Everyday misfortunes, such as a damaged heating element or mechanical problem, can wipe away savings and cause you to reach your credit card limit if you are short on cash or already in debt.
Although taking out a loan shouldn’t be your first line of defense, it can be a great assistance in getting your finances back on track when you need to get back on your feet.
An Upgrade Personal Loan application and approval processes are quick and straightforward. APRs between 5.94% and 35.97% is available to customers with fair to good credit, which meets the requirements. Your credit score won’t be affected if you go ahead and check your rate for an upgrade loan to see if you qualify for the low-interest rate offered.
The useful financial literacy tools are one reason why Select suggests upgrading. To better understand how various activities and circumstances could affect your credit, Upgrade provides a free credit score simulator and charts that follow your score over time, should you decide to apply for a loan with them.
Upcoming, we will examine Upgrade’s benefits, fees, loan amounts, and repayment periods in detail.
Upgrade Personal Loan
Minimum credit score: 560
APR range: 5.94% to 35.97%
Loan amounts: $1,000 to $50,000
Term lengths: 3 to 5 years
Min. annual income: $30,000
Why We Selected It
With the 2017 release of their Upgrade, the states of Iowa, Vermont, and West Virginia were added to the list of those able to use their online and mobile banking and credit services. The site has expanded its lending to over 10 million users and has loaned over $3 billion since its inception. With maximum APRs significantly higher than those offered by competing online lenders, Upgrade caters to borrowers with poor credit by making loans available.
Borrowing options begin at $1000, with the maximum loan amount set at $35,000. Lenders who specialize in low-risk borrowers charge less than this. Both three- and five-year loan periods are available. Borrowers will be charged $10 if their payment is more than 15 days late or is declined by Upgrade. The origination cost ranges from 2.9% to 8% of the loan amount. Auto-pay is not a money-saver. However, there are no prepayment fees for loans taken out by Upgrade customers. Thus doing so can reduce the overall cost of borrowing.
The Upgrade mobile app streamlines the borrowing process by allowing users to monitor their loan status, make payments, and edit their profile information from anywhere. Additionally, Upgrade’s Credit Health service makes it simple to monitor your credit score during the life of your loan.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Very low Required Loan Amounts
- Allows Debtors to Receive Payment From a Third Party
- There are no prepayment costs.
- Permits Multiple Application
Cons
- Includes an upfront cost for the loan’s origination
- Loan amounts are capped at $50,000.
- Interest rates that are significantly higher than the market average
Who Benefits Most from Upgrade Personal Loans?
In most cases, borrowers only require smaller loans, and the range of eligible amounts for Upgrade Personal Loans is only $1,000 to $50,000. Upgrading your credit may help you get authorized as a borrower, but borrowers with excellent credit will be able to avoid the company’s most expensive interest rates by applying elsewhere. Personal loans for upgrades are typically unsecured, although the lender might provide a secured option if it helps an application get approved faster or gets them a better interest rate.
Keep in mind that if you live in Iowa, West Virginia, or the District of Columbia, Upgrade won’t be able to help you get a loan.
Upgrade Personal Loan Purposes
| Permitted | Prohibited |
|---|---|
| Consolidation of Debt | Costs associated with higher education, such as those for courses, housing, books, and food. |
| Refinancing of credit card debt | Investments |
| Enhancements to the Home | Illegal actions |
| Extravagant purchases | Any form of gambling |
Details of Upgrade Personal Loan
Loan Amounts & Terms
Loan amounts: Individuals can borrow anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000 with an upgrade personal loan, with the exact amount depending on the applicant’s credit history. However, most loans have a maximum value of $25,000. Minimum loan amounts in Georgia are $3,005, while in Massachusetts, they are $6,400.
Loan terms: Repayment terms for Upgrade loans range from 24 months to 7 years.
Loan Expenses
APR: Loans for upgrades to your current vehicle have interest rates between 7.46% and 35.97%. Loan rates do not change during the loan term because they are fixed. The APR, a borrower, pays is based on several variables, including her credit score, how she has historically used credit, the length of her loan, and the amount she has borrowed. Autopay enrollment and current debt repayment are additional requirements for the best rates accessible to qualified borrowers.
Origination fees: Loan origination fees for Upgrade personal loans range from 2.9 percent to 8 percent of the loan amount, depending on the borrower’s credit history. This cost reduces the loan amount.
Charges for late: A borrower may be assessed a late payment fee of up to $10 per late payment for more than 15 days overdue—demands for early repayment. Prepayment penalties are not a part of the Upgrade loan structure. Therefore early loan payoff is permitted without additional expense to the borrower.
Cost of transferring title: A one-time title transfer charge may be associated with a personal loan secured by a vehicle. Any money collected for this purpose is kept entirely separate from Upgrade and given solely to the appropriate local motor vehicle agency.
Financial penalties for insufficient funds: If an Upgrade borrower’s payment does not go through, they will be assessed a $10 non-refundable fee.
