Best 5 Unsecured Loan Providers 2020

Published date: July 12, 2019 | 10:10 AM

Due to the simplicity of the application process, and also the broad range of offers, many individuals lean every day towards an unsecured loan over any other type of product. It is important for you to understand that the term unsecured refers to the fact that there is no collateral covering the default of the loan. This means that in case of a default, the institution would have to go against you in order for them to get their money back in full. This creates a scenario where the risk is fully taken by the financial institution.

Since there is nothing to take the fall, financial institutions take extra steps and deep dive further into analyzing the credit score of the borrower in order to determine their creditworthiness and their past actions.

A credit score is an open diary that gets modified every day, and just like information might flow out of it, new information is also coming in. This offers a window to the soul of an individual in some ways, allowing the institutions to make the decision of lending or rejecting the request based on the possibilities of you defaulting again. At the end of the day, it will all act as a numbers game.

It is your responsibility as the final user to take your time to review and understand the different aspects of a loan before committing yourself to one. The better you understand how it works, the payment expectations and also its structure. The easier it will be for you to manage it properly and have a smoother experience. At the end of the day, you do not want this to affect your credit score or your personal life.

In This Guide

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What is an Unsecured Loan?

A common misconception that many individuals have is that they think that an unsecured loan is a specific type of loans like a consolidation loan or a students loan, while in reality, it is just the designation given to any loan that does not have a collateral backing the debt.

Some of the most common types of unsecured loans are personal loans, student loans, and consolidation loans. In todays market it is easier to see a bank or any financial institution offering an unsecured loan than a secured loan, the main reason for this is that as banks are becoming online institutions it becomes harder and more expensive than ever to deal with the process and the management of appraisals needed to lend over an X asset. In most cases where the secured loan is given nowadays, the asset used as collateral is cash or securities that can have the custody directly by the institution without much hassle.

Since there is not an asset that will cover for the owed amount in case of a default, the responsibility, and liability for the money falls directly in the hands of the borrower. In case of any criminality of wrongdoing, the response against the law and also against a civil case will be directly the borrower. As credit scores become the base for more and more aspects of our daily life, it is key for individuals to understand the responsibility that any type of debt and especially unsecured debt requires. It is incredibly easy to put yourself in a bad position if not managed accordingly.

What are the Pros and Cons of Getting an Unsecured Loan?

Unsecured Loans are probably one of the oldest and also most common borrowing vehicles currently available in the market. While not everyone will offer you a secured loan, it is very likely that the financial institution of your preference will lend you through an unsecured loan as long as your credit score is relatively “Ok“. Just like with any decision that will impact your personal or business finances, it is important for you to take your time in order to analyze all the available options and to manage the different benefits and negatives from such.

Before committing to one type of loan over the other, I actively advise you to take a quick look at the pros and cons of borrowing money with an Unsecured Loan. This will help you make a better decision and will also help you understand the different aspects of making such a commitment. Even if you are only planning on taking a loan for six months, you should consider all the impacts it can have in your life if things go south.

Pros

No Risk to Personal Assets and Property: The major differentiator between secured and unsecured loans is the fact that they won’t require any sort of collateral, leaving the entire responsibility to the Borrower. While this might benefit lenders, it also raises the level of risk that lenders and actually taken. Without any asset or security to cover for the loan, the lender is taking a higher beta of risk and in return, it will ask for a higher interest rate. Keep in mind that if you have the opportunity to choose for an unsecured loan, you will be able to sleep at night knowing that in case of any default your roof or even your retirement funds won’t be taken.
Typically Easier Process: Since the most common drivers utilized in order to determine the eligibility of an individual for an unsecured loan are managed inside the own bank or institution, the overall process is faster and easier. Take into consideration that unless the collateral is cash or any type of security in the custody of the bank, it would require external reviews in order to evaluate the collateral beforehand. This is actually one of the main reason why the process can be faster and more straight forward.
Wider Range of Products and Providers: Most financial institutions in the market will offer you an unsecured loan, but not many will be willing to deal with all the hassle of starting a process to appropriate from someone’s house or their car in case of a default. As mentioned before, it is simply easier for most institutions to take a higher interest rate and a higher beta of risk than dealing with collateral assets and so. It is important to keep in mind that since many firms offer this type of products the overall market has flourished with all kinds of loans. In the past the most come type of unsecured loan was for Personal borrowing, nowadays almost every type of borrowing can be achieved without collateral.
Fewer Restrictions: As mentioned before, utilizing collateral implies a lot of different rules that will differ from institution to institution. Valuation of assets won’t be the same, risk exposure will vary as well. Take into consideration that depending on your situation, being able to borrow money without having to risk your heritage or simply any asset can be a no brainer. Since the only real restriction will be the ratio of income to debt and also the credit score, it is easier to approach borrowing through an unsecured loan even if it means a shorter term loan and also a smaller amount.

