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If you have weak or thin credit, a co-signer or co-borrower can make it easier to get approved for a personal loan and help you access better rates and terms.
We've picked the best lenders for borrowers who want to apply with a co-signer or co-borrower, looking at approval requirements, rates, loan amounts, funding times and other factors. For more on how we made out choices, read our methodology.
Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.
Who's this for? Upgrade accepts joint applications with a co-borrower, as well as offers rate reductions for setting up autopay, being a homeowner and having it directly pay your creditors on a debt consolidation loan.
Standout benefits: Upgrade accepts applicants with credit scores as low as 580. Borrowers can also secure their loan with collateral, which can help lenders see you as less risky.
Upgrade offers repayment terms of up to seven years, longer than the five years most lenders offer.
See if you're pre-approved for a personal loan offer.
We like that Upgrade considers borrowers with fair credit and allows you to apply with a co-borrower, which can improve your odds of approval and receiving favorable rates. The maximum interest rate is on the high side, however.
Why Upgrade is the best for financial literacy:
Who's this for? LightStream offers low-interest loans to co-borrowers with repayment terms of 24 to 240 months, or two to 20 years.
Standout benefits: Funds may be available the same day if you are approved by 2:30 p.m. ET.
Best if you need more time to pay off your loan.
LightStream's repayment terms can be as long as 240 months (for certain purposes), which gives you far more flexibility for fitting payments into your budget
24 to 240 months, depending on loan purpose.
7.24% - 24.89%* APR with AutoPay. AutoPay discount is only available prior to loan funding. Rates without AutoPay are 0.50% points higher. Excellent credit required for lowest rate. Rates vary by loan purpose.
We like that LightStream offers competitive APRs, no late or origination fees and long loan term options. But you can't prequalify and the loan minimum may be too high if you only need to borrow a small amount.
Who's this for? SoFi accepts co-borrowers on joint loan applications. And while many banks cap personal loans at $50,000, SoFi offers financing for up to $100,000.
Standout benefits: SoFi doesn't charge origination fees and if your application is approved by 5:30 p.m. ET, you can be eligible for same-day funding. Deferment and forbearance options are available for eligible borrowers experiencing financial hardship.
SoFi approves loans for as much as $100,000, with no origination or application fee.
We like that SoFi has high loan caps and doesn't charge any origination fee, so borrowers get the full amount funded. The credit requirements can be stringent, however, and interest rates for weaker applicants are on the higher side.
Fixed rates from 8.74% APR to 35.49% APR. APR reflect the 0.25% autopay interest rate discount and a 0.25% SoFi Plus interest rate discount. SoFi Platform personal loans are made either by SoFi Bank, N.A. or, Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, operating from its Delaware branch, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. SoFi may receive compensation if you take out a loan originated by Cross River Bank. These rate ranges are current as of 02/23/26 and are subject to change without notice. Not all rates and amounts available in all states. See SoFi Personal Loan eligibility details at https://www.sofi.com/eligibility-criteria/#eligibility-personal. Not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including evaluation of your credit worthiness, income, and other factors.
Who's this for? If you get your funds sent to a bank-issued debit card, OneMain Financial can make funds available within one hour of your loan closing. Payment by check or ACH transfer may take one or two business days.
Standout benefits: OneMain Financial has more than 1,300 physical branches across 44 states.
OneMain Financial allows borrowers to use their vehicle as collateral to improve approval odds and unlock better rates and larger loan amounts.
We like that OneMain accepts borrowers with bad credit and offers secured loans and fast funding. However, its minimum APR is on the high side and the $30,000 financing maximum may be too low if you need a larger loan.
*You must complete a loan application and continue to meet any criteria used to select you for a loan offer. Not all applicants are approved. Loan approval and actual loan terms depend on applicant's state of residence and ability to meet OneMain Financial credit standards such as a responsible credit history, sufficient income after monthly expenses, and if applicable, availability of eligible collateral.
