OneMain Financial Personal Loan Review
NMLS#1136
Read more about how we rated OneMain Financial.
OneMain Financial is a lender that offers personal loans ranging from 18.00% to 35.99% at fixed rates. Unlike some online loan lenders, OneMain Financial has branches located across 44 states and may be a good fit for consumers who want a face-to-face experience during the loan process.
- Offers secured and unsecured loans: If you have bad credit and aren’t sure if you’d qualify for an unsecured loan, OneMain allows you to apply for a secured loan — meaning you’ll have to provide collateral — in order to receive lower interest rates.
- High interest rates: OneMain Financial charges much higher interest rates than some other competitors, so borrowers with good credit may find better rates elsewhere.
- Small loan amounts: This lender may be a good fit if you’re looking for a small personal loan, as the maximum amount OneMain Financial offers is $20,000.
- Quick funding timeline: The time from submitting an application to receiving your loan funds may take as little as one business day. This is a quick timeline compared to some competitors.
- May change your due date: If you ever need to move things around in your budget, OneMain Financial allows you to select a new payment due date.
- Best for low-credit borrowers: While those with good credit scores can find better interest rates with competitors, consumers with low credit scores may find it easier to qualify with OneMain Financial.
OneMain Financial pros and cons
OneMain Financial offers a lot of perks to consumers looking for a personal loan, but like any lender, it’s not perfect. Here’s what you need to know about the benefits and downsides of a personal loan with OneMain Financial.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Possible to qualify even with poor credit Quick funding timeline Offers secured loans No prepayment fees Can change due date | Charges an origination fee ($25 to $500, or 1.00% - 10.00%) High interest rates (Up to 35.99%) Small loan amounts ($1,500 - $20,000) Larger loan amounts require collateral |
OneMain Financial distinguishes itself from competitors by offering one of the lowest credit score minimums on the market. This makes it possible for borrowers with scores as low as 500 to qualify for loans, and they won’t have to wait long to get their money. According to OneMain Financial’s website, the process takes as little as one day from start to finish. This lender doesn’t charge a prepayment fee, and consumers who don’t meet OneMain Financial’s credit requirements can instead apply for a secured loan.
Unfortunately, if you take out a loan with OneMain Financial, you’ll have to budget for an origination fee, which will be taken out of your total loan balance. OneMain Financial also has much higher interest rates than some competitors and may not be a good fit if you’re looking for a large loan.
OneMain Financial requirements
OneMain Financial isn’t very transparent about its personal loan eligibility requirements, but it’s possible to qualify even with a score as low as 500. Before closing on a loan, you’ll be required to provide:
- Government-issued identification (such as a driver’s license or passport)
- Proof of residence (such as a rental agreement or utility bill)
- Proof of income (such as pay stubs or tax returns)
OneMain loans are not available in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont or in U.S. territories.
Most personal loan lenders consider an applicant’s payment history, income and debt-to-income ratio. If your credit score needs a little work, take steps to improve your score before applying for new credit.
If you meet the basic requirements listed above, you’ll need to tell OneMain how you plan to use your personal loan money. OneMain Financial allows borrowers to use loan money for almost any purpose, but there are certain expenses you cannot put the money toward.
| OneMain Financial loans CAN be used for: | OneMain Financial loans CANNOT be used for: |
|---|---|
Debt consolidation Major life events Recreational purchases Vehicle loans Home improvement projects | College expenses Business/commercial costs Purchasing securities or cryptocurrency Gambling Illegal activities |
If OneMain Financial’s loan options won’t work for your borrowing needs, be sure to shop around for a lender that can best suit your financial goals and offer you the best rates, terms and amounts.
How to get a personal loan with OneMain Financial
OneMain Financial offers an easy, straightforward application process. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- First, you’ll need to input how much money you’d like to borrow, as well as your basic information, including your full name, address and contact information (your email address and phone number).
- Next, you’ll need to provide OneMain Financial with your monthly income information, your employment status, your vehicle status (whether you own, lease or have an auto loan), your date of birth and your Social Security number. After submitting this information, you’ll find out whether you’re preapproved for a loan.
- Next, you’ll need to provide government-issued identification, income verification and residential information so that the lender can verify your information.
- After OneMain Financial verifies your information, you may have to submit to a hard credit inquiry. Once this lender officially approves you, the last step is to sign your loan contract. Borrowers can receive their loan funds within one business day.
If you’re denied a personal loan with OneMain Financial because of your credit score, consider these strategies to boost your odds of approval.
