Top Lenders & Best Picks for You

Best Personal Loans in Long Beach, CA

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Updated: September 18, 2024

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WHAT WE’RE GEEKING OUT ON

MoneyGeek's Picks for Best Personal Loan Lenders in Long Beach, CA

MoneyGeek researched the lenders offering the best personal loans in Long Beach after analyzing 30+ data points, including their APR range, minimum credit score and income requirement, loan disbursement time, loan amounts and more.

Our research shows that Lightstream is the best personal loan lender in the city. For borrowers with good and bad credit scores, SoFi and Upstart would be the ideal lenders, respectively. If someone wants a loan for debt consolidation, we recommend Upgrade, while Best Egg is the top pick for home improvement loans.

Best Overall Personal Loan Lender in Long Beach: Lightstream


  • LightStream
    • 4.49% to 20.49%APR Range
    • 660Minimum Credit Score
    • $5,000 to $100,000Loan Amount Range
    • 24 to 84 monthsRepayment Terms
    • Same DayTime to Receive Funds

    Lightstream is the online lending platform of Truist, which was formed after the merger of BB&T and SunTrust in 2019. The lender offers same-day funding and reasonable interest rates and doesn’t charge any origination or prepayment fees, making it the best option for personal loans in Long Beach.

    The lender permits using loan funds for various purposes like home improvement, debt consolidation, recreation, wedding, medical costs, etc. Once Lightstream approves your loan, you might receive the funds on the same day. It also offers a discount for setting up automatic payments.

    However, Lightstream only accepts individuals with a good credit history. If you don’t have a good credit score, it’s best to look elsewhere for a loan. It also doesn’t provide online prequalification, which makes the application process a bit more of a hassle.

    Pros

    • Same-day funding available
    • No prepayment or origination fees
    • Auto-pay discount
    • Low interest rates
    • Maximum loan amount of $100,000

    Cons

    • Conducts hard credit inquiry
    • Inflexible due date
    • Doesn’t allow in-person application
    • Restrictions on the usage of loan funds
    • Requires strong credit score
    LightStream

Best Personal Loan Lender for Bad Credit in Long Beach: Upstart


  • Upstart
    • 3.22% to 35.99%APR Range
    • 300Minimum Credit Score
    • $1,000 to $50,000Loan Amount Range
    • 36 to 60 monthsRepayment Terms
    • Next DayTime to Receive Funds

    While Upstart was founded in 2012, it started offering personal loans in 2014. The company uses AI tools to evaluate whether the borrower can repay the loan. MoneyGeek’s research shows it’s the best option for a loan for borrowers with bad credit, as Upstart also considers your education history, employment details and other important factors when applying for a loan.

    Before applying for a loan with this company, you can check if you qualify for it by filling out an online form — doing so won’t negatively affect your credit score. Once Upstart approves your loan, receiving the funds in your account typically takes one business day. You can use the loan funds for home improvement, debt consolidation, medical expenses, weddings and relocation.

    Upstart’s personal loans aren’t a good option for borrowers with a good credit score, as such borrowers can often find better rates and more favorable terms elsewhere.

    Pros

    • No prepayment fees
    • Conducts soft credit check first
    • Next-day funding available
    • Flexible loan amounts
    • Accepts people with bad credit

    Cons

    • Charges origination fees
    • Charges late fees
    • Limited repayment terms available
    • Doesn’t offer auto-pay discount
    Upstart

Best Personal Loan Lender for Good Credit in Long Beach: SoFi


  • SoFi
    • 5.74% to 20.28%APR Range
    • 680Minimum Credit Score
    • $5,000 to $100,000Loan Amount Range
    • 12 to 60 monthsRepayment Terms
    • Two DaysTime to Receive Funds

    Established in 2011, SoFi is an online lending platform that is a solid option for personal loan borrowers with good to excellent credit and an annual income of at least $50,000.

    SoFi offers personal loans of up to $100,000 and generous payment terms of up to 60 months. The company performs a soft credit check, which is not visible to lenders and doesn’t impact your credit scores. Borrowers also don’t need to worry about paying origination fees, prepayment fees or late fees. The 0.25% discount for automatic repayment also translates into substantial savings over the course of your loan.

    A unique advantage of getting a SoFi personal loan is that borrowers can get unemployment protection that lets them pause their loan payments while they’re still actively looking for a job.

    Pros

    • No prepayment or origination fees
    • Loans funded within two days
    • Unemployment protection
    • Performs soft credit check first

    Cons

    • No co-signers allowed
    • Requires good to excellent credit
    • High minimum income requirements
    SoFi

Best Personal Loan for Debt Consolidation in Long Beach: Upgrade


  • Upgrade
    • 5.94% to 35.47%APR Range
    • 560Minimum Credit Score
    • $1,000 to $50,000Loan Amount Range
    • 36 to 60 monthsRepayment Terms
    • Same DayTime to Receive Funds

    Upgrade is one of MoneyGeek’s top picks for low-income borrowers looking for a personal loan. This lender does not have minimum income requirements, and they accept applicants with a FICO score of at least 560. They offer loans of up to $50,000, and their repayment terms are flexible at 60 months maximum.

    Upgrade doesn’t charge penalties for individuals who choose to pay off their loans early. They also provide a discount if you sign up for autopay.

    However, since Upgrade caters to borrowers with low and fair credit, their interest rates are relatively high. Their loans also carry an origination fee and late payment penalty. While they only conduct a soft inquiry during pre-qualification, they don’t allow co-signers. Nonetheless, this lender accepts joint applications, giving borrowers with poor credit a better chance of loan approval.

