Step by step
How Our Personal Loan Request Works
One short online request is shared with lenders in our network. Lenders that can work with you show their offers, and you decide whether any of them fit.
On this page
Stage 1: Choose an amount and loan purpose
A 4 pillar funding request starts with two choices: how much you want to borrow, between $500 and $5,000, and what the money is for.
Ask for the amount you actually need rather than the largest amount available. A $2,000 request repaid over 12 months at 24.99% APR works out to about $190.08 a month and $2,280.96 in total (estimate), while borrowing extra raises both numbers. Our personal loan calculator lets you test amounts and terms before you begin. The loan purpose, such as auto repair, debt consolidation or a home repair, helps lenders understand your request but does not lock you into a specific product.
Stage 2: The information you'll provide
The request form asks for identity, contact, income, housing and bank account details so lenders can verify who you are and judge whether a payment fits your budget.
| Information | Examples | Why lenders ask |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Full name, date of birth, Social Security number | Verify your identity and check credit |
| Contact | Email, phone number, home address | Send offers and confirm your state |
| Income | Employer or income source, pay frequency, monthly income | Estimate your ability to repay |
| Housing | Rent or own, monthly housing cost | Calculate your debt-to-income ratio |
| Banking | Bank name, account and routing number | Deposit funds and set up payments |
Have a recent pay stub or benefits statement nearby so your income figures are accurate. Entering numbers that don't match your records can slow down an offer or lead a lender to decline it later.
Stage 3: Soft and hard credit checks
Submitting a request may involve a soft credit check, which does not affect your credit score, while a lender may run a hard inquiry before final approval if you move forward with an offer.
A soft credit check lets a lender see a summary of your credit history to decide whether to present an offer. Only you can see soft checks on your credit report, and other lenders cannot. A hard credit inquiry usually happens after you choose an offer and continue with that lender. A single hard inquiry may lower a score by a few points for a short time, which is why it helps to compare offers before you accept one. Lenders review more than a credit score, including income and existing debts, so check the eligibility guidelines if you are unsure where you stand.
Stage 4: Review and compare offers
Any offer you receive comes from a lender and shows the loan's APR, term, monthly payment and fees, so you can compare the full cost before deciding anything.
Look past the monthly payment. A longer term lowers each payment but raises total interest, and an origination fee may be taken out of the amount you receive. For example, the same $2,000 over 12 months costs about $174.89 a month at 8.99% APR and about $200.91 at 35.99% APR (estimate). Lenders set those numbers, not us, and they vary by lender and by state. If no offer fits, you can close the page at no cost. Our rates page explains what moves an APR up or down.
Timing: how long each stage may take
Most people finish the form in about five minutes, often see whether a lender has an offer within minutes, and may receive funds as soon as the next business day after final approval (estimate).
| Stage | Typical timing (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Complete the request form | About 5 minutes |
| Hear whether a lender has an offer | Often within minutes, sometimes longer |
| Finish the lender's application | 10 to 30 minutes, longer if documents are requested |
| Funds deposited after final approval | Often the next business day, can take several days |
Timing depends on the lender, your bank, the time of day you finish, weekends and holidays, and whether the lender needs extra verification. Funding speed is never promised.
After you accept an offer
Once you accept an offer, your relationship moves to the lender: you sign its loan agreement, receive funds from it, and make every payment to it under its terms.
Before signing, read the agreement for the APR, payment schedule, late fees, any prepayment penalty and how autopay works. Set a reminder a few days before each due date, or turn on autopay if your bank balance can reliably cover it. If you later struggle to make a payment, contact your lender right away and ask about due date changes or hardship options. Questions about your loan account go to the lender, and our contact page covers what we can help with.
Ready to start a request
Starting a request is free, takes about five minutes and never obligates you to accept an offer, and approval is always the lender's decision.
When you have your income and bank details handy, go to the request form to begin. Compare any offers carefully, and choose only a payment that fits your monthly budget.
Ready when you are
Compare personal loan offers in one request
No fee to use our service and no obligation to accept an offer. It takes about five minutes.