Credible is an online loan marketplace allowing people to compare different loan types and lenders.
Having such a reputable platform is a huge benefit since many loan options are available online, making borrowers unsure of where to start.
What’s more, Credible lets you compare rates from multiple lenders in minutes without affecting your credit score during the initial rate check, so continue reading to learn more.
One-stop-shop for up to 20 lenders
Fortunly Rating
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
- Simple application process
- Rate checking doesn’t impact the credit score***
- Autopay – an automatic payment feature that can lower APR
- No origination, service, or other fees for student loans and student loan refinancing
- Compares multiple lenders in one place across several loan categories
- Personalized prequalified rates aren’t binding**
- No app
Credible Overview
Established in 2012, Credible has become one of the most trusted online loan marketplaces.
Today, the platform is focused on helping users compare personal loans, private student loans, student loan refinancing, and home-loan options, while also offering insurance and financial tools.
Loans Details
You can use Credible to get your prequalified rates** and requirements by multiple lenders if you need clarification on how much you can borrow with a loan.
Whatever your financial situation is, you’re likely to find the best match for your budget and needs on this website.
Credible is paid only when you get a loan from one of its partners. The platform also says checking rates is free and that it shares your information with lenders only with your permission.
Loan Types
Credible is a company that connects borrowers with lenders offering various types of loans, including:
Personal Loans
Personal loans you can can apply for are:
- Debt consolidation loans that help you replace multiple debts with a single loan and get a lower interest rate.
- Credit card consolidation loans, allowing you to repay debt on various credit cards by taking out a single loan.
- Home improvement loans, which you can draw to renovate your home.
- Personal loans for bad credit that cater to people who had trouble paying off their debts in the past.
Student Loans
Credible has student loans you can look into through its platform, including private student loans and student loan refinancing. The former are available to undergraduates, graduates, parents, and medical students, among other prospective borrowers. Student loan refinancing features student loan refinance and consolidation options.
Mortgages
Home purchase and refinance rate comparison service is offered as well.
Loan Rates
Depending on your credit score and other factors, you can qualify for loans with differing rates and other terms offered by lenders in the network. But thanks to Credible's user-friendly interface, you can evaluate the rates from its lending partners in a matter of minutes.
What's certain, though, is that whatever your circumstances, your annual percentage rate can go as low as 6.25% and as high as 35.99%, if you’re looking at personal loans.
So it’s definitely worth doing the research. Take a look at the following table for a general overview of personal loan and student loan rates:
|
Loan Type |
APR Range |
|
Personal loans |
6.25% - 35.99% APR |
|
Student loan refinancing |
3.95% - 10.35% APR fixed |
|
Private student loans |
2.65% - 17.99% APR fixed |
Note that you can lower rates by signing up for autopay, an automatic payment feature that prevents you from missing payments. Borrowers who sign up for autopay may qualify for an APR as low as 6.25%.
Also, note that student loan refinancing and private student loan rates vary depending on whether you take a loan with a fixed or a variable rate.
With autopay*, the lowest fixed student loan refinancing APR would be 3.95%. The lowest variable student loan refinancing APR would be 3.66% with this feature. As for private student loans, autopay* can lower your fixed APR rate to 2.65% and variable APR rate to 3.50%.
Loan Terms
The company reviews and updates its database of lenders and their conditions regularly. You can, therefore, rest assured you’ll find the best loan for your needs in minutes.
Besides the APR ranges, you can quickly find their partners' loan terms by scanning the page.
For now, note that the loan term ranges for personal loans, student loan refinancing, and private student loans are the following:
|
Loan Type |
Loan Term Range |
|
Personal loans |
1-7 years |
|
Student loan refinancing |
5-20 years |
|
Private student loan |
5-20 years |
The majority of customers mention that the loan term range depends on the lender and the borrower’s eligibility. Our research confirms this. Take the following three lenders’ personal loan terms as an example:
- PenFed Credit Union - 1 to 5 years
- LightStream - 2 to 7 years
- Axos Bank - 3 to 6 years
Student loan refinancing terms for undergraduate and graduate student loan borrowers also come with a range of loan repayment options. The company reviews and chooses its lending partners carefully, and here are the terms offered by some of them:
- ELFI - 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 years
- Citizens - 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 years
- MEFA - 7, 10, and 15 years
Loan Amounts
When comparing personal loan rates, you'll find that loan amounts also vary across lenders.
Some of Credible’s partners, such as SoFi and LightStream, lend up to $100,000, whereas Happy Money and Discover have a maximum loan amount of $40,000 that you can apply for.
LendingPoint is among the lenders that offer lower loan amounts (up to $36,500).