Not all approved applicants qualify for larger loan amounts, lower APRs, or the most favorable loan terms. For example, larger loan amounts typically require a first lien on a motor vehicle that is no more than ten years old, meets our value requirements, and is titled in applicant's name with valid insurance. APRs are generally higher on loans not secured by a vehicle.
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.
OneMain charges origination fees allowed by law. Depending on the state where the loan is opened, the origination fee may be either a flat amount or a percentage of the loan amount. Flat fees vary by state, ranging from $25 to $500. Percentage-based fees vary by state, ranging from 1% to 10% of the loan amount subject to certain state limits on the fee amount.
For information about these fees and minimum and maximum loan sizes available in certain states, visit omf.com/loanfees.
Current OneMain Customers: Loan offers presented to a consumer assume the individual has no active loan with OneMain or one of its affiliates. If a customer applies for a new loan offer, a OneMain representative will discuss available options.
Active-duty military, their spouse or dependents covered by the Military Lending Act (MLA) may not pledge any vehicle as collateral. If you are covered by the MLA, you are not eligible for secured loans.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.Time to Fund Loans: Funding within one hour after loan 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 closing.
Who's this for? If you use your loan for debt consolidation, Happy Money will send payments directly to your creditors.
Standout benefits: Happy Money approves loans ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, with terms of 24 to 60 months.
Happy Money offers resources to help customers improve their relationship with money so that once they get out of debt, they stay that way.
Happy Money's Payoff Loan is a solid option if you're looking to consolidate credit card bills. It offers borrowers with fair credit flexible repayment terms and the option to have the lender pay your creditors directly. The $5,000 minimum may be high for your needs, though, and the origination fee can run from 2% to 12%, which is deducted from your loan proceeds.
Who's this for? Happen Bank lets borrowers have a 15-day grace period before late fees apply and they can make a one-time change to their due date.
Standout benefits: Borrowers can be approved for personal loans of up to $75,000 with funds available in as little as 24 hours.
Happen Bank considers borrowers with FICO Scores of 600 and above, which is in the fair range (between 580 and 669).
Formerly LendingClub, Happen Bank offers competitive rates on a wide range of loan amounts, with funds available in as little as 24 hours after final approval.
Who's this for? First Tech Federal Credit Union is one of the few lenders that allows you to apply with a co-signer who helps you qualify without owning any part of the loan proceeds.
Standout benefits: First Tech doesn't charge an origination fee and funds can be available as quickly as the same business day.
First Tech lets borrowers secure financing with a CD, savings account or stock to unlock a more competitive rate and larger loan amount.
$500 to $50,000 ($500,000 for secured loans)
We like that secured loans can be approved for up to $500,000 and that borrowers are able to defer their first payment for up to 45 days. It also offers optional loan payment protection, which lets you pause or cancel payments if you face a major life hardship
In everyday lending, co-borrowers are much more common than co-signers: A co-borrower applies for the loan jointly and shares responsibility for the loan from the beginning. They may also have rights to the funds and any assets purchased with them.
A co-signer agrees to be responsible for the debt if the primary borrower does not make payments, but can't access the money or assets.
Not all banks allow applicants to apply with either and lenders may use these terms differently, so check carefully before applying.
There are a handful of differences when applying with another person:
Most what you should consider are the same as if you were applying for a loan on your own. The main difference is finding out if a lender accepts a co-signer or co-borrower and if there is a release option. You may also want to ask at what point your co-signer or co-borrower is required to make payment — when the loan is formally in default or after a missed payment?
Beyond that, consider these standard criteria:
While either can help borrowers with weak credit, there are drawbacks.
If you're hesitant to ask someone else to put their financial health at risk for you, there are other ways to get financing without good credit.
