Top Lenders & Best Picks for You
Best Personal Loans in Fresno, CA
Updated: December 28, 2023
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- The Best Overall Personal Loan Lender in Fresno
- The Best Personal Loan Lender for Bad Credit in Fresno
- The Best Personal Loan Lender for Good Credit in Fresno
- The Best Personal Loan Lender for Debt Consolidation in Fresno
- The Best Personal Loan Lender for Home Improvements in Fresno
- How to Choose the Right Personal Loan for You
- Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Loans in Fresno
MoneyGeek's Picks for Best Personal Loan Lenders in Fresno, CA
MoneyGeek evaluated lenders for over 30 data points to find the best personal loan lenders in Fresno, CA. To develop our ranking, we looked at each lender’s APRs, minimum credit score requirement, loan amounts, origination fees and payback terms to pick the best personal loan lenders in Fresno. Additionally, we selected the best lenders for different borrower profiles, such as those with bad or good credit and those seeking a loan for debt consolidation or home improvements.
Based on our evaluation, we found that LightSteam offers the best personal loans in Fresno to the average borrower. Upstart and SoFi offer the best personal loans to those with bad and good credit, respectively. Upgrade is also the best lender for debt consolidation, while Best Egg offers the best personal loans for home improvement purposes.
Best Overall Personal Loan Lender in Fresno: Lightstream
Best Personal Loan Lender for Bad Credit in Fresno: Upstart
Best Personal Loan Lender for Good Credit in Fresno: SoFi
Best Personal Loan Lender for Debt Consolidation in Fresno: Upgrade
Best Personal Loan Lender for Home Improvement in Fresno: Best Egg
How to Choose the Best Personal Loan Lender in Fresno for You
The average personal loan debt in California is $16,790. Lenders analyze your credit score, debt history, income and other variables to assess your eligibility for a personal loan in Fresno. MoneyGeek offers you helpful tips in getting a good lending experience.
Ask Yourself the Important Questions
If you've decided to take out a loan, reviewing your financial circumstances prior to applying will help set you up for success. At a minimum, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- How much funding do I actually need?
- What is my current credit score?
- Can I afford the monthly payment?
- How much debt do I currently have?
Do Your Research
The conditions of a loan agreement, like the loan limit, rates, repayment terms and fund restrictions, as well as borrower requirements, vary among lenders. Because of this, it’s important that you research different lenders to find the one that best fits your unique situation. MoneyGeek’s recommendations are a good place to start, but they’re based on generic borrower profiles, rather than your specific needs.
Wait
Once you’ve done your research and selected the lender that best fits your needs, take a moment to pause and think things through before finalizing anything. Taking out a personal loan is a long-term commitment — repayment terms can be up to seven years — so it’s important that you consider if a personal loan supports your future financial goals. Depending on the amount of funding you need, you might consider alternative funding sources.
Read the Fine Print
When you're looking for the best personal loan in Fresno, it's easy to overlook certain details. You may be focused on the interest rate or upfront fees, but you should check out other parts of the loan terms and conditions, like late fees, early payoff fees and origination fees. These seemingly minor details could save you money, while missing out on information could cost you money that you could have saved.
Apply
Now that you have carefully chosen a lender and read all of the fine print, you can submit a loan application. You must be ready to provide your personal information, which includes your identification, address, and proof of income. These are standard for lenders to require as a background check.
What to Do if You Can’t Get a Personal Loan in Fresno
You may be rejected for a personal loan due to low credit score, imperfect payment history or insufficient income. If your loan application is denied, you should contact the lender to find out why it wasn’t accepted. Some may approve your loan if you shorten your loan term or decrease the loan amount, but this is lender-specific.
Until you’ve improved your application, we discourage you from reapplying with that lender or applying with a different lender. Submitting another loan application without changing your financial situation will negatively impact your credit score, making it more difficult for you to get a loan.
We discourage borrowers from getting a payday loan. These loans have exceptionally high interest rates and short repayment periods, putting the borrower at a higher risk for defaulting on the loan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Loans in Fresno
Applying for a personal loan is a long process. It takes time to find the best lender for your needs. To help you find the best personal loan in Fresno, CA., MoneyGeek answered borrowers’ most frequently asked questions.
LightStream offers the best personal loans in Fresno for the average borrower.
Upstart showcases Fresno's lowest interest rate at 3.22%.
Loans can be used for a variety of purposes, including vacations. However, some lending organizations don’t allow their loans to be used for vacations, so you should always check with your lender.
Most lenders will allow you to use a personal loan in Fresno for home improvement. However, some have restrictions on the usage of their funds, so you should always check with your lender and carefully read the terms of your loan agreement.
Other lenders restrict the usage of funds, so that borrowers can use them for stock purchases, gambling or postgraduate study.
The amount you can borrow varies by lender and borrower profile, but personal loans in Fresno typically range from $1,000 to $100,000.
For personal loans in Fresno, each lender has a distinct processing time. After being authorized, it usually takes one to seven business days to receive the loan amount.
If you pay off a personal loan before the end of the term, lenders in Fresno may charge you a prepayment penalty. This, too, is dependent on your lender, as some Fresno lenders do not impose a prepayment penalty. Prepayment penalty information should be available on the lenders' websites, but you should double-check by calling your lender or reading the fine print.
Our Personal Loan Methodology
We looked at 35+ unique data points from over 30 personal loan providers in six major categories: loan affordability, accessibility, consumer friendliness, customer service, flexibility, and lender transparency.
We analyzed many data factors under each rating criterion category that, we believe, hold the most weight when choosing a personal loan provider. APR ranges, available loan amount, minimum credit score, minimum income amount, application costs, and disbursement time are all aspects to consider.
Here at MoneyGeek, we value you, the consumer, so we also factor in each lender’s customer support, business ratings and additional features that could make your experience easier and more accessible, like prequalification, payment options and mobile apps.
After careful consideration and calculation, our picks are determined with your best interest in mind. Our personal loan recommendations and expert tips are meant to help you make the best decision when choosing a lender that meets your needs.
sources
- Best Egg. "Personal Loans." Accessed June 15, 2022.
- Lightstream. "LightStream | Loans for Practically Anything." Accessed June 15, 2022.
- SoFi. "Disclosures & Disclaimers." Accessed June 15, 2022.
- Upgrade. "Personal Loans." Accessed June 15, 2022.
- Upstart. "Personal Loans: Apply Online, Quick Rate Check." Accessed June 15, 2022.
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
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