Best Debt Consolidation Loans of November 2024: Compare & Apply

Best personal loans for debt consolidation

Lenders description

Marcus by Goldman Sachs Debt Consolidation Loan

Marcus is an online consumer lending and banking branch of investment bank Goldman Sachs. In addition to savings accounts, it also offers personal loans with a minimum amount of $3,500 and up to $40,000. Loans have APRs that vary from 6.99 - 24.99% and terms from 36 - 72 months. It's worth noting that Marcus by Goldman Sachs offers one of the best high-limit APRs, and it has no fees at all (not even an origination fee!). A credit of at least 660 is required to get approved, but you can check whether you pre-qualify. Other attractive features include a flexible monthly payment option (change monthly payment date up to three times) and a 0.25% discount if you set up autopayments. We advise checking out Marcus's website, which is very transparent and informative for any additional information.

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Upstart Debt Consolidation Loan

Upstart is an AI lending platform partnered with banks to provide personal loans. For all those of you who need a loan but have a little credit history, an Upstart personal loan is a great option. Among other things, they also take into account your education. If you have a credit score of at least 580, you can still apply and be considered. The loan amount can be as low as $1,000 and up to $50,000. There are 3 and 5 loan terms with APRs going from 5.6 - 35.99%. If your loan gets approved, you could get the funds in a day (if you accept it and complete all necessary steps by 5 p.m. ET on a business day). When determining whether you qualify, Upstart will only perform a soft inquiry on your credit reports. After that, you'll be able to see your rates, and if you accept them, a hard inquiry will be made. Be aware of the few fees that come with this loan, like a 0% - 0.01 - 8% origination fee, a late payment fee ($15 or 5%, whichever is greater), and an ACH return or check refund fee ($15).

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Payoff® Debt Consolidation Loan

Payoff® is a California-based, peer-to-peer lending platform. If you’re having difficulties with high-interest debt on various credit cards and have a fair credit score of at least 640 - consider a Payoff® debt consolidation loan. The loan amount range is $5,000 - $40,000, while the APRs go from 8.99% up to 29.99%. However, note that for a loan amount above $15,000, the minimum APR is 8.99%. There is an origination fee of up to 5%, but there are no other fees (late fee, prepayment fee, application fee, etc.). You can select a term from 24 - 60 months. You can see what origination fee and APR would be applied to your loan if you allow for a soft inquiry; a hard inquiry is performed only in the final phase of the process. Payoff® offers benefits such as free FICO credit score access and customer support by its Member Experience Team. Payoff® loans aren’t available in the states of Massachusetts and Nevada.

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LendingClub Debt Consolidation Loan

The LendingClub is a peer-to-peer online lending platform that offers personal loans to consumers. According to their website, you can apply even with a lower score, but a good credit score of at least 670 will give you favorable approval odds. APRs start high, at 8.3, and can be up to 36. The loan term can be from 3 - 5, and the amount ranges from $1,000 - $40,000. A one-time origination fee in a 3 - 6% range will also be charged if approved for the loan. There are a few other fees to keep in mind: unsuccessful payment fee ($15) and late payment fee (5% of the amount, or at least $15). A loan can have a co-applicant, and you can check your rates without affecting your credit score.

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SoFi Debt Consolidation Loan

Social Finance, Inc (SoFi) is a finance company that offers a variety of products like loan refinancing, investing, insurance, credit cards, debt consolidation, and many others. To be eligible for a personal loan, you must meet several standard requirements like having the appropriate age to enter into a binding contract and be employed or have sufficient income or an employment offer starting within the next 90 days. A specific credit score requirement is not listed on the website. What’s great is that besides U.S. citizens and permanent residents, certain visa holders could be eligible too if they have 2 years left until their visa’s expiration date. The APR range is excellent, starting from 5.99% and climbing up to 18.85%. The low rates and the fact that there are no fees make this personal loan an affordable option worth considering. A soft inquiry will allow you to check out your rates. Loan amounts range from $5,000 - $100,000, while loan terms go from 24 - 84 months years. Social Finance, Inc also allows cosigners, and you can have more than one loan with them (restrictions apply).

