Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit in April 2024

If you have bad credit, review these pros and cons before determining if a debt consolidation loan is right for you.

Will the interest rate you receive be worth it? If you have serious credit problems, you’ll likely have trouble qualifying for a decent APR. Compare the interest rates on your existing debts with possible rates for debt consolidation loans. Loan prequalification lets you compare estimated APRs without hurting your credit score.

Do you have a debt payoff plan? Consolidation alone usually isn’t enough to help you achieve freedom from debt. But if you’re willing to follow a plan for how to get out of debt, a consolidation loan could help.

Can you avoid new debt? You don’t want to pay off your current debts with a consolidation loan and start racking up more debt. You’ll need to be 100% committed to avoiding new debt, or consolidation could snowball into a bigger money and credit problem down the road.

Unsecured debt consolidation loans aren’t your only option for getting out of debt — here are a few alternatives.

Credit counseling or debt management plan

If you’ve fallen into debt, you could contact a nonprofit credit counseling agency that helps people negotiate with creditors and creates a debt management plan. Those debt management plans simplify your monthly debt payment, much like a consolidation loan does.

Credit counselors often are an affordable option relative to financing your debt, but make sure you find a credit counselor that meets your specific needs. They can also help you create a budget and teach money management skills.

Home equity loan

Sometimes you can find better terms on debt financing if you can take out a secured loan, which uses collateral. With a home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC), you can use your home to finance your new loan — but watch out, because nonpayment could mean foreclosure. Home equity loans tend to have better interest rates than debt consolidation loans.

Other secured loan

Home equity loans are one of many types of secured loans, which include collateral like cars, bank accounts and other valuable items. For debt consolidation, loans financed with cars or funds in a savings or investment account might have more favorable terms — but again, they come with serious risk. For example, failure to make debt payments on an auto title loan might make you lose your car.

401(k) loan

Some companies let you borrow from your 401(k). Interest rates and fees tend to be lower, but you can only borrow up to half of the vested amount or $50,000 (if the vested amount is higher). You might also have to pay the balance in full if you leave your job.

Balance transfer cards for credit card debt

Financing debt with a balance transfer credit will help you avoid paying further interest in the short-run and could wind up saving you some money. If you’re able to pay off the debt during the introductory period, which lasts between a year or two, you’ll pay 0% APR — but if you carry a balance past that, you’ll have to pay back interest and potential fees.

We reviewed more than 25 lenders that offer personal loans to determine the best debt consolidation lenders for bad credit. To make our list, lenders must offer competitive annual percentage rates (APRs). From there, we prioritize lenders based on the following factors:

• Accessibility: Lenders are ranked higher if their personal loans are available to more people and require fewer conditions. This may include lower credit requirements, wider geographic availability, faster funding and easier and more transparent prequalification and application processes.
• Rates and terms: We prioritize lenders with more competitive fixed rates, fewer fees and greater options for repayment terms, loan amounts and APR discounts.
• Repayment experience: For starters, we consider each lender’s reputation and business practices. We also favor lenders that report to all major credit bureaus, offer reliable customer service and provide any unique perks to customers, like free wealth coaching.

LendingTree reviews and fact-checks our top picks on a monthly basis.