Home Best 5 Installment Loan Providers in 2020
Michael Graw

If you’ve ever gotten a loan or looked into borrowing money in the past, you’ve probably come across a type of loan known as an “installment loan.” This is one of the most common types of loan.

With an installment loan, you borrow a set amount of money upfront, but then pay it back in a series of payments. These payments are called installments. Any loan that requires monthly payments could be considered an installment loan.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what installment loans are and how they work. Then we’ll highlight five of the top installment loan providers on the market right now. By the end, you’ll have everything you need in order to decide whether an installment loan is right for you and to make an informed choice about which lender to use.

What is an installment loan?

Installment loan is a loan product where the borrower receives a lumpsum cash advance and commits to repaying it in regular installments over a predetermined period of time. There often are no restrictions for the use of the loan and it can be used for personal or commercial purposes.

The interest on the loan can be fixed or variable as well as simple or compounded. In most cases, and depending on your loan provider, the repayments maybe equal throughout the term of the loan or otherwise.

This regular loan repayment amounts will often be determined by the loan amounts, the term of the loan (ranges from a few months to 30 years), the interest rate, and other loan costs. Note that loans with a relatively long repayment period are often characterized by higher interest and low monthly minimums while short-term installment loans are commensurate with low interest rates and higher monthly repayment amounts.

What are the pros and cons of installment cons?

Pros

  • They are predictable as you know how much you owe and when its due
  • The loans are highly versatile and can be used for multiple purposes
  • They attract lower interest rates than credit card and payday loans and thus suitable for debt consolidation
  • Creditworthy borrowers get to benefit from low interest rates and friendly loan terms
  • Installment loans have attractively high maximum limits

Cons

  • Some come with high origination fees and other loan costs
  • Discriminate against low and bad credit borrowers
  • Most have hidden late and missed payment penalties
  • They can easily suck you into a debt cycle

Summary of the Best Installment Loan Providers

Reviewers Choice
Extra lend
Rating
Available Loan Amount
$100 - $ 3,000
Available Term Length
6 months - 2 years
Representative APR
4.99% - 1386%
Rating
Visit Now
Maximus money
Rating
Available Loan Amount
$100 - $5,000
Available Term Length
Up to 1 year
Representative APR
4.99% - 1386%
Rating
Visit Now
Loans Angel
Rating
Available Loan Amount
$100 - $5,000
Available Term Length
up to 1 year
Representative APR
4.99% - 1386%
Rating
Visit Now
GreenlightCash
Rating
Available Loan Amount
$200 - $5,000
Available Term Length
up to 1 year
Representative APR
4.99% - 1386%
Rating
Visit Now
Fundsjoy – Personal Loans
Rating
Available Loan Amount
$100 - $5,000
Available Term Length
2 weeks to 12 months
Representative APR
4.99% - 1386%
Rating
Visit Now

Installment loan cost and fees

The three most common types of costs and fees charged by most installment loan providers include:

Interest rate: Interest rate refers to the cost of a loan. It is the fee charged by a loan provider to the borrower for the use of its loan. The rate is expressed as a percentage of the principal amount advanced and is paid back in installments together with the principal amounts.

Origination fee: Origination fee is the amount charged by the lender, their agent, or a broker for processing the loan. It is a form of compensation for facilitating the loan.

Penalties: Penalty is the fine charged for failing to comply with the installment loan repayment terms. You can, for instance, be penalized for missing a monthly payment or submitting your monthly payment late.

Types of installment loans

Some of the most popular types of loans have installment loans at heart. For example, personal loans, auto loans, and mortgages are all installment loans.

  • Personal Loans – Personal loans are loans of up to several thousand dollars that can be used for any purpose. They usually have repayment terms ranging from one year to five years. Personal loans don’t require collateral, so interest rates and monthly payments can be somewhat high. When talking about installment loans as a specific loan option, people are typically referring to personal loans.
  • Auto Loans – Auto loans are loans that you can use to buy a car. The car itself serves as collateral for these loans, which helps to keep interest rates down. Repayment plans can span from one year to eight years or more. Keep in mind that the length of the loan has a major impact on how much money you’ll pay in interest overall.
  • Mortgages – Home mortgages are also a type of installment loan, with the property as collateral. Mortgages commonly come with 15- to 30-year terms with payments made on a monthly basis. Since mortgages are repaid over such a long period, you can find loans that have a fixed interest rate and loans that have an interest rate that varies based on market conditions.

Best installment loan providers

1. ExtraLend.com - Best for No-Obligation Offers

ExtraLend.com has been in the lending business since 2005. The Oakland, California-based company serves as an online broker with a network of more than 300 lenders. That means the company is able to do an excellent job of finding you competitive loan offers. Loans range in size from $200 to $3,000. One of the things that helps ExtraLend.com stand out is that there’s no risk in exploring loan offers on the site.

The platform itself doesn’t charge any fees for exploring options, and there’s no obligation to accept any of the loan offers you’re presented with. ExtraLend.com also doesn’t conduct a hard credit check, so you don’t have to worry about your credit score being affected. Unfortunately, interest rates on ExtraLend.com can be very high depending on your credit history.

Features:

  • APR: 200% to 1,386%
  • Loan Type: Installment Loan
  • Loan Amounts: $200 to $3,000
  • Minimum Credit Rating: None
  • Length: 1 to 24 months

Our Rating

  • Large Network: This provider has a network of more than 300 competing lenders to find you the best offer
  • No Obligation: There’s no fee to get loan offers and no obligation to accept any offer
  • Short Loan Terms: Most loans on ExtraLend.com a
  • High Interest: APR for offers at ExtraLend.com typically start at 200% and go up from there
  • Small Loan Maximum: Loans are only available up to $3,000

2. MaximusMoney.com - Best for Simplicity

MaximusMoney.com is another Oakland, California-based lending service. The provider has a network of hundreds of individual lenders, but you don’t get hundreds of loan offers to sort through. Rather, the lender with the best offer will contact you directly within minutes of submitting your loan request to discuss potential terms. There’s no risk to using MaximumMoney.com, as you’re under no obligation to accept the offer from the lender that contacts you.

The platform also conducts a soft credit check rather than a hard one, so your credit score won’t be affected. Another thing that makes MaximumMoney.com extremely simple is that if you do accept a loan, you don’t need to do anything to handle the repayments. Your lender will simply deduct your payment from your bank account on each payment date. The downside to this is that you don’t have the option to easily repay loans early if your financial situation allows. It also means that if you’re not careful, your lender could lead your bank account to be overdrawn on the payment day.

Features:

  • APR: 6.63% to 225%
  • Loan Type: Installment Loan
  • Loan Amounts: $200 to $5,000
  • Minimum Credit Rating: None
  • Length: 1 to 24 months

Our Rating

  • Only One Offer a single lender will get in touch with you so you don’t have to sort through dozens of offers
  • No Obligation: There’s no fee for checking loan offers and no impact on your credit score
  • High Maximum Loan Amounts: You can request loans up to $5,000
  • No Prepayment: Lenders take your minimum payment automatically, so it’s difficult to make extra payments
  • Potential for Overdraw: Lenders pull payments from your bank account directly

3. LoansAngel.com - Best for Getting Money Quickly

LoansAngel.com is perfect if you need a loan as quickly as possible. Lending decisions are made instantly after your application is submitted and a lender from the LoansAngel.com network will get in touch with you immediately. The service also promises that money will arrive by the end of the business day after you accept an offer. In many cases, the money is available the same day.

LoansAngel.com uses a network of hundreds of lenders. But, like MaximusMoney.com, you’ll only hear from the lender with the best offer. That simplifies and speeds up the lending process, allowing you to get money in your account as quickly as possible. This provider also charges reasonable interest rates despite the speed at which it operates. People with good credit will find loan offers with APRs as low as 6.63%. Interest rates max out at 225%, which is very reasonable for uncollateralized installment loans. There’s no hard credit check when you apply for a loan offer either, so you don’t have to worry about taking a hit to your credit when requesting offers.

Features:

  • APR: 6.63% to 225%
  • Loan Type: Installment Loan Loan
  • Amounts: $200 to $5,000
  • Minimum Credit Rating: None
  • Length: 1 to 24 months

  • Speedy Service: Get money in your bank account the same day or by the end of the next business day
  • Only One Offer: You only receive the best offer, so you don’t have to sort through dozens of offers
  • Reasonable Interest Rates: Interest rates start as low as 6.63% APR and are capped at 225%
  • Income Qualification: Approval for a $5,000 loan will depend heavily on your income level

4. GreenlightCash.com – Best for Bad Credit

If you’ve got bad credit, GreenlightCash.com is a great option for getting an installment loan. The company doesn’t run a hard credit check when you apply for a loan, so there’s no impact on your credit score. On top of that, GreenlightCash.com’s network of lenders includes a number of providers willing to work with low credit scores. The process of applying for and receiving a loan is a bit more complicated than with other providers we looked at.

You’re pre-approved and given offers through GreenlightCash.com’s online interface. But, in order to finalize your loan, you’ll be redirected to the individual lender’s website. GreenlightCash.com doesn’t actually have a role in your final loan, which can make it slightly more difficult to get help if you need it. That said, GreenlightCash.com offers installment loans up to $5,000 with reasonable interest rates. Like other providers, interest is capped at 225% APR regardless of your credit. Once you’ve agreed to a loan, the money will appear in your bank account by the end of the next business day.

Features:

  • APR: 6.63% to 225%
  • Loan Type: Installment Loan
  • Loan Amounts: $200 to $5,000
  • Minimum Credit Rating: None
  • Length: 1 to 24 months

Our Rating

  • Works with Bad Credit: GreenlightCash.com’s network includes many lenders who are willing to issue loans to people with bad credit
  • Fast Money: Money is deposited into your bank account by the end of the next business day
  • Large Loans Available: GreenlightCash.com will issue installment loans up to $5,000
  • Complicated Process: When you get an offer, you’re redirected to the individual lender’s website

5. Fundsjoy.com - Best for Small Loans

FundsJoy.com is similar to the other installment loan providers we looked at in many ways. The company offers loans from $200 to $5,000, depending on your income level and credit history. Interest rates are very reasonable, ranging from 6.63% to 225% APR.

In addition, you can get money as soon as the next business day after you accept an offer. The process of signing up for a loan through FundsJoy.com is fairly simple.Just fill out an online form and the provider will connect you with one of its nationwide lenders within a few minutes.

There’s no hard credit check during the process and no obligation to accept the loan you are offered. There’s no credit minimum for using FundsJoy.com. But, keep in mind that your debt-to-income ratio will be scrutinized when determining for how big a loan you can be approved. People with bad credit or relatively low income levels may not be able to get a $5,000 loan through FundsJoy.com.

Features:

  • APR: 6.63% to 225%
  • Loan Type: Installment Loan
  • Loan Amounts: $200 to $5,000
  • Minimum Credit Rating: None
  • Length: 1 to 24 months

Our Rating

  • Reasonable Interest: Interest rates start as low as 6.63% APR and are capped at 225%
  • Quick Turnaround: Loan requests are preapproved instantly and money can be in your account within one business day
  • No Hard Credit Check: Your credit will not be affected when requesting loan offers
  • Income Qualifications: The size of loan you can be approved for will depend on your income level and existing debt

Conclusion – Getting an Installment Loan

With an installment loan, you know exactly how much your loan is going to cost and how many payments you’ll need to make before your debt is gone. It’s a terrific solution when you need money quickly and wants to repay it in monthly payments. In many cases, you can find a loan that matches your ability to make payments by making the loan term longer or shorter.

Getting an installment loan is fast and straightforward. There are even several providers that cater to people with bad credit when applying for this type of loan. With our review of the top five installment loan providers, you can make an informed decision about whether this type of loan is right for you and apply for an installment loan today.

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FAQs

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Michael Graw

Michael Graw

Michael is a writer covering finance, new markets, and business services in the US and UK. His work has been published in leading online outlets and magazines.