Credible’s currently states that loan amounts can go from $1,000 to $250,000, depending on the lender and your qualifications.
According to available information, these loan amounts apply to borrowers with good credit scores, as well as those with bad credit scores in need of a loan.
Refinancing loan amounts for students vary across private and federal loans and also depend on factors such as whether the borrower is a graduate or undergraduate student.
In general, private student loans come with higher loan amounts, but they lack federal protections.
Certainly, as private student loans go, Credible is among the providers you should check out.
Fees
The company's fees are 100% transparent, so you don’t need to worry about hidden costs that may catch up with you.
If you apply for student loan refinancing or a private student loan, you won't have to pay any fee because Credible ensures its lending partners charge no application, service, or origination fees to students. Moreover, there’s no prepayment penalty, so you can pay off your debt ahead of schedule.
Personal loans, however, may be subject to certain fees, depending on the provider.
Most partner lenders don't charge a prepayment penalty. We’ve examined these claims and found them true. However, you may have to pay an origination fee as high as 12% with some partners. Also, some providers charge an unsuccessful payment fee of anywhere between $10 and $30.
Application Process
The Credible platform is great for its quick assessment of a prospective borrower’s loan eligibility. You don't need to check every lender one by one since the online form will let you know your options in no time.
All you have to do is fill out the form, a process that takes only a couple of minutes. You'll see personalized prequalified rates** from lending partners whose conditions you meet on your dashboard.
Free Eligibility Check
Another thing that Credible users like is the absence of any related costs for using the platform to check eligibility. The company profits from commissions from loan providers when you close the deal. Credible won’t charge you if you don’t close a loan agreement.
Rate Check Doesn’t Impact Your Credit Score
Many prospective users hesitate to check loans and compare rates because they fear that doing so may affect their credit scores. This is especially true for people who need to compare loans for bad credit.
If you are one of them, go ahead and check your options because Credible does a soft credit check to provide you with accurate prequalified rates** , which won’t impact your score. A participating partner will perform a hard credit check that will appear on your credit report and affect your score only if you decide to draw a loan.
Security
Another thing we’d like to underline in our review is that using this platform for comparing lenders and determining monthly payments and interest rates is secured with TLS encryption.
Unlike many online businesses that require you to disclose personal and other confidential information to get a service, Credible doesn't sell the details you provide to advertisers and data brokers to generate extra profit. It only receives a payment when you accept a loan offer from a participating partner. And the commission it gets comes at no extra cost to you.
How Credible Compares to Other Lenders
Personal loans, student loan refinancing, private student loans, home refinancing and mortgages*
Up to $200,000
10 years
Personal loans
Up to $50,000
5 years
Personal loans
Up to $40,000
5 years
Our Verdict
Credible is an excellent source of information for anyone who needs a personal loan, student loan refinancing, a private student loan, or a mortgage*.
You can quickly review many lenders and find the loan offer you need. Also, the Credible customer service can help you with anything you might not understand. Credible currently offers chat, phone, and email support, which makes the platform more hands-on than many marketplaces.
So, check out this user- and budget-friendly service to learn your options since Credible doesn't charge you anything to explore your options.
*“Credible Operations, Inc. NMLS# 1681276, “Credible.” Not available in all states. www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.”
** Rates for personal loans provided by lenders on the Credible platform range between 6.25% - 35.99%. APR with terms from 12 to 120 months. Rates presented include lender discounts for enrolling in autopay and loyalty programs, where applicable. Actual rates may be different from the rates advertised and/or shown and will be based on the lender’s eligibility criteria, which include factors such as credit score, loan amount, loan term, credit usage and history, and vary based on loan purpose. The lowest rates available typically require excellent credit, and for some lenders, may be reserved for specific loan purposes and/or shorter loan terms. The origination fee charged by the lenders on the platform ranges from 0% to 12%. Each lender has their own qualification criteria with respect to their autopay and loyalty discounts (e.g., some lenders require the borrower to elect autopay prior to loan funding in order to qualify for the autopay discount). All rates are determined by the lender and must be agreed upon between the borrower and the borrower’s chosen lender.
FAQ
Does Credible charge fees?
Credible itself does not charge you to check rates. For personal loans, lender fees can vary, and Credible’s disclosures say origination fees can run from 0% to 12%. For private student loans and student loan refinancing on the platform, Credible says partner lenders charge no application, origination, or service fees.
Is Credible secure?
Credible says user data is encrypted at rest and encrypted in transit using TLS.
Is Credible a direct lender?
No. Credible is a marketplace that helps you compare lenders, not a direct lender itself.