Cons

Smaller Amounts: Even though in most cases the amount that can be lend will be based on your income and also any existing debt, it is important to keep in mind that most financial institutions will only lend to an X amount. Though this sounds odd to say, it is important to mention that disregarding your income, without a further model of collateral it will be very difficult to aim for a bigger loan. If you were planning on getting a large loan you might want to look into utilizing some collateral to bring down the level of risk taken by the bank, this will help you lower your rates and will make the overall structure more attractive.
Higher Rates: Since the level of risk taken by the bank is higher, you should expect the same to happen with the interest rates given. Take into consideration that in case of default you will be the only responsible and that the institution will most likely go behind you in a legal process. If you have collateral and you are certain that you won’t default, it might be a good option to think about utilizing it, if it is that you are interested in borrowing at the cheapest interest rate possible.
Requires a Relatively “Ok” Credit Score: If you have a dented credit score, to say the least, it is very likely that you will be rejected by most financial institutions. Please keep in mind that your credit score speaks for you, it is the only way the bank has to determine your creditworthiness and also how you have behaved in terms of repaying your debt. If you’ve had defaults in the past it will automatically raise most flags. While it is still possible to get an unsecured loan with a relatively average credit score, you should keep in mind that the cost of borrowing will be out of the charts. If your credit score does not point there are many ways and financial vehicles you can get in order to improve your score. Don’t forget that your score can be improved, it is nothing to feel ashamed and in the end, there will always be room for improvement.

Best Unsecured Loans Providers in 2024: Summary

Reviewers Choice

Upstart

Rating

Available Loan Amount

$1,000 - $50,000

Available Term Length

3 or 5 years

Representative APR

7.69% to 36%

Rating

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Prosper – Borrow

Rating

Available Loan Amount

$2,000 - $40,000

Available Term Length

30-60 months

Representative APR

6.95%-35.99%

Rating

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Avant Credit

Rating

Available Loan Amount

$2,000 - $35,000

Available Term Length

2-5 years

Representative APR

5.99% – 28.99% (variable)

Rating

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SoFi – Credit Score

Rating

Available Loan Amount

$5,000 - $100,000

Available Term Length

2-7 years

Representative APR

5.99% -16.24%

Rating

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Best Unsecured Loans Providers in 2024:

1. Prosper | Best for: Unsecured loans for Debt Consolidation

Prosper is one of the firms that revolutionized the world of peer to peer lending, the firm acts as an intermediary or a marketplace between individuals who need to borrow and those who are looking to lend as an investment. This is not a new type of market, and certainly, prosper is not the first one to offer these products, but the firm has become a powerful force and its own following of individuals.

An important point to mention is the fact that the firm offers loans that can be used for almost every kind of purpose, from consolidating debt, personal spending, home improvements and more. This, in particular, is one of the reasons why the company has become such a known name in the market. Not only it is firm that truly advises and takes care of both lenders and borrowers, but it also offers a wide variety of products to satisfy the demands of most individuals on the two sides of the aisle.

One of the key elements is the fact that all loans offered by prosper are unsecured loans, this also implies that in order to be eligible the individual must have a relatively decent credit score. Take into consideration that at the end of the day it will be an individual filling your request and that the money borrowed will come from someone else and not prosper, this opens the possibility of being able to apply even with a damaged credit score. At the end of the day if you present a solid case you might still have a chance of fighting for the approval and getting the desired loan.

