Key Takeaways
- The overall average interest rate for personal loans moved down by 6 basis points this week to 22.99%.
- The lowest average rate reported by our surveyed lenders was 5.99% APR, while the highest was 36% APR.
- The average loan amount is now $17,961, an increase of $972 since last week, while the average loan term remained at 45 months.
Below are personal loans from our partners, followed by personal loan rates, information, and recommendations based on our research to help you find the best personal loan for your situation.
Lender | Average APR | Average Loan Term (Months) | Average Loan Amount |
---|---|---|---|
25.90% | 42 | $31,901 | |
28.45% | 36 | $11,426 | |
23.25% | 47 | $17,022 | |
13.36% | 37 | $25,234 | |
16.48% | 44 | $21,281 | |
16.26% | 43 | $19,825 | |
25.75% | 44 | $15,692 | |
13.53% | 66 | $29,224 | |
31.17% | 32 | $5,945 | |
28.79% | 46 | $8,160 | |
22.88% | 47 | $17,973 | |
25.26% | 42 | $17,853 | |
29.64% | 45 | $7,078 | |
15.29% | 50 | $33,485 | |
22.08% | 47 | $16,601 | |
23.24% | 47 | $16,540 | |
29.95% | 52 | $9,159 | |
22.53% | 38 | $14,039 | |
All Lenders | 22.99% | 45 | $17,691 |
Personal Loan APRs by Credit Tier | |||
---|---|---|---|
Credit Tier | Average APR Last Week | Average APR This Week | Week-Over-Week Change |
Excellent | 21.37% | 21.05% | - 0.32 |
Good | 23.71% | 23.85% | + 0.14 |
Fair | 26.10% | 28.84% | + 2.74 |
Poor | 25.96% | 20.79% | - 5.17 |
All tiers | 23.05% | 22.99% | - 0.06 |
Personal loan rates began rising over the course of 2022 and in 2023 due to a sustained series of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. To fight the highest inflation rates seen in 40 years, the Fed not only raised the federal funds rate at 11 of its rate decision meetings (except for its June, Sep., Nov., and Dec. 2023 meetings), but it often hiked rates by historically large increments. Indeed, six of those increases were by 0.50% or 0.75%, though the last five increases were more modest at only 0.25%.
The Fed announced at its latest meeting on Dec. 13 that it would hold rates steady. For the upcoming Fed meeting on Jan. 31, 2024, approximately 91% of futures traders are predicting the fed funds rate will hold steady, whereas approximately 9% are predicting a potential 25 basis point decrease.
The Federal Reserve and Personal Loan Rates
Generally speaking, moves in the federal funds rate translate into moves in personal loan interest rates, in addition to credit card rates. However, the Federal Reserve's decisions are not the only rate-setting factor for personal loans. Also important is competition, in 2023 the demand for personal loans increased substantially and will likely continue into 2024.
Though decades-high inflation has caused the Fed to raise its key interest rate by 525 basis points since March 2020, average rates on personal loans haven't risen that dramatically. That's because high borrower demand requires lenders to aggressively compete for closed loans, and one of the primary ways to beat the competition is to offer lower rates. Though personal loan rates did increase in 2022 and 2023, fierce competition in this space prevented them from rising at the same rate as the federal funds rate.
While inflation has recently begun to drop, it remains higher than the Fed's target rate of 2%. The Fed has opted to hold rates steady at its last four meetings, which concluded June 14, Sept. 20, Nov. 1, and Dec. 13. At the Fed's last meeting Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled that the Fed's aggressive campaign of rate hikes is likely over, and that up to three rate decreases were possible in the coming year.
What Is the Predicted Trend for Personal Loan Rates?
If the Fed continues to hold the federal funds rate steady or drops rates at any of its future meetings next year, personal loan rates could potentially begin to trend downward. However, with competition for personal loans still stiff, other factors like the delinquency rate on personal loans could offset the lower cost of funds potentially enjoyed by lenders if the prime rate drops, keeping rates near their current levels. Because most personal loans are fixed-rate products, all that matters for new loans is the rate you lock in at the outset of the loan (if you already hold a fixed-rate loan, rate movements will not affect your payments). If you know you will certainly need to take out a personal loan in the coming months, it's likely (though not guaranteed) that rates in the future will be better than what you can get now, depending on how rates react to any Fed rate decreases or pauses. Unlike credit card rates, which are typically variable and are indexed to the prime rate, fixed-rate personal loans offer the opportunity to know what you will be paying over the term of the loan.It's also always a wise move to shop around for the best personal loan rates. The difference of 1 or 2 percentage points can easily add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest costs by the end of the loan, so seeking out your best option is time well invested.
Lastly, don't forget to consider how you might be able to reduce your spending to avoid taking out a personal loan in the first place, or how you could begin building an emergency fund so that future unexpected expenses don't sink your finances and necessitate taking out additional personal loans.How Do People Use Personal Loans?
daftarlapak303.commissioned a national survey of 962 U.S. adults between Aug. 14, 2023, to Sept. 15, 2023, who had taken out a personal loan to learn how they used their loan proceeds and how they might use future personal loans. Debt consolidation was the most common reason people borrowed money, followed by home improvement and other large expenditures.