Top Lenders & Best Picks for You
Best Personal Loans in Long Beach, CA
Updated: December 28, 2023
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- The Best Overall Personal Loan Lender in Long Beach
- The Best Personal Loan Lender for Bad Credit in Long Beach
- The Best Personal Loan Lender for Good Credit in Long Beach
- The Best Personal Loan Lender for Debt Consolidation in Long Beach
- The Best Personal Loan Lender for Home Improvements in Long Beach
- How to Choose the Right Personal Loan for You
- Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Loans in Long Beach
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
Best Personal Loan Lender for Bad Credit in Long Beach: Upstart
Best Personal Loan Lender for Good Credit in Long Beach: SoFi
Best Personal Loan for Debt Consolidation in Long Beach: Upgrade
Best Personal Loan for Home Improvement in Long Beach: 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.
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.
- How much funding do I need?
- What is my credit score?
- Can I afford the monthly payment?
- How much debt do I already have?
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.
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.
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.
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.
MoneyGeek’s 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 our top pick for home improvement loans.
In Long Beach, Upstart has the lowest interest rates, as it charges a 3.22% minimum APR to its borrowers.
Yes, most lenders in Long Beach allow the use of personal loan funds for vacations. However, it’s best to look at the loan agreement first to see if your lender has any restrictions on the usage of loan funds.
Yes, most personal loans can be used for funding home improvement projects in Long Beach. Your lender’s loan agreement will help you understand if it restricts how you can use the funds.
Most lenders prohibit the use of loan funds for business expenses, education costs and any illegal activity. That said, different lenders have varying restrictions, so be sure to read your loan agreement carefully.
The maximum loan amount is different for every lender. MoneyGeek’s research shows that borrowers in Long Beach can get a loan ranging from $1,000 to $100,000.
Every lender has a different loan disbursement time. However, once the lender approves your loan, you might receive the funds in one to seven business days. Some lenders even offer same-day funding.
Yes, most lenders in Long Beach allow you to pay off your loan early. However, you might have to pay a prepayment fee. Read your loan’s fine print to see if your lender will charge a prepayment penalty.
Our Personal Loan Methodology
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.
sources
- Best Egg. "About." Accessed June 16, 2022.
- SoFi. "Our Story." Accessed June 16, 2022.
- Upgrade. "Personal Loans." Accessed June 16, 2022.
- Upstart. "Personal Loans." Accessed June 16, 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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