Additional Information

APR: 6.95% to 35.99%

Loan Amount: $2,000 t0 $40,000

Length: 36 to 60 months

Minimum Credit Score: 600 FICO

Minimum Annual Income: None

Fees:

Origination Fee: 2.4%-5%
Late Fees: 5% or $15

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Untraditional Borrowers: Due to the whole process where an investor will review your profile and also your case, it allows individuals that otherwise would not be even considered by traditional banks to have a chance of being able to borrow money. While this might represent a higher risk for the lender, it allows individuals in need to gain access to funds without having to risk their finances with an alternative option like a payday loan or something even more sketchy.
Soft Inquiry: In order to determine your creditworthiness the firm will pursue a soft inquiry of your score, this ensures that your credit score won’t be affected the way it would with a hard inquiry. It is important to mention that whenever your credit score is reviewed by an institution with the intention of receiving a loan or some sort of borrowing vehicle, it will leave a mark on your score that will last some days and even weeks. If you send requests to 9 different institutions, then you will seriously be damaging your score in the short term. You should always make sure to understand the type of inquiry they will perform before accepting the review or even applying for the loan.
Auction Environment: Once your profile is uploaded and the request has been sent, your case will be offered to individuals looking to invest by lending money. In order to protect the borrower from unfair treatment, the firm acts as an auction house where interested lenders will have to bid by offering the lowest interest rate they can afford. This ensures that as the borrower you will always get the best possible price available in the market for someone with your profile.

Length of Loan: If you are planning on repaying your loan on a term that is outside the typically 6 months or 1 year, you will find yourself in front of a wall as the firm only offers a specific set of options for the tenure. Most individuals will either take a shorter term or will have to spread over a longer period of time because of the lack of options of the firm. Take into consideration that even though a longer tenure might lower your monthly payment, it will result in paying more interests over time.
Expensive Rates: Even if you have a golden credit score you will be surprised by how expensive it can be to borrow money from this type of service. It is important to understand that not only the investor is interested in getting the highest yield for their money as possible but the firm is also getting a cut from the pie. While it is definitely not cheap, it is still one of the best alternatives to traditional banks and other financial institutions from the old school.

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2. Avant | Best for Individuals with Bad Credit Scores

Avant Credit is one of the largest and most important online lending companies in the US. The firm targets mainly individuals with low credit score who are interested in consolidating their debt or simply needs money for emergencies and unexpected situations. According to the company directly, the firms says to target the typical middle-class American in an effort to improve living conditions for these individuals.

It is fairly common to see other companies that also target individuals with a bad credit score churning their clients, truly acting as parasites of the society that are simply draining blood for the ones that truly need the most help. It is great from an advisor perspective to see companies like Avant Credit helping the community and the overall society by offering a well-priced product that truly intends to benefit lives.

If you have a dented credit score you might want to take your time and review Avant as one of the very best options currently available in the market.

Additional Information

APR:

9.95% – 35.99% Variable

Loan Amount: $2,000 to $35,000

Length: 2 – 5 Years

Minimum Credit Score: 580 FICO

Minimum Annual Income: $20,000

Fees:

Administrative Fee 4.9%
Late Fee $25
Unsuccessful Payment $15
No Prepayment Fee

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Transparent Fees: One of the keys to having a good relationship with a financial institution is to be on the same page in terms of expectations, and not all the firms are willing to let you see all their cards before signing the dotted line. This makes it even better when you see an institution that has a very transparent structure in terms of fees and commissions, even before singing everything you will be told about every single detail and every single charge that you will incur with the loan. Nobody likes to get nasty news about having to pay a penalty for something or simply being charged strange fees without proper justification, it is great to see that there are still firms who truly believe in transparency.
Grace Periods: Coming from a firm whose main target are individuals with a bad credit score, it is heartwarming to hear that a company is providing grace periods as part of their model. This is a firm that on paper shows all the right signs and flags of a company that is actually interested in helping their clients. Life is full of uncertainty and things can change really fast, doing business with a company that understands it is simply great!

High Admin Fee: Above we mentioned how transparent and open the firm is about their fees and commissions, while they are open about them it is key to understand that some of them are simply too difficult to justify. Charging an individual 4.8% as an administration fee for an unsecured loan is absurd. These are the small things that make me rethink if the overall company is even worthy or not.
Bad Reviews: In a world where companies like Yelp help individuals to achieve a voice in terms of criticizing and reviewing their experiences with a firm, product or a service, it is difficult to find one company that does not have at least one bad and one terrible review. Things break and it is understandable that something might have happened, the real problem becomes when you start seen patterns occurring and the same complain repeating over and over again. With Avant one of the main concerns I have is the fact that many individuals have raised a red flag because of the firm erroneously charged their monthly payments twice. If you are an individual who is in a bad situation or simply living paycheck to paycheck it is not acceptable to see cases where someone got the money withdrawn from their account twice and the response from the firm was to defer the next month.

