pull — which can temporarily drop your score a few points — is triggered.

Quick funding: The lender says it typically funds loans within one to three business days, which is comparable with other lenders. Approval can take less than five minutes, and borrowers who sign their loan documents before 1 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, can receive same-day funding. Exact timing will depend on your bank and how easily the lender can verify your information.

» MORE: Fast personal loans

Where Rocket Loans falls short

Inflexible payment date: Borrowers cannot choose their payment date when signing their loan agreement or change it later. It’s rare for an online lender to not offer at least one of these features, which help borrowers match their payment date with other monthly obligations or update it if their payday changes.

No secured, co-signed or joint loans: Rocket Loans offers only unsecured personal loans, meaning you cannot secure the loan with collateral (think your car) or add a co-signer or co-borrower to your application. These options, offered by some of the lender’s competitors, can help you qualify for a lower rate or a larger loan.

Limited repayment terms: Borrowers can choose from a three- or five-year repayment term. Though offering two repayment terms is somewhat common for online lenders, it doesn’t give you the option to choose a shorter term and pay less interest, or a longer one to lower your monthly payments.

Origination fee: Rocket Loans charges an origination fee ranging from 1% to 6% of the loan amount, which is taken from the loan before the money is sent to you. Though many online lenders charge an origination fee, some of Rocket Loans’ competitors do not.

» MORE: Best fair-credit lenders

How to qualify for a loan from Rocket Loans

• Minimum credit score: 640; borrower average is 684.

• Minimum credit history: Two years.

• Minimum annual income: $24,000; borrower average is $85,000.

• Maximum debt-to-income ratio: 40% or 70% including mortgage; borrower average is 20%.

• Must be at least 18 years old in most states.

• Must provide Social Security number.

Loan example: A three-year, $12,000 loan with a 20.5% APR would cost $449 in monthly payments. You’d pay $4,164 in total interest on that loan.

How to get a loan from Rocket Loans

Apply on Rocket Loans

You can apply on Rocket Loans’ website by entering your name, address, income, Social Security number and date of birth. Then, you’ll be shown loan offers you qualify for.

Pre-qualify on NerdWallet

NerdWallet recommends comparing loans to find the best rate for you. Click the button below to pre-qualify on NerdWallet. You may receive personalized rates from multiple lenders that partner with us. Pre-qualifying will not impact your credit.