Benefits and Options
Autopay discount: To encourage customers to switch to automated payments, Upgrade provides a rate reduction. Not specified on the website, but rumored to be 0.5% off the annual percentage rate.
The ability to adjust monthly payments: Borrowers can benefit from the Upgrade that allows them to modify their payment schedules.
Credit reporting and guidance resources: Upgrade provides a credit monitoring service known as Credit Health in addition to unsecured loans, credit cards, and bank accounts. Borrowers can use this service for free to keep tabs on their VantageScore 3.0 credit score and access helpful resources like score simulations and tips for raising their score.
Mobile app: The Upgrade mobile app is compatible with both Apple and Google mobile operating systems. The app’s dashboard serves as a central location for borrowers to do all loan management tasks, including checking the status of their loans, making payments, and editing their profile information. The Credit Health tool is also accessible via a user-friendly mobile app.
Qualification Requirements for Upgrade Personal Loan
Many criteria determine whether an application for a personal loan is approved or denied. Lenders’ underwriting standards vary, but it’s common for them to ask about a borrower’s credit history and other evidence of financial stability. A personal loan may be perfect if you meet the qualifications listed below; however, approval is not guaranteed.
Minimum Required Credit Rating
If your credit score is below 560, you will not be eligible for the upgrade. Because of this, Upgrade is a viable choice for borrowers with average or below-average credit who require modest loan amounts. Unfortunately, only the most creditworthy borrowers get the best possible rates.
The Necessary Funding
Upgrading does not disclose its debt-to-income (DTI) ratio restrictions in the same way it does its minimum credit score. Upgrade supposedly gives free cash flow a lot of weight; borrowers that get the authorized need to have at least $1,000 in monthly free cash flow and a DTI of about 40%.
Multiple Applicants and Co-signers
The co-applicant, but not the co-signer, can now be someone else who meets the credit score standards without requiring an upgrade. This can improve the chances of applicants with lower credit scores getting approved for a larger loan or a better interest rate. The good news is that you can quickly determine your individual or joint rate eligibility using Upgrade. All you have to do is tell the online prequalification system that you want to apply jointly by selecting the appropriate option.
Customer Reviews
Due to its easy application process and availability, especially to those with less than perfect credit, Upgrade has received primarily excellent feedback from its clientele. Upgrade, for instance, has a Trustpilot rating of 4.6 out of 5. Many clients have said that the company’s customer support team made the loan application process simple, and the money was deposited into their accounts fast. The Better Business Bureau has given Upgrade an A+ rating, with 4.73 stars out of 5.
Long hold times for customer service and a lack of urgency in the loan approval process are common complaints voiced in negative Upgrade loan reviews. High annual percentage rates (APRs) and origination fees (OrigFees) are other common gripes among customers.
Application Procedure for an Upgrade Personal Loans
Personal loan applications often entail rate prequalification, application submission, and approval waiting periods. Here’s what you need to do to get a personal loan from Upgrade:
Check your rate: Similar to its rivals; Upgrade provides a prequalification process that may be completed online without affecting your credit score. Enter the amount you wish to borrow, the loan’s intended use, and your details to estimate the interest rate you will likely be offered. You will also be asked here if you are applying solo or with a partner.
Formal applications must be submitted: Please apply for the loan formally whenever you are ready to do so and do it online. Documentation such as employment income, bank records, and a government-issued ID will suffice. The status of your application can be viewed in your Upgrade account after you have submitted all required materials. Email notifications of application status changes will also be provided.
Consider an offer: If the terms of the loan offer suit your requirements, you can proceed to provide your banking details and officially accept the loan offer. You will not see any adverse effects on your credit score from the soft credit inquiry Upgrade is performing.
Get ready to wait for the money: Upgrade will pull your credit report to verify your good standing as a borrower when your loan is authorized. This will be reflected on your credit record and may temporarily lower your score. Approval for an upgrade personal loan often results in funds being available within four business days, though this time frame might vary from lender to lender.
Commence making repayments: The first installment is due within 30 days of receiving the loan proceeds. This is deducted routinely from the bank account you listed in your application. However, you can update these details on your account settings page. The upgrade allows you to pick a convenient payment date within the monthly payment schedule.
Duration of Funds Transfer
Upgrade promises that its customers will have access to their loan funds the day after all required verifications have been made. Therefore, customers should anticipate getting payments within four business days following loan acceptance, while the funding availability will ultimately vary on each customer’s bank processing periods. Direct loan payments to third-party creditors may take as long as two weeks to clear, depending on the creditor.
With the exception of Iowa, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, borrowers in all other states can apply for a personal loan through Upgrade. You can borrow between $1,000 and $50,000, which will be in your account as soon as the following business day. Borrowers may use the money for anything from the payment of the existing debt to the financing of significant purchases or improvements to their homes. However, the APRs may be pretty high, and the origination fees may range from 2.9 percent to 8.0 percent.