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3. Upstart | Best for Individuals with Little or No Credit Record

One of the first requirements to be eligible for an unsecured loan or any type of loan for that matter is to have a good credit score and also existing credit history. The whole idea of the credit score is having some track record that proves that this is not only a shiny credit score because it has not been used or because it has never dealt with any type of borrowing. A great example where this usually has an impact for most individuals is whenever someone is going to college and is getting a students loan for the first time, at this stage of their life most individuals have never even had a credit score or any track record at their name.

This is where names like Upstart have become so popular in the market, the firm focuses on offering loans to individuals who simply do not have the track record requirements that traditional institutions would expect. This is a great opportunity for young students and professionals who need to borrow money for their tuition, their medical bills and any other necessity they might have.

Please take into consideration that instead of simply looking at a nonexisting credit score or at the lack of record, the firm utilizes their model in order to assess factors like college degrees areas of study and also their job history in order to determine creditworthiness.

Additional Information

APR:

APR: 7.69% to 36% (This is where your credit score will make the difference)

Loan Amount: $1,000 t0 $50,000

Length: 3 or 5 years

Minimum Credit Score: 620 (The firm does not request credit history)

Minimum Annual Income: None

Fees:

No Origination Fee
No Late Fees
No Overdraft Fees

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Fast execution: Since all the analysis required in order to be eligible happens in house, this allows the firm to perform their assessments almost immediately. If you are in need of a loan urgently and your credit score is unexisting, this will be one of the only few options and will also be one of the fastest ones in terms of approval and funds delivery.
Process Selection: It is great to see a firm that is able to see beyond looking at someone’s credit score. At the end of the day, there is a human being on the other side of that number, life is complicated and a lot of things can happen that can put you in that bench. It is comforting to know that still exist companies that will look at the human and not just the numbers behind them.

Repayment: As weird as it might be, the firm only offers loans to pay in tenures of 2 or five years. Keep in mind that even though you are allowed to repay early without a fee or a penalty, it is still odd to see your 3-year loan extending over 24 extra months just because.
Origination Fees: This is a premium that you will have to pay for getting a personal review of your profile. It is key to keep in mind that while other firms also charge an origination fee, it simply won’t as much as Upstart. Having to pay anywhere between 2% and 8% for the origination fee is nothing more than absurd.

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4. Sofi | Best for Individuals with a Good Credit Score

Just like there are institutions targeting individuals with a bad credit score and a relatively low income, Sofi, on the other hand, is probably one of the most exclusive online lenders in the US. The reason for this is that the firm targets individuals with a great+ credit score and on average an annual income that is over six figures.

Take into consideration that this is a fully online operation, this allows for applications to be executed in an incredibly fast pace and for support to be available 24 hours.

Sofi began their business by offering student loans to high earning individuals, it only took them a while before venturing in other areas and vehicles like personal loans, and debt consolidation. It is important to keep in mind that all products currently offered to utilize unsecured loans structure and the fact that personal loans can only be utilized for certain types of spending. If you are planning on borrowing money in order to spend on something besides house remodeling, health procedures, and debt consolidation, you might want to look somewhere else since the firm will most likely reject your application.

Additional Information

APR:

Fixed: 5.99% – 16.24% (with autopay)
Variable: 5.74% – 14.70% (with autopay)

Loan Amount: $5,000 to $100,000

Length: 2 – 7 Years

Minimum Credit Score: 680 FICO

Minimum Annual Income: None

Fees:

No Origination Fee
No Late Fees
No Overdraft Fees

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Pricing: Due to the fact that the firm focuses on individuals with a considerably better credit score, their average interest rate offered for personal loans is considerably lower than the national average. It is difficult to see products where the best possible option in terms of service and pluses will actually be the cheapest one.
Understanding: Sofi has been known for being one of the only true flexible institutions in the market, specifically because of all the different choice you get if you can’t repay your loan. This is a firm that is truly interested in you paying back your money, instead of keeping hostage to charge you more interest. A particular point to mention is the fact that the company already offers unemployment insurance, this will take care of your payments in case you are laid off. This might not sound like much but it does prove how interested this firm really is in you as a customer.

