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Best personal loans for excellent credit in October 2024

Updated Oct 08, 2024

What to know first: A credit score from 800 to 850 shows you know how to manage your credit. And an excellent credit score comes with many perks, including access to some of the best personal loan APRs available, higher loan amounts and more repayment options.

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PERSONAL LOANS

Upstart: BEST FOR LOW INTEREST RATES

4.8

Est. APR
7.80- 35.99%
Loan term
3-5 yrs
Loan amount
$1k- $50K
Min credit score
300

PERSONAL LOANS

Achieve: BEST FOR PEOPLE WITH AN EXCELLENT CREDIT CO-BORROWER

4.7

Est. APR
8.99- 35.99%
Loan term
2-5 yrs
Loan amount
$5k- $50K
Min credit score
620
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PERSONAL LOANS

Happy Money: Best for specialized debt consolidation

4.6

Est. APR
11.72- 17.99%
Loan term
2-5 yrs
Loan amount
$5k- $40K
Min credit score
640
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PERSONAL LOANS

Citi® Personal Loan: Best for no fees

4.6

Est. APR
11.49- 20.49%
Loan term
1-5 yrs
Loan amount
$2k- $30K
Min credit score
720
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PERSONAL LOANS

Upgrade: Best for paying off debt

4.7

Est. APR
9.99- 35.99%
with AutoPay
Loan term
2-7 yrs
Loan amount
$1k- $50K
Min credit score
580
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PERSONAL LOANS

Best Egg: BEST FOR QUICK FUNDING

4.6

Est. APR
7.99- 35.99%
Loan term
3-5 yrs
Loan amount
$2k- $50K
Min credit score
600
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PERSONAL LOANS

Prosper: BEST FOR JOINT APPLICATIONS

4.6

Est. APR
8.99- 35.99%
Loan term
2-5 yrs
Loan amount
$2k- $50K
Min credit score
640

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A closer look at our top excellent credit loan lenders

Here's a deep dive into the lenders, why each is the best in its category and, specifically, who would benefit most as a client.

LightStream: Best for excellent credit

LightStream
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7

Overview: LightStream — part of Truist Bank — is an online lender providing loans that can be used for practically any legal purpose. It offers exceptionally low rates for creditworthy borrowers, and is the only company among our best lenders that offers a customer service guarantee of $100.

Est. APR
6.94%–25.29%
Loan amount
$5k– $100k
Min credit score
695

Upstart: Best for low interest rates

Upstart
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
4.8

Overview: Upstart was founded in 2012 and is an online lender that leverages AI technology to evaluate applications. It doesn't charge any prepayment fees, offers same-day funding and has one of the lowest minimum rates out of the best excellent credit lenders, starting below 8 percent. 

Est. APR
7.80%–35.99%
Loan amount
$1k– $50k
Min credit score
300

Achieve: Best for people with an excellent credit co-borrower

Achieve
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7

Overview: Achieve is a lender dedicated to helping borrowers consolidate and eliminate excessive amounts of high-interest debt. It offers discounts to its members and provides personalized debt relief solutions. 

Est. APR
8.99%–35.99%
Loan amount
$5k– $50k
Min credit score
620

Happy Money: Best for specialized debt consolidation

Happy Money
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6

Overview: Founded in 2009 in Costa Mesa, California, Happy Money is a lender that features one loan designed to consolidate debt — the Payoff Loan. It also features the lowest APR maximum out of our best excellent credit lenders.

Est. APR
11.72%–17.99%
Loan amount
$5k– $40k
Min credit score
640

Citi: Best for no fees

Citi® Personal Loan
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6

Overview: Citi has the longest history out of all of our best lenders across all categories. Established in 1812, the national bank started as the City Bank of New York. It offers loans for borrowers with excellent credit and unlike most of our excellent credit lenders, doesn't charge any fees.

Est. APR
11.49%–20.49%
Loan amount
$2k– $30k
Min credit score
720

Upgrade: Best for paying off debt 

Upgrade
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7

Overview: Aside from credit cards, checking and savings accounts, Upgrade offers personal loans that can help you consolidate debt.

Est. APR
9.99%–35.99%
Loan amount
$1k– $50k
Min credit score
580

Best Egg: Best for quick funding

Best Egg
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6

Overview: Best Egg offers tools, products and resources to help consumers get approved for financing products and reach their financial goals. Unlike most traditional lenders, the company offers both secured and unsecured loan options.

Est. APR
7.99%–35.99%
Loan amount
$2k– $50k
Min credit score
600

Prosper: Best for joint applications

Prosper
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6

Overview: Founded in 2005, Prosper is headquartered in San Francisco. It started solely as a peer-to-peer lender but has since added other products while maintaining a solid core personal loan offering. Its minimum APR is on the lower end, and it allows for co-applicants, which can make landing that low APR more attainable.