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LightStream Debt Consolidation Loan

LightStream is an online consumer lending division of SunTrust Bank. A LightStream personal loan can be used for all purposes, except educational, business, and refinancing an existing LightStream loan. Its APRs are competitive, with a minimum of 6.49% and a maximum of 21.99% if you sign up for AutoPay. If not, you’ll get a 0.5% higher rate. You won’t have to pay anything else on top of interest since there are no fees. As for the loan amount range, although wide, it starts pretty high with a minimum amount of $5,000 and a maximum of $100,000. The terms range is flexible, from 2 years and up to 7. LightStream requires applicants to have good-to-excellent credit to get approved, but a specific credit score is not disclosed on the website. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer pre-approvals. So, to find out your loan rates and terms, you'll have to apply, and your credit report will undergo a hard inquiry. Another feature worth mentioning is the Rate Beat program – LightStream claims to offer a 0.10% lower rate than one offered by a competitor (if eligible, and you'll need to provide appropriate evidence).

Read more about LightStream Debt Consolidation Loan

Avant Debt Consolidation Loan

Avant, LLC has its headquarters in Chicago and partners with WebBank to offer personal loans to middle-income consumers for several purposes, including debt consolidation, home improvement, or unexpected costs. The minimum loan amount you can borrow is $2,000, while the maximum is $35,000. The loan amount range is typical for a personal loan, but the APRs are higher than usual. An APR of 9.95 is the low limit, and it can be up to 35.95. On top of that, there's an upfront administration fee, up to 4.75%, that is deducted directly from your loan. However, they approve applicants with a credit score of 600 that otherwise wouldn't have much chance of getting a personal loan elsewhere. Most of their customers have a credit score between 600 and 700. The loan term ranges from 12 - 60 months years. Avant, LLC will perform a soft inquiry if you want to see your rates. Of course, in the finalization process, a hard inquiry is performed. If approved, you will get funding the next business day. Avant, LLC charges a late fee (amount and time of application vary by state) and a dishonored payment fee (if a scheduled payment is returned unpaid).

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Upgrade Debt Consolidation Loan

Upgrade, Inc is an online and mobile lender. You can borrow an amount from $1,000 - $50,000 with an APR from 9.99 - 35.99%. By setting up Autopay and paying off a part of your debt directly, you'll get the lowest rates. The APR mainly depends on things like your credit score and history, and loan term. Upgrade, Inc charges an origination fee that can be a minimum of 2.9% and a maximum of 8%. Loans have repayment terms from 3 - 5. If approved, you'll usually get the loan funds within a day but up to 2 weeks if sent directly to your creditor. Upgrade also allows you to check out your rates only with a soft inquiry that doesn't affect your credit score. Minimum credit score or other requirements aren’t disclosed on the website. A unique feature here is Credit Health. It consists of several tools that offer better insight and understanding of your financial situation. For example, there's a credit score simulator that shows you several different scenarios to see how certain actions may impact your credit score. You also get tailored tips based on your credit history, access to your credit score, helpful resources to reach your full credit potential, weekly credit score updates, and many others.

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Prosper Debt Consolidation Loan

Prosper Funding, LLC is a peer-to-peer lending marketplace backed by investors like Sequoia Capital and Francisco Partners. There are few minimum criteria you'll need to meet to be eligible for a Prosper loan. These include a credit score of at least 640, fewer than five credit inquiries in the last 6 months, a debt-to-income ratio of 50% or less, and a few others. Since Prosper allows for joint loans, the same requirements apply to both co-borrowers. You can also apply for a second loan (restrictions apply). The APR range is 7.95 - 35.99%, while the amount range is $2,000 - $40,000. There are quite a few fees to keep track of, including an origination fee (2.41 - 5%), check payment fee (5% or $5, whichever is greater), late fee (5% or $15, whichever is greater) and insufficient funds fee ($15 per failed or returned payment). A great feature that provides helpful flexibility is the option to change your monthly payment due date. They're a bit less flexible regarding loan terms; there are only two options available – 36 - 60 months years.

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Best Egg Debt Consolidation Loan

Best Egg is an online lending platform that offers several types of personal loans funded by the Cross River Bank. The APR range is great, with the low limit being 7.99% and the high limit 35.99%. To be eligible for the lowest APR of 7.99%, you're going to need a credit score of at least 700 and a minimum individual annual income of $100,000. The minimum loan term is 3 years, and the maximum is 5 years, while the loan origination fees vary from 0.99 - 8.99%. A loan with a 4-year term or longer will have at least a 4.99% origination fee. You can check your loan rates with a soft credit inquiry. Once approved and verified, you'll get the funds in one to three business days. The loan amount range is $2,000 - $50,000; different minimum amounts apply to those from Massachusetts ($6,500), New Mexico and Ohio ($5,000), and Georgia ($3,000). You can also get a second Best Egg loan if the existing loan balance with them doesn’t exceed $50,000. The platform takes pride in the A+ rating it holds with the Better Business Bureau.