Some lenders let you secure your loan with an asset, like a car, savings account or even the fixtures in your house. OneMain Financial and Upgrade allow borrowers to use their vehicle as collateral, while First Tech Federal Credit Union provides savings-secured loans starting at $500. Upgrade allows borrowers to use their home fixtures as collateral.
If you want to try to get approved on your own, some lenders look at factors beyond credit history. Avant and Oportun utilizing data beyond traditional credit scores to cater to borrowers with fair or subprime credit. Avant consider applicants with credit scores as low as 550 and Oportun accepts low-income and no-credit borrowers, as well as applicants who have filed for bankruptcy.
Best for low credit borrowers looking for quick funding.
Avant has a minimum credit score requirement of 580, though most applicants are in the 600 to 700 range. If your loan is approved by 5:30pm on a weekday, funds are generally deposited the next business day
This online lender approves borrowers with lower credit and income requirements than many competitors. We also like its speedy approval process and next-day funding, although it won't pay your creditors directly if you have a debt consolidation loan. The APR and origination fee for applicants with weak credit can be high, but the tradeoff may be worth it if you've been unable to get approved elsewhere.
Designed to lend small amounts of money.
Oportun offers funding amounts from $300 to $10,000, which is definitely on the smaller end compared to most other lenders. However, if you only need to borrow small amounts of money, this shouldn't deter you.
Open to borrowers with no credit history, especially if needing only a small loan.
The most direct way to get approved for a personal loan is to raise your credit score. On time payments will have the most impact, since payment history accounts for 35% of your credit score, but even asking your credit card company to increase your limit can improve your score.
Keep in mind that it can take 30 to 60 days for your credit report to reflect changes, according to Experian.
A lender may perform a hard credit inquiry when evaluating the co-signer, which can lower their score a few points termporarily. If you are approved, the loan is also listed on their credit reports, and can raise their credit utilization rate. Most importatnly, missed payments or a loan default can have a serious negative impact on the co-signer's credit score.
There isn't a universal credit score requirement, but generally, a co-signer with good (670 to 739), very good (740 to 790) or excellent (800 to 850) credit can strengthen your application. A lender will still consider other factors, though, like your income, existing debt and any history of default payments or bankruptcies.
Some lenders will allow a co-signer to be remoevd if the primary borrower has made a suffiicient number of consecutive, on-time payments. It's not automatic or universal, however, so ask a lender before applying.
Some lenders won't allow borrowers to apply with a co-signer if they can qualify without one. If a lender lets you, though, compare the offer you get with one you receive with a co-signer—including APR, fees and total cost of borrowing — to decide if adding them is worth the responsibility and risk.
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice to help them make informed financial decisions. Every personal loan list is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of loan products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
CNBC Select analyzed offerings from more than two dozen banks, credit unions and online lenders that allow borrowers to apply with co-signers or co-borrowers.
To narrow our list, we focused on the following features:
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
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*Your LightStream loan terms, including APR, may differ based on loan purpose, amount, term length, and your credit profile. Excellent credit is required to qualify for lowest rates. Rate is quoted with AutoPay discount. AutoPay discount is only available prior to loan funding. Rates without AutoPay are 0.50% points higher. Subject to credit approval. Conditions and limitations apply. Advertised rates and terms are subject to change without notice. Payment example: Monthly payments for a $10,000 loan at 7.99% APR with a term of three years would result in 36 monthly payments of $313.32.
Fixed rates from 8.74% APR to 35.49% APR. APR reflect the 0.25% autopay interest rate discount and a 0.25% SoFi Plus interest rate discount. SoFi Platform personal loans are made either by SoFi Bank, N.A. or, Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, operating from its Delaware branch, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. SoFi may receive compensation if you take out a loan originated by Cross River Bank. These rate ranges are current as of 02/23/26 and are subject to change without notice. Not all rates and amounts are available in all states. See SoFi Personal Loan eligibility details at https://www.sofi.com/eligibility-criteria/#eligibility-personal. Not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, and other factors.