Best Personal Loans for Fair Credit
Fair credit — roughly 580 to 669 FICO — limits your options but doesn't eliminate them. Here's where to look and what to expect.
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This page is built to move you into the quiz first. The ranked offers below are a representative preview for this borrower profile, not your final matches.
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Example lenders for this borrower profile
These lender cards are a sample view for the scenario on this page. Start the quiz to personalize by your own amount, credit, and location.
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9 representative offers shown before quiz personalization
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LightStream
APR
7.49%
Est. mo. payment
$198
Loan range
$5K–$100K
Total fees
$0
LightStream
APR
7.49%
Est. mo. payment
$198
Loan range
$5K–$100K
Total fees
$0
Upstart
APR
7.80%
Est. mo. payment
$220
Loan range
$1K–$50K
Total fees
$480
Upstart
APR
7.80%
Est. mo. payment
$220
Loan range
$1K–$50K
Total fees
$480
Discover Personal Loans
APR
7.99%
Est. mo. payment
$197
Loan range
$3K–$40K
Total fees
$0
Discover Personal Loans
APR
7.99%
Est. mo. payment
$197
Loan range
$3K–$40K
Total fees
$0
Personalized results after quiz · Disclosure context remains visible before clickout
How to compare offers for this profile
Fair credit (580–669 FICO) means lenders see you as a moderate risk — higher than a prime borrower, lower than a subprime one. You'll qualify at most of the lenders on this page, but the rates you're offered will be higher than what excellent-credit borrowers see, typically ranging from 14% to 28% depending on the lender, your income, and the specifics of what drove your score down. The lenders shown here were filtered for $8,000 at approximately 660 FICO — if your score is below 620, focus on lenders like Upgrade, Best Egg, and Upstart, which explicitly serve lower-score borrowers. One important note: some lenders that accept fair credit still have higher rejection rates in that range, meaning pre-qualification is valuable before formally applying anywhere.
Look for lenders that use more than just your FICO score
Some lenders — Upstart and Upgrade in particular — consider income stability, employment history, and banking behavior alongside your credit score. If your score is suppressed by a single negative item (a medical collection, one missed payment) but your financial situation is otherwise healthy, these lenders may be more sympathetic than score-focused ones.
A co-signer can unlock significantly better terms
If you have a creditworthy friend or family member willing to co-sign, the loan will be underwritten at their score, not yours. This can shift you from 22% APR to 10% APR on the same loan amount. Understand that the co-signer is equally liable — if you miss payments, it damages their credit too.
Borrow only what you need — total cost matters most here
At fair-credit rates (15–22%), every extra $1,000 borrowed costs roughly $150–$220 in interest over 3 years. Borrow the minimum amount that solves your problem. If you can pay off the loan in 2 years rather than 3, do so — prepayment penalties are rare among these lenders.
Watch out
Some lenders that accept fair credit charge origination fees of 5–10%, which can add $400–$800 to a $8,000 loan. Always calculate the total cost of the loan (interest + fees) over the full term, not just the monthly payment — a slightly higher APR at a no-fee lender can still be cheaper overall.