    Pros

    • Performs soft credit inquiry first
    • No prepayment fees
    • Direct payment to third-party creditors for debt consolidation
    • Low minimum loan amounts
    • Same-day funding available

    Cons

    • Charges a high APR
    • Limited loan repayment terms
    • High origination fees
    Upgrade

Best Personal Loan for Home Improvement in Long Beach: Best Egg


  • Best Egg
    • 4.99% to 35.99%APR Range
    • 700Minimum Credit Score
    • $2,000 to $50,000Loan Amount Range
    • 36 to 60 monthsRepayment Terms
    • Next DayTime to Receive Funds

    Best Egg was launched in 2014 and the company has funded over $6 billion in personal loans since then. MoneyGeek’s research shows that it’s the best option if you want a loan to finance home repairs, renovations or other home-related projects.

    A Best Egg personal loan can be used to cover the costs of window replacement, kitchen remodeling, extensive home renovations and more. Since the company offers fast loan processing and might be able to disburse the funds as soon as the next business day, it’s the ideal lender for funding immediate home improvement tasks.

    If you don’t have a high credit score, Best Egg will charge you a high APR, which can go up to a maximum of 35.99%. This makes it a bad option for those with poor credit scores.

    Pros

    • Permits usage of loan funds for various purposes
    • Conducts soft credit inquiry first
    • No prepayment penalty
    • Next-day funding available
    • Flexible loan amounts

    Cons

    • Potentially high interest rates
    • Charges origination fees
    • Limited loan repayment terms
    Best Egg

How to Choose the Best Personal Loan Lender in Long Beach for You

A personal loan is a great option to cover an emergency expense. However, it’s also important to evaluate your needs and consider other factors like current income, credit score and previous debt before applying for a loan. Considering these factors will help you understand how large of a loan you need and which lender would suit you best. In California, the average personal loan debt is $16,790. MoneyGeek recommends following these steps before applying for a loan.

1
Ask Yourself the Important Questions

Evaluating your financial situation involves asking various essential questions that give you an idea of your funding needs, credit score, previous debts and how much monthly payment you can afford. Understanding these factors will help you analyze the loan products of different lenders and figure out if they are the best fit for your needs. Before starting to look for a lender, ask yourself the following questions.

  1. How much funding do I need?
  2. What is my credit score?
  3. Can I afford the monthly payment?
  4. How much debt do I already have?
2
Do Your Research

Once you’ve chosen a few potential lenders, it’s best to dig in and do deep research on what they have to offer. You can also explore other options and compare various lenders to see how they differ. This is an important step, as a loan is a long-term commitment that involves making monthly payments for a few years. Doing your research will help you save money and time in the long run. While MoneyGeek has resources that’ll help you research different lenders, you should also explore on your own as our recommendations might not be perfect for your circumstances.

3
Wait

If you think you’ve found the perfect lender based on your needs, wait a few days before applying. Meanwhile, explore other options and look for ways to positively affect your financial situation without a loan. You can also ask around and see what others have to say about the service quality of your lender. It’s important not to rush while making a decision.

4
Read the Fine Print

Once you’re satisfied with your lender, look at their fine print and consider their fees and charges, which might include prepayment, origination and late payment fees. It would be best to thoroughly read the fine print to see if there are any hidden charges.

5
Apply

After understanding the lender’s fees, you can apply for the loan. The lender might ask you for identification, address verification and income details at this stage. Many lenders will permit you to submit an online application. However, if you don’t feel comfortable applying online, you can also apply in person with many lenders.

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

After you apply for a loan, it’s not guaranteed that the lender will approve it. It’s possible that the lender will reject your loan application. If that happens, it’s not necessarily a cause of concern. Lenders can reject loan applications for various reasons, including a low credit score, unstable employment, insufficient income and incomplete application, among others.

It would be best to ask the lender what factors caused them to reject the loan. Once they let you know the reason, you can work with them to improve it and re-apply. For instance, if the lender rejected your loan because of a low credit score, you can get a credit-building loan or a secured credit card to rebuild your credit history. Some borrowers may want to apply with a different lender; however, it should be avoided until they have improved whatever factor caused them to be denied in the first place.

You might also want to opt for a payday loan. However, MoneyGeek advises against getting a payday loan as it has significantly high interest rates and very short terms, often resulting in the accumulation of more debt.

Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Loans in Long Beach

The best personal loan lender for you will depend on your credit score, financial needs, income and other essential factors. MoneyGeek researched the following frequently asked questions about personal loans in Long Beach to help you understand how they work in the city.

What is the best personal loan lender in Long Beach?
Which lender in Long Beach has the lowest interest rate?
Can I use a personal loan for vacations in Long Beach?
Can I use a personal loan for home improvement in Long Beach?
What can I not use my personal loan for in Long Beach?
How much can I borrow in Long Beach?
How long does it take to get a personal loan in Long Beach?
Can I pay off my loan early in Long Beach?

Our Personal Loan Methodology

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We reviewed more than 30 personal loan lenders using 35+ individual data points across six key categories: loan affordability, accessibility, consumer friendliness, customer service, flexibility and lender transparency.

Within each ranking criteria category, we considered several individual data points that we feel carry the most weight when choosing a personal loan lender. These factors include APR ranges, available loan amount, minimum credit score, minimum income amount, application fees and disbursement time.

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.

About Christopher Boston

Christopher Boston headshot

Christopher (Croix) Boston was the Head of Loans content at MoneyGeek, with over five years of experience researching higher education, mortgage and personal loans.

Boston has a bachelor's degree from the Seattle Pacific University. They pride themselves in using their skills and experience to create quality content that helps people save and spend efficiently.

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.

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