LendingPoint Personal Loans: 2021 Review

Whether your credit score is in fair shape or less than stellar, you may be able to qualify for a personal loan with LendingPoint. The lender offers quick funding and relatively low loan amounts but also has an origination fee.

Pros and cons of LendingPoint personal loans

Make sure to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of a LendingPoint personal loan before applying.

Pros:

• Options for people with low credit scores: LendingPoint accepts borrowers with credit scores as low as 590, making it an attractive option for people who may have trouble getting approved elsewhere.
• No prepayment penalties: Even if you’re quoted a high APR, you can still save on interest costs by paying your loan off early — LendingPoint charges no fees for doing so.
• Quick funding: Minutes to apply, Approval as fast as 5 seconds. Funding as soon as the next business day.

Cons:

• No joint loans: If you have a subpar credit score and are having trouble getting approved with LendingPoint on your own, it may not be the right lender for you. The lender doesn’t allow joint loans, meaning you can’t add a co-signer in order to improve the overall credit picture.
• High maximum APRs: LendingPoint’s maximum APR of 35.99 percent, likely offered to those with the poorest credit, may increase your monthly payment significantly. If you’re looking to consolidate credit card debt, make sure the offer you get from LendingPoint will be less than what you’re paying now.

Lending terms

LendingPoint offers fixed-rate personal loans ranging from $2,000 to $36,500, with repayment terms from 24 to 60 months. LendingPoint offers loans in 48 states and the District of Columbia. The only states where residents can’t apply is Nevada and West Virginia. Interest rates range from 9.99 percent to 35.99 percent APR, depending on your creditworthiness.

You can use a LendingPoint personal loan for any legal purpose, such as consolidating debt or paying for a wedding. To qualify, you need to have a credit score of at least 590, as well as an annual income of $35,000 or higher. You also need to:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a photo ID issued by a federal, state or local government.
• Have a Social Security number.
• Have a verifiable personal bank account in your name.

You can even get approved if you have a bankruptcy on your credit report, as long as it was discharged at least 12 months ago.

Unfortunately, the lender doesn’t currently allow co-signers. So if you can’t get approved on your own, you’ll need to find a different lender. You also can’t include income from someone else in your household when filling out that portion of the loan application.

If you get approved for a loan, you can receive the funds as soon as the next business day, making it a great option if you’re experiencing an emergency and need quick access to cash.

If you’re hoping to use the loan to improve your credit, though, keep in mind that LendingPoint only reports to Experian and TransUnion. If improving your credit is your priority, find a lender that will report to all three national credit reporting agencies.

Fees and penalties

LendingPoint charges an origination fee of up to 6 percent of the loan amount. If you like, you can have this upfront fee deducted from your loan disbursement instead of paying it out of pocket. If you choose this option, though, you may have to borrow more than you need to make sure you don’t end up with a shortfall.

The lender doesn’t charge an application fee, and it also won’t penalize you if you choose to pay your loan off early.

How to apply for a loan with LendingPoint

To apply for a LendingPoint personal loan, you’ll start with the lender’s prequalification process. During this part, you’ll provide your:

• Desired loan amount.
• Purpose for the loan.
• Date of birth.
• Email address and phone number.
• Income information.
• Last four digits of your Social Security number.

Then click the button that says “Check My Options.” LendingPoint will run a soft credit check and provide a few offers based on the information you provided.

After you choose the offer that best suits your needs, you’ll need to provide some additional information to get approved, including your driver’s license, proof of income, bank statements and a voided check. LendingPoint will then run a hard credit check (which will show up on your credit report) to finalize its offer.

Before you complete this process, though, take a few minutes to compare the offers LendingPoint provides with other personal loan rates from top lenders you might qualify with.

Editorial disclosure: All reviews are prepared by Bankrate.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the lender’s website for the most current information.