Est. APR
8.99%–35.99%
Loan amount
$2k– $50k
Min credit score
640

TD Bank: Best for convenience

TD Bank
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7

Overview: TD Bank is one of the few banks included on our list of excellent credit lenders. Established in 1995, TD Bank has a host of features that make it convenient for borrowers, such as its online and mobile banking options, live 24/7 customer service and its wide network of branches across the East Coast. 

Est. APR
9.99%–23.99%
Loan amount
$2k– $50k
Min credit score
700

What is an excellent credit personal loan?

An excellent credit loan is a personal loan that's geared toward the most creditworthy borrowers. This means that only those with higher FICO scores will qualify for the best terms or, in some cases, at all. Borrowers may also have to meet stringent financial requirements to qualify. 

While this will vary depending on the lender, most require that applicants have a strong, established credit history, a steady income (some even have minimum income requirements), a clean credit report and a low debt-to-income (DTI) ratio

Excellent credit loans aren't easy to qualify for, seeing as they're the most competitive on the market. When compared to other loans, they offer the lowest minimum APRs, lower origination fees and flexible repayment options.

What are the best uses for an excellent credit personal loan?


Nationally recognized student financial aid expert

If you have excellent credit, you are more likely to qualify for a personal loan, but you will also pay a lower interest rate, saving you money. Although you can use a personal loan for many things, such as paying for a wedding, cosmetic surgery, traveling and going on a vacation, the best uses are the ones that yield a positive return on your investment, as opposed to pure consumption. These include paying for your education, home improvement and business startup expenses. Using a personal loan for debt consolidation can also help you save money by reducing the average interest rate on your debt.

Senior Loans Writer

With some excellent credit rates hovering around the 6 percent range, an excellent credit personal loan can be a strategic tool to fill temporary cash needs. It can fund the completion of an over budget home improvement much more quickly and at a lower rate than current home equity loans. If you need a quick funding source to make a large purchase you had intended to pay for with a delayed commission or bonus, an excellent credit loan may fill the gap. These loans also come in handy if you’re buying and renovating property and need quick, cheap cash to complete the improvements.

Average personal loan rates for excellent credit

The average personal loan rate for excellent credit is 12.42 percent APR. However, with some lenders, your rate could be much lower. In fact, some of the lenders profiled offer rates below 8 percent.

CATEGORY CREDIT SCORE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE IN THIS CATEGORY ESTIMATED APR
Excellent 800-850 21% 10.73%-12.50%
Very good 740-799 25% 10.73%-12.50%
Good 670-739 21% 10.73%-19.90%
Fair 580-669 17% 17.80%-32.00%
Very poor 300-579 16% 28.50%-32.00%
Source: Experian, Bankrate Data
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In the news

The Fed’s surprise half-point rate cut is encouraging news after rates were hiked at the fastest pace in 40 years. Lenders may start lowering interest rates for personal loans, especially for excellent credit borrowers. Now that mortgage rates are also headed lower, it’s also good news if you borrow some money to fix up your home to sell. You can get cash quickly to get your home show-ready without tying up any equity you’ll need for a down payment on your next home.

– Denny Ceizyk, Bankrate Senior Loans Writer

How to compare excellent credit lenders

When choosing a personal loan lender, consider your needs and financial goals. You’ll want to shop around and compare lenders to find the best match for your situation. It would help to base your comparison on several factors, including:

  • Qualification requirements: You can get a loan from this lender.
  • Available loan amounts: The available amounts cover your needs.
  • Loan terms: The available loan terms are realistic for your budget.  
  • Annual percentage rate: The cost to borrow is lower than others.
  • Fees: There are no prepayment penalties and other fees are low.
  • Time to funding: You can get the funds when you want them.
  • Customer support: You can get satisfactory assistance when you need it.

Pros and cons of excellent credit personal loans

As with any financial product, there are advantages and disadvantages of personal loans — even if you have excellent credit.

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Pros

  • Lower interest rates than credit cards.
  • Not secured by any assets.
  • Fixed interest and repayment terms.
  • Flexibility with use of funds.
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Cons

  • Origination fees.
  • Must pay interest over life of loan.
  • May increase debt-to-income ratio.
  • Funds disbursed in one lump sum

Alternatives to personal loans for excellent credit users

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Alternatives to personal loans

If a personal loan isn't the best fit for your situation, there are alternative funding options to consider. Look into each product's details and consider the potential long-term financial impact before making a final decision. 

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Frequently asked questions about excellent credit personal loans

How we choose our best excellent credit loan lenders

Bankrate's trusted personal loans industry expertise

48

years in business

30

lenders reviewed

20

loan features weighed

665

data points collected

To select the best excellent-credit personal loans, Bankrate’s team of experts evaluated over 30 lenders. Each lender was ranked using a meticulous 20-point system, focusing on four main categories: