Best Personal Loans in Durham, NC: Top Lenders & Best Picks for You

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Edited bySarah Mattie
Edited bySarah Mattie

Updated: December 28, 2023

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MoneyGeek's Picks for Best Personal Loan Lenders in Durham, NC

To find the best personal loans in Durham, MoneyGeek gathered, analyzed and evaluated more than 30 data points to help us find our favorite picks and rankings.

However, the best personal loan depends on your needs and wants. So, we looked into various factors to find the best lenders for borrowers with poor credit history, good credit, home improvement projects or plans and debt consolidation.

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Best Overall Personal Loan Lender in Durham: Truist

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Best Personal Loan Lender for Bad Credit in Durham: Upstart

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Best Personal Loan Lender for Good Credit in Durham: SoFi

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Best Personal Loan Lender for Debt Consolidation in Durham: Upgrade

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Best Personal Loan Lender for Home Improvement in Durham: Best Egg

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Where to Start: How to Choose the Best Personal Loan Lender in Durham for You

Durhamites find various ways to fund expenses like medical emergencies, birthdays, weddings or educational fees. MoneyGeek suggests you go through these steps when looking for the best personal loans in Durham.

1

Ask Yourself the Important Questions

Personal loans can resolve your financial needs, but these may also be a long-term commitment. MoneyGeek suggests you ask these questions to help you decide your best route.

  • How much funding do I need?
  • What is my credit score?
  • Can I afford the monthly payment?
  • How much debt do I already have?
2

Do Your Research

Review every lender’s quote and details before choosing a specific bank. With MoneyGeek’s informative guide, you’ll understand the process by checking the details to find the best personal loans in Durham.

Remember that the information is representative of the average borrower. Your preferences and needs vary from the examples mentioned.

3

Wait

After choosing a lender, try waiting a day or two before filling out the application. This allows you to think, evaluate and understand the entire decision. This shouldn't be an impulsive action but a decisive one.

4

Read the Fine Print

Each loan agreement has fee terms and conditions. These fees may not have been explicitly shared by the loan officer and may come as a shock later. Consult your lender before starting the application.

5

Apply

When you finish the necessary steps and are sure of your decision, gather all the required documents and fill out the application form. Get copies of your pay stubs, IDs and proof of address. Some lenders offer online applications, which may be more convenient than visiting the branches.

What to Do if You Can’t Get a Personal Loan in Durham

Personal loan applications may be denied for various reasons. Don’t feel bad if you're denied, as this happens to many people for many reasons. Factors include low credit scores, inadequate income, incomplete requirements or significant debt.

Talk to your lender about modifying your current application, especially by changing the loan amount or desired term. These changes may make you eligible.

You may encounter payday loans. These loans may offer immediate solutions but come with very high-interest rates, short repayment terms and few protections. MoneyGeek advises not to use this kind of loan as it can be very volatile.

Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Loans in Durham

There are different options for personal loans in Durham that you can check out. Here, MoneyGeek responds to the most frequently asked questions about personal loans to guide you better.

MoneyGeek’s pick for Durham's best overall personal loan provider is Truist. However, the best overall may not be best for you.

Upstart offers the lowest interest rates for personal loans in Durham.

Generally, yes. Personal loans can be used to fund vacations and other travel expenses. But it’s best to contact your lender for any clarifications.

Best Egg is the best personal loan lender for home improvement in Durham because it provides flexible repayment terms.

Different lenders may have restrictions on how to use the loan proceeds. For instance, Upgrade prohibits using loan proceeds for gambling, casino activities and investments.

Contact your lender about their restrictions.

Loan amounts depend on the lender. For example, SoFi lets you borrow up to a maximum of $100,000, whereas others only lend up to $50,000.

The application process depends on your preferred lender. SoFi takes a maximum of a week before the proceeds get released.

On the other hand, Best Egg only needs up to three days. Other lenders provide instant approval for loans.

For personal loans in Durham, you can generally pay them earlier than your due date. But it’s best to contact your lender if there are any prepayment penalties or terms.

Our Personal Loan Methodology

METHODOLOGY

MoneyGeek evaluated more than 30 personal loan lenders by using more than 35 individual data points in six key categories. These categories are affordability, accessibility, consumer friendliness, customer service, flexibility and lender transparency.

Different individual data points weigh more than other ranking criteria. These data points affect the choice of the best personal loan lender. The factors are application fees, APR ranges, available loan amount, disbursement time, minimum credit score and income amount.

MoneyGeek prioritizes every consumer and their needs. We consider every lender’s business ratings, customer service and unique features that would make your loan application more accessible and better. Some of those are mobile apps, payment options and prequalification.

We prioritized your best interest when we chose our top picks. These personal loan recommendations and expert tips help you make the most logical decision when choosing a lender.

sources
Shield Insurance

The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the rates mentioned may have changed. We recommend visiting the lender's website for the most up-to-date information available.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, lender or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.