Helix loans review: Expensive, small personal loans for emergencies

Woman sitting at computer, researching helix loansImage: Woman sitting at computer, researching helix loans

In a Nutshell

Helix offers small loans to people who want to cover an emergency expense like a car repair. But these loans come with very high interest rates and must be repaid weekly or biweekly.
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Helix is no longer offering new personal loans. For more options, check out our roundup of emergency loans.


What you need to know about a Helix loan

Helix is the lending arm of Kendall Bank, which based in Overland Park, Kansas. The lender offers unsecured personal loans that don’t require collateral.

Who is a Helix loan good for?

Helix loans are very expensive — its interest rates are much higher compared to other lenders’ rates and average personal loan rates. Explore every other option before applying for a Helix loan.

For example, you may want to use an existing credit card, ask for help from a family member or apply for a lower-cost payday alternative loan from a federal credit union.

Even a cash advance from popular apps like Dave or Earnin probably makes more sense, depending on how much you need to borrow.

If you decide to go with a Helix loan, do your best to avoid late payments and repay your loan early if at all possible.

*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.


About the author: Anna Baluch is a freelance personal finance writer from Cleveland, Ohio. You can find her work on sites like The Balance, Freedom Debt Relief, LendingTree and RateGenius. Anna has an MBA in marketing from Roosevelt Un… Read more.