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Discover Bank Debt Consolidation Loan

Discover Bank is a digital bank and payment services company. Besides personal loans, it also offers credit cards, mortgage refinancing, student loans, etc. Loans are relatively affordable, considering there's no origination fee, and the APRs range from 5.99 - 24.99%. The minimum loan amount you can apply for is $2,500, and the maximum is $35,000. Additionally, you can choose between terms from 3 and up to 7 years, no matter the amount. They claim you can get a decision and funding as soon as one day (if all application documents are in order), and there's an option to transfer funds directly to creditors. An excellent flexible feature is 30 days to change your mind and return the funds without interest. Note that if you've chosen funds to go directly to creditors, Discover might not be able to get them back, and you'll have to reimburse them for that amount. To be considered for a personal loan, a minimum household income of $25,000 is required. A minimum credit score requirement is not disclosed on the website. If you fail to pay the monthly amount due on time, a late fee of $39 will be charged.

Read more about Discover Bank Debt Consolidation Loan

What Is Debt Consolidation?

If you’ve found yourself in a situation where you’re struggling with high-interest debt, you’re not alone. Just to give you a better idea, in the last quarter of 2020, credit-card loans in the U.S. were $820 billion. Charging a purchase on your credit card is easy to make but hard to pay off due to credit cards’ high APRs. The average American household has a credit card debt of $5,315. If you're also facing this problem, this article will be of great help. Let's start by explaining what debt consolidation is.

What is debt consolidation?

Debt consolidation is when you combine several debts you already owe together into a single, new account. That basically means that instead of having several monthly payments, now you’ll have one, preferably with a lower overall interest rate. There are several ways to consolidate your debt, and we mention some of them in the next section.

Best Ways to Consolidate Debt

Debt consolidation loans fall under the personal loans category and allow individuals to combine several high-interest debts into one. A debt consolidation loan's purpose is to help you pay off various unsecured loans like credit card debt, student loans, or medical bills. The consolidation loan interest rate stays the same throughout the repayment period, so you only make one fixed monthly payment.

Balance transfers credit cards allow you to transfer high-interest debt from another credit card and typically come with intro APR offers during which you can pay off debt interest-free. These interest-relief periods can last from a year and up to 20 months. Still, be aware that your balance will start accruing interest if your debt isn't paid off in full when the intro period ends. As we all know, credit card interest is definitely not cheap.

Home equity loans or home equity lines of credit are loans secured by your house, which means lower interest rates compared to personal loans. However, be careful because if you default, you could lose your home.

401(k) loan is also an option, although not an advisable one. The benefits are lower interest rates than personal loans, and they don't show on your credit report. But, on the other hand, it reduces retirement funds, and if you can't repay, there will be a hefty penalty and taxes on the outstanding balance. Also, if your employer sponsors the plan and you quit or lose the job, the loan will be due on Tax Day (April 15) in the next year. Otherwise, they’re usually due in around 5 years.

How do Debt Consolidation Loans work?

The process of debt consolidation loans looks like this:

1. Prequalification – Most lenders allow you to check potential loan rates and minimum amount by performing a soft inquiry on your credit report that doesn't affect your credit score. Note that debt consolidation loans have fixed APRs that stay the same for the loan's lifetime.
2. Selecting loan terms – Once you're sure about applying for a particular loan, you'll be required to choose the terms – payment due date, loan amount and term, and other features.
3. Applying and finalization - With applying, you agree to the loan's interest rates and fees, so make sure to read the terms and conditions thoroughly. Once you confirm them, the lender proceeds to perform a hard inquiry on your credit reports to determine creditworthiness.
4. Get approved and funded – Hopefully, your loan will get approved, in which case you either receive the funds directly or some lenders offer the option to transfer the funds directly to creditors.

Will debt consolidation affect your credit score?

Debt consolidation does affect your credit score in several ways.

First, the hard inquiry by the lender will temporarily hurt your credit score. This won’t matter much in the long run if you get approved and pay off the debt on time.

The drop that'll follow in your credit utilization ratio will help your credit score. The credit utilization ratio is the amount of credit you're using divided by your credit limit. With debt consolidation, you'll be paying off credit card debt, thus decreasing your credit utilization ratio. Of course, this can be a two-edged sword. You must be careful not to get carried away with credit card spending once you free up your credit limit. Otherwise, you'll just end up in more debt than before.

To calculate the utilization ratio, you may use our simple calculator.

Finally, if you pay off your debt consolidation loan on time without adding new debt, your credit score will see an improvement.

