Find a $15,000 personal loan
Image: 15000How (and where) to get a $15,000 personal loan
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If you’re planning to take out a $15,000 loan to consolidate debt, fund a major purchase or advance another financial goal, it’s important to weigh your options.
Traditional personal loans tend to have lower rates than credit cards, so they can be an attractive option. But you’ll want to consider your personal finances and what terms you’re likely to qualify for, as well as how payments will fit into your monthly budget.
We’ll review lenders you may want to consider and guide you through the process of applying for a loan.
Average monthly payments for a $15,000 unsecured loan by loan duration and credit score range
| Loan duration | Poor credit | Average credit | Good credit | Excellent credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–12 months | $1,418.18 | $1,601.42 | $1,477.78 | $1,324.58 |
| 13–24 months | $748.57 | $734.41 | $709.14 | $688.87 |
| 25–36 months | $538.71 | $525.29 | $501.53 | $481.68 |
| 37–48 months | $444.32 | $427.81 | 405.72 | $386.88 |
The best $15,000 personal loans
Discover
Discover’s loans come with no origination fees, and there are a wide variety of loan terms to choose from. If you want to consolidate debt with a personal loan, Discover will pay your creditors directly. But take note: You won’t be able to apply with a co-signer.
Alliant Credit Union
Alliant Credit Union might be a solid choice if you’d like a personal loan with flexible repayment terms and the potential for a same-day loan. (Depending on your bank, there may be a wait before you can access your cash.) But you must meet certain membership criteria to join this credit union and apply for a loan.
OneMain Financial
OneMain offers flexible repayment terms, and you can use its loan and payment calculator to estimate your potential monthly payments. There are lots of fees with this lender though, including origination fees, late payment fees, nonsufficient funds fees and governmental fees. OneMain’s starting interest rates are relatively high compared to traditional lenders — you may find a better deal elsewhere if you’ve got good credit.
LightStream
Only borrowers with good-to-excellent credit can qualify with LightStream, but the lender offers competitive interest rates and a rate discount for autopay. Unfortunately, there’s no prequalification process available.
USAA
You can get an autopay discount on your interest rate, and you won’t pay application or prepayment penalty fees. But only USAA members can apply, and membership is limited to veterans, service members and military family members.
How to get a $15,000 loan
Before you take out a loan, you’ll want to consider what you want to finance with the money.
For instance, if you want to renovate your kitchen, you may want to take out a home equity loan instead of a personal loan. But if you don’t own a home and want to consolidate debt, a personal loan will probably make the most sense.
It’s also a good idea to apply for prequalification with several lenders before you make a final decision. Prequalification lets you preview your potential rate and compare loan offers without a hard credit inquiry. Just keep in mind that if you decide to move forward with a lender, they’ll likely run a hard credit inquiry that can affect your scores temporarily.
There are some basic pieces of information you’ll want to have available before you apply, including …
- Paystubs
- W-2s
- Driver’s license/Social Security number/identification
- Monthly expenses, such as housing or other debts
- How much you want to borrow
- Information about any collateral (if you’re applying for a home equity loan, HELOC or secured personal loan)
Depending on your lender and bank, you may be able to receive your money within a few days of approval.
FAQs about $15,000 loans
Your ability to get a $15,000 loan typically depends on your credit profile and a lender’s requirements for approval. For instance, a borrower with bad credit may only be able to get approved from a lender that specifically advertises loans for people with less-than-perfect credit. Applicants with lower credit scores will likely get offers with higher interest rates and fees than people with stronger credit scores get.
$15,000 loans may be available to people with no credit or bad credit, these options likely will come with higher interest rates, fees, or even the need to provide collateral to get approved. If you don’t have a strong credit history, lenders might consider you a risk and structure your loan terms with that in mind. It’s a good idea to apply to prequalify with various lenders so you can shop around and compare potential offers without a hard credit inquiry that can temporarily hurt your credit scores.
*Approval Odds are not a guarantee of approval. Credit Karma determines Approval Odds by comparing your credit profile to other Credit Karma members who were approved for the personal loan, or whether you meet certain criteria determined by the lender. Of course, there’s no such thing as a sure thing, but knowing your Approval Odds may help you narrow down your choices. For example, you may not be approved because you don’t meet the lender’s “ability to pay standard” after they verify your income and employment; or, you already have the maximum number of accounts with that specific lender.