How OneMain Financial compares to other personal loan companies
Even if you believe OneMain Financial aligns with what you’re looking for in a personal loan, it never hurts to shop around and compare lenders. Here’s how a OneMain Financial loan stacks up against similar lenders.
| OneMain Financial | Avant | LendingPoint | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LendingTree’s rating | 4.0/5 | 3.8/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Minimum credit score | 500 | 550 | 660 |
| APRs | 18.00% - 35.99% | 9.95% - 35.99% | 7.99% - 35.99% |
| Loan amount | $1,500 - $20,000 | $2,000 - $35,000 | $1,000 - $36,500 |
| Repayment term | 24 to 60 months | 24 to 60 months | 24 to 72 months |
| Origination fee | $25 to $500, or 1.00% - 10.00% | Up to 9.99% | Up to 10.00% |
| Funding timeline | Receive funds as soon as one business day | Receive funds as soon as one business day | Receive funds as soon as one business day |
| Bottom line | OneMain Financial offers quick loans for borrowers with bad credit. If you have good or excellent credit, you’ll find better starting rates elsewhere. | Avant is a good fit if you need money quickly and have fair or bad credit. You’ll need slightly better credit to qualify, but you can get larger loans with Avant. | LendingPoint has the lowest rates of these lenders, but you'll need to have strong credit to qualify for its best rates. LendingPoint also offers larger loans and longer repayment periods than both OneMain Financial and Avant. |
How we rated OneMain Financial
To come up with our star rating for personal loan companies, LendingTree considered 22 data points across three categories:
- Accessibility: We paid attention to whether lenders offered loans to nontraditional borrowers, as well as those without excellent credit scores. We also checked if lenders offered soft credit pulls and whether they were transparent about eligibility criteria other than credit scores.
- Rates and terms: We wanted to know if lender rates, terms, amounts and fees were not only transparent, but competitive.
- Repayment experience: We based this category on lenders’ reputations, customer support availability and unique benefits.
The data points reflect every step of the process to shop and apply for, borrow and repay personal loans. A five-star lender, for instance, has flexible eligibility requirements, offers you the chance to prequalify without commitment and supports you in zeroing your balance.
The 22 data points, culled from the lenders themselves, determine the overall rating. We score lenders consistently, sometimes awarding partial points, so that you can make apples-to-apples comparisons when shopping around.
LendingTree isn’t paid for conducting these reviews, and lenders don’t have control over their content. With our reviews and ratings, we aim to give our users the objective and exhaustive information they need to make the best possible decisions.
Not all applicants will be approved. Loan approval and actual loan terms depend on your ability to meet our credit standards (including a responsible credit history, sufficient income after monthly expenses, and availability of collateral) and your state of residence. If approved, not all applicants will qualify for larger loan amounts or most favorable loan terms. Larger loan amounts require a first lien on a motor vehicle no more than ten years old, that meets our value requirements, titled in your name with valid insurance. APRs are generally higher on loans not secured by a vehicle. Highly-qualified applicants may be offered higher loan amounts and/or lower APRs than those shown above. OneMain charges origination fees where allowed by law. Depending on the state where you open your loan, the origination fee may be either a flat amount or a percentage of your loan amount. Flat fee amounts vary by state, ranging from $25 to $500. Percentage-based fees vary by state ranging from 1% to 10% of your loan amount subject to certain state limits on the fee amount. Visit omf.com/loanfees for more information. Loan proceeds cannot be used for postsecondary educational expenses as defined by the CFPB’s Regulation Z such as college, university or vocational expense; for any business or commercial purpose; to purchase cryptocurrency assets, securities, derivatives or other speculative investments; or for gambling or illegal purposes.
Borrowers in these states are subject to these minimum loan sizes: Alabama: $2,100. California: $3,000. Georgia: $3,100. North Dakota: $2,000. Ohio: $2,000. Virginia: $2,600.
Borrowers in these states are subject to these maximum loan sizes: North Carolina: $11,000 for unsecured loans to all customers, $11,000 for secured loans to present customers. Maine: $7,000. Mississippi: $12,000. West Virginia: $13,500. Loans to purchase a motor vehicle or powersports equipment from select Maine, Mississippi, and North Carolina dealerships are not subject to these maximum loan sizes.
Example Loan: A $6,000 loan with a 24.99% APR that is repayable in 60 monthly installments would have monthly payments of $176.07.
Time to Fund Loans: Funding within one hour after closing through SpeedFunds must be disbursed to a bank-issued debit card. Disbursement by check or ACH may take up to 1-2 business days after loan closing.
Frequently asked questions
According to OneMain Financial’s website, it takes up to two business days from the time a consumer is approved to the time they receive their loan funds.
OneMain Financial offers loan amounts ranging from $1,500 – $20,000. However, in order to qualify for the higher loan amounts, you may be required to provide collateral. This is known as a secured loan.
OneMain Financial offers both unsecured and secured loans. Unsecured loans do not require collateral, meaning you won’t have to offer up anything valuable to your lender in case you can’t keep up with loan payments.
Secured loans require collateral. They can help borrowers with bad credit qualify for loans because the collateral lowers the risk in the eyes of lenders.
OneMain Financial allows you to use any of the following as collateral:
- Vehicles
- Motorcycles
- Boats
- Campers
- Recreational vehicles (RVs)