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What is an installment loan & how does it work? Know the basics
Installment loans are a type of financing that has fixed interest rates and are paid back over a set number of months.
The better you understand how loans work and how lenders think, the better equipped you are to save on your loan.
— Pippin Wilbers
About the author
Pippin Wilbers is a Bankrate editor. He joined the personal loans team in 2024, though he's also contributed work on the auto loans, credit cards, student loans and small business loan verticals. Pippin is passionate about demystifying complex topics, such as car financing or finding the best personal loan, and helping borrowers stay up-to-date in a changing and challenging borrower environment.
Pippin stays on top of industry news sources, such as TransUnion and Experian. Working with reporters Hanneh Bareham and Denny Ceizyk, he analyzes industry data and trends and asks: "What does this mean for borrowers?"
Pippin lives in Denver. Before joining Bankrate, he brought vital news to his community as a small-town newspaper reporter. In his spare time, he enjoys foraging for mushrooms, reading, and dabbling in amateur entomology.
The better you understand how loans work and how lenders think, the better equipped you are to save on your loan.
— Pippin Wilbers
Installment loans are a type of financing that has fixed interest rates and are paid back over a set number of months.
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OnDeck is an online lender offering small business loans of up to $250,000 with fast funding times to borrowers with fair credit.
Fundbox offers business lines of credit with flexible repayment terms of up to $150,000 for fair-credit borrowers.
LightStream is an online lender offering unsecured auto loans for new and used car purchases, auto loan refinancing and lease buyouts.