High Credit Score: This is certainly going to be a deal breaker for many individuals with a lower credit score. Don’t forget that even if you have a really low credit score, the only place it has to go left is up. This might not be an option for you to take right now but it is certainly one you should keep for later in your life.

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***It is important to mention that this is probably the closest thing that exists to a perfect lender. Sure, it does not offer their products to individuals with a low credit score, but besides this point, it is simply superb. I can assure you that this is a transparent firm if you follow the signed papers and you pay on time you will never have to deal with a bad experience with this firm.

5. Lending Club | Best P2P Alternative

With all the advancement of the internet and the online connectivity becoming so accessible, peer to peer lending has become one of the go-to options for individuals who are trying to make money by investing it in loans. Following a similar approach to what Upstart is offering, the firm is consolidating lenders and borrowers in the same space, allowing for a connection and oversee for a management fee.

This is a business model that even though it includes one extra step and one extra layer in terms of fees and commissions, it is still relatively cheap compared to other market alternatives.

Since the firm only offers synthetic borrowing, they’ve target personal, student, and consolidating loans via unsecured vehicles. Another important aspect to mention is that even though someone else is giving you the money for the loan, and not the firm. In case of any default the firm would cover for the entire value of the loan and will pay the lender, but this also means that it would be Lending Club against you in a civil action.

Peer to peer lending has become one of the most

Additional Information

APR:

6.95% – 35.89% Fixed Rates Only

Loan Amount: $1,000 to $40,000

Length: 3 – 5 Years

Minimum Credit Score: 600 FICO

Minimum Annual Income: None

Fees:

Origination Fee 1% – 6%
Late Fee $15 or 5% of payment after 15 days grace period

Our Rating

No Prepayment Penalty: It is good to know that if things get better you will be able to pay your loan in full without having to pay a penalty for it. Due to the P2P structure, if you pay your loan early, the money lost in interest rates will be a hit for the lender and not for you.
No Hard Credit Inquiry: It is always upsetting to see firms hitting credit scores just for opening your profile With Lending Club you can be certain that the firm will only use a soft inquiry until you signed the contract for the loan.
Fixed Rate: In a market as volatile as the one we have today, it is great to see that you will be able to fix your rates without having to pay extra. This is a mechanism that due to the P2P lending structure, will protect both borrowers and lenders.

Origination Fee (Expensive): As mentioned before this is another tax to your money and your loan. With today’s models, you should not be paying up to 6% just to get the money that you will have to pay back in full.
Available Liquidity in the Platform: This is a particularly odd problem but due to the fact that the firm is not using their money to back your loan, your eligibility will depend on the current liquidity and appetite of the platform. This means that at any point you might want to request a loan without even getting a quote because there are no lenders interested at the moment.

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Conclusion

There are hundreds of reasons why so many individuals get in debt with the help of unsecured loans, and I do not say so as a bad thing. Unsecured loans allow individuals to gain a fast, reliable and relatively cheap model of borrowing, that otherwise would be cover by other types of vehicles like payday loans for example. This model allows for many aspects of the American economy to be positively affected but just like it helps individuals, it can easily become their financial doom if they can not manage the responsibility of payments.

It is important to keep in mind that any borrowing vehicle can put an individual in trouble if not managed accordingly, the only difference with unsecured loans is the fact that the only collateral is your credit score and possible your emotional health if you default. There is not going to be anyone but you as responsible for the owed money, to some degree having collateral might help you ease a little bit of pressure but in most cases, it just changes to be worried about losing your assets as a result.

Keep in mind that you will receive an unsecured loan because a financial institution considers your word and because it also sees you as a creditworthy individual. This is probably one of the most expensive things to fix if broken. The best advice I can give you is to properly understand all the aspects of a loan before signing any contract. Knowing exactly what you are up to will allow you to manage and plan accordingly. Besides, you won’t have to deal with any bad surprises down the road!

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Vidal Arias

Vidal is an experienced Strategist and Portfolio Manager with a keen interest and passion for the financial markets and also writing. During his career, he has developed excellent market timing skills, focusing mainly on the macro analysis of the US Equity Market and the overall US Financial Market. He started his career as a financial analyst for a major American bank and continued his way into the trading desk as a Sr. Trader and later as a Portfolio Manager for an Offshore Hedgefund in Europe. Linkedin: vidalarias Email: [email protected]

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