Tips for Comparing Personal Loans for Debt Consolidation

Many lenders today offer debt consolidation programs and loans, making it challenging to decide on one. It can be an exhausting process, but we advise you to take your time. This is an important decision that’ll affect your future financial stability. We’ll give you some tips and features to consider when choosing the right debt consolidation loan.

• Compare Annual Percentage Rates (APR)– first things first. Getting a debt with the lowest interest available to you should always be a priority. Most of the lenders on our list allow you to check rates with a soft credit inquiry. Use this tool to find out with which lender you’ll get the cheapest rates.

Payoff®, Best Egg and SoFi all have a low minimum APR of 5.99%. However, usually, only those with excellent credit get the lowest APRs. If that's not your case, be aware of the high APR limit as well. For example, Best Egg's APR can be up to 29.99%, which means a potentially very expensive loan.

• Be aware of fees– getting a low APR does not necessarily mean an affordable loan. If you’re careless and don’t pay attention to fees, your loan can suddenly get very expensive. Most loans will charge an origination fee that’ll be deducted from your loan amount.

For example, if you get approved for a $10,000 loan with a 5% origination fee, you’ll get $9,500 on your account. Typical fees, among others, are a late payment fee and an unsuccessful payment fee. The best would be to get a loan with no fees, like the Marcus by Goldman Sachs Debt Consolidation Loan or LightStream.

• Don’t forget to consider loan terms – while some lenders offer several loan term options, others can be pretty limited, offering a choice between only two loan terms. This can be an important factor. For instance, if you don't need much time to pay off the loan or its amount is not that big, get a loan with a shorter term. A loan with a long term won’t be suitable because you’ll end up paying more interest than you need to.

Debt consolidation loans by Payoff®, LightStream, Upgrade, Inc, and Avant, LLC offer a minimum loan term of 2 years. If you'll need more time and would rather have smaller monthly payments over a more extended period, go for the longest term available. LightStream offers the longest loan term – 12 years. Still, it doesn’t mean you’ll be approved for it.

• Loan amount – there’s no guarantee you’ll be approved for a loan with the exact amount you need. That’s why, as we mentioned with APRs, compare offers from several lenders to see which one is the closest to your desired amount.

For example, LightStream, Best Egg, and SoFi offer a maximum loan amount of $100,000. Another issue is that you may need only a small amount and most lenders have starting amounts of $4,000-5,000. Consider then an Upstart, Upgrade, Inc, or a Lending Club loan, since they have a minimum loan amount of only $1,000.

• Flexibility – loan terms are typically several years. Many things can change in the meantime, like your employment status and financial needs, among others. For example, if you change your job and have a different pay date than with the previous employer, you might want to change your loan payment date.

The Marcus by Goldman Sachs loan offers excellent flexibility with the option to change your monthly payment due date up to 3 months. It also comes with a 0.25% discount incentive if you decide to use autopayments.

Regarding flexibility, it’s important to mention the early payment fee that comes with some loans. It’s a fee charged by the loan issuer if you make a payment towards the loan earlier than when it’s due. All the loans on our list don’t charge such a fee, but if you go for one we haven’t mentioned here, double-check for this fee.

Benefits of a debt consolidation loan

• Reduces interest – probably the most significant benefit of debt consolidation loans. The average credit card APR is 16.43%, while the average personal loan APR is 9.34%.
• Improves credit score– as we've mentioned, a personal loan will cause your credit utilization ratio to fall, which means an improved credit score. Also, if you make all your payments on time, you'll see further improvement.
• More convenient– juggling several monthly payments can be stressful, and there is a greater probability of missing a payment. Combining all those payments into a single monthly one will make your life easier.
• Lower monthly payment– if you're feeling overwhelmed by debt and it'll take a few years to pay it off, a debt consolidation loan will give you that. You can spread your loan over several years, allowing for lower monthly payments you can afford.

What Should You Do Before Applying for a Debt Consolidation Loan?

Before applying for a debt consolidation loan, you should do your research, and this article is a great start. Be realistic about your financial situation and the amount you'll need to repay the loan. Take a good look at all your outstanding balances, then plan a budget and schedule how to pay them all off. This is essential if you want to make the best decision. We know you probably want to get funding ASAP, but don't rush into it. Take your time, shop around, and compare quotes from several lenders.

Alternatives to a debt consolidation loan

As we’ve already mentioned, other alternatives to a debt consolidation loan include balance transfer credit cards, home equity loans, or home equity lines of credit and 401(k) loans.