USAA Personal Loans: 2022 Review
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Our Take
3.5
The bottom line:
If you’re a USAA member with good credit, you could get a personal loan that can be funded in one business day.
Full Review
USAA Personal Loan
Min. credit score
None
Est. APR
7.24-17.15%
Loan amount
$2,500-$20,000
Pros & Cons
Pros
- No origination or prepayment fee.
- Rate discount for autopay.
- Joint loan option.
Cons
- Must be a USAA member.
- No option to pre-qualify.
- Offers a small range of loan amounts.
Compare to Other Lenders
 |  |
|---|---|
Est. APR5.94-35.47% | Est. APR7.04-35.89% |
Loan term2 to 7 years | Loan term3 to 5 years |
Loan amount$1,000-$50,000 | Loan amount$1,000-$40,000 |
Min. credit score560 | Min. credit score600 |
Compare estimated rates from multiple lenders
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Full Review
USAA Bank provides personal loans that can be used for almost any purpose. Members can borrow between $2,500 and $20,000. Repayment terms range between one and seven years, depending on the amount you borrow.
For 12- to 36-month terms, you must apply for a $2,500 loan or larger. To receive a 48-month term, you must apply for a $5,000 loan or larger. Financing for 60-, 72- and 84-month terms requires a loan amount of at least $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000, respectively.
Membership at USAA is required to apply for a personal loan. USAA says it serves:
Anyone serving in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, National Guard and Reserves.
Former military members who have retired or been honorably discharged.
Widows, widowers and former spouses (who have not remarried) of USAA members who joined USAA prior to or during the marriage, and children of members.
Cadets and midshipmen at U.S. service academies, in advanced ROTC or on ROTC scholarship, and officer candidates within 24 months of commissioning.
USAA is best for borrowers who:
Are current or eligible USAA members.
Have good credit (690 FICO or higher).
Want to add a co-borrower.
USAA at a glance
Affordability |
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Loan flexibility |
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Transparency |
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Customer experience |
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Key terms to know about personal loans
» COMPARE: Best bank loans
Where USAA stands out
Fast funding: USAA offers a fully online process and says it will fund a loan within one business day after an application is approved. Fast funding is common among lenders, but some of USAA’s bank competitors may require an in-person visit to close a loan or take up to a week to deposit the funds in your account.
Option to add a co-borrower: USAA borrowers can add a co-borrower — someone who has access to the loan proceeds and is equally responsible for missed payments. A co-borrower can help you qualify for the loan and potentially receive a lower rate.
Autopay discount: USAA offers a discount of 0.25 percentage points on its annual percentage rate to borrowers who set up automatic payments. This discount encourages borrowers to pay on time and can be as high as 0.50% for some lenders.
Mobile app: USAA has a mobile app where members can estimate monthly personal loan payments and transfer funds between accounts.
» MORE: Best good-credit personal loans
Where USAA falls short
No soft credit check: Unlike most online lenders and some banks, USAA does not offer the option to pre-qualify. Pre-qualifying lets you see your potential loan amounts, rates and terms without affecting your credit score.
Limited range of loan amounts: USAA offers only medium-sized loans up to $20,000. This could leave out borrowers on both sides, including applicants who need a smaller loan for an emergency repair or applicants who need a larger loan to cover a home improvement project.
No direct payment to creditors: If borrowers want to consolidate credit card or other high-interest debt, they’ll need to send the funds themselves. USAA does not send money directly to creditors, which is a feature offered by some other banks.
What to know about USAA
In October 2020, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency fined USAA Bank $85 million after it failed to provide satisfactory risk management programs and violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Military Lending Act.
According to a 2019 OCC report, USAA failed to provide relevant protections to military reservists, wrongfully repossessed vehicles, filed incorrect affidavits in default judgment cases and used "remotely created checks to collect past due amounts for members who were covered borrowers."
The bank has provided remediation in the form of payments, changed fee structures and corrected disclosures, according to a statement on its website. The lender did not respond to NerdWallet’s inquiries about further steps it has taken to ensure customers are protected.
How to qualify for a USAA loan
USAA does not publicly disclose many of its borrower requirements. USAA members with good and excellent credit scores will likely qualify for the lowest rates.
Loan example: A two-year, $10,000 loan with a 15.5% APR would cost $487 in monthly payments. You’d pay $1,688 in total interest on that loan.
How to get a USAA loan
Apply on USAA
Members can fill out an application on USAA’s website. Pre-qualification is not available for personal loans.
Pre-qualify on NerdWallet
NerdWallet recommends comparing loans to find the best rate for you. Click the button below to pre-qualify and receive a personalized rate from lenders that partner with NerdWallet.
Personal Loans Rating Methodology
NerdWallet’s review process evaluates and rates personal loan products from more than 35 financial institutions. We collect over 45 data points from each lender, interview company representatives and compare the lender with others that seek the same customer or offer a similar personal loan product. 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. 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.
This methodology applies only to lenders that cap interest rates at 36%, the maximum rate most financial experts and consumer advocates agree is the acceptable limit for a loan to be affordable. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings. Read more about our ratings methodologies for personal loans and our editorial guidelines.
