You have financial woes and heard that SoFi offers personal loans.
With numerous financial services companies offering loans in the market, selecting the most suitable one is not easy.
Is SoFi the best option for you?
Let's start by saying that SoFi isn't the best option for those with bad credit, low incomes, or seeking small loans. If you fall into those categories, there are some other more suitable loan options.
This article will evaluate SoFi Personal loans from several perspectives to help you make an informed decision.
SoFi Company Overview
SoFi is coined from Social Finance, inc, the company's full registered name. Students from Stanford Business School founded it in August 2011 to connect recent graduates with alumni in their area using an alumni-funded model.
As of May 2012, SoFi began refinancing federal and private student loans, making it the first company to do so.
By 2020, SoFi had launched a student loan refinancing product for medical residents, mortgages, personal loans, SoFi at Work program, SoFi money, and SoFi invest.
Now, in 2023, the company has 4 million plus followers and has funded people with over $50 billion over the years. In addition to the loan, refinancing, and investment product offers, SoFi members benefit from its educational programs, such as estate planning and career coaching.
SoFi Personal Loans Highlights
- APR: 7.99% – 23.43%
- Loan amounts: $5,000 – $100,000
- Loan term: 2 to 7 years
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Fees:
- Origination fee: $0
- Late fee: $0
- Prepayment penalty: $0
- Time to fund: As soon as the same day
- Min. credit score: 680
- Minimum annual income: $45,000
- Co-applicants permitted: Yes
- Loan availability: Loans are available in every state except Mississippi
- Best for: Borrowers with strong credit and need large loan amounts
- No extra fees
- Same-day Funding
- Relatively Low APR and High Loan Limits
- Flexible Loan Terms
- Interest-rate Discount for Automatic Repayments
- Paused Payment For Unemployed Borrowers
- Mobile Application To Access loans on The Go
- Perks for members
- Due Date Adjustment
- Co-applicants Loan Application Acceptable
- Good Customer Feedback
- High Credit Score Requirement
- High Minimum Loan Amount
- No Secured Loan
- Delay in Decision For Self-Employed Borrowers
- Checking Rates Online Requires Borrower To Open An Account
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5 star
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4 star
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3 star
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2 star
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1 star
SoFi Personal Loans are one of the products that attract borrowers to the company. Although the minimum credit score requirement is pretty high, other benefits make up for it, like low APR, reasonable loan terms, fast funding, and a high loan limit.
Where SoFi Personal Loans Stand Out
No extra fees
SoFi does not charge additional fees like origination, prepayment, or late payment fees on its personal loans. The total cost of borrowing from the company is mainly the interest rate.
Same-day Funding
SoFi provides fast funding to all its borrowers, usually on the same day the loan gets approved. If you don't receive the deposit on the day of approval, there is a high chance that you will receive it on the next business day.
Relatively Low APR and High Loan Limits
SoFi offers a lower APR on its personal loan than other popular loan companies in the industry. It also gives large loan amounts of up to $100,000 to borrowers who qualify for it.
Flexible Loan Terms
SoFi allows borrowers to repay their loans within two to seven years. Because of the flexible term, you can select the most suitable term based on your ability.
You can also decide to go for a short term to access a lower total interest rate or choose an extended period to get lower monthly payments.
Interest-rate Discount for Automatic Repayments
Borrowers who opt for autopay via their bank account can easily secure a 0.25% discount on the interest rate of their loans. Note that this only applies to those who set up a direct deposit of at least $1000 to a SoFi checking account.
Paused Payment For Unemployed Borrowers
If you lose your job while still paying back a SoFi loan, the company has an unemployment protection program that allows you to pause your monthly payment.
Once you apply and it gets approved, SoFi will modify your monthly payment and add your loan to forbearance. You can opt for interest-only payment during the pause period since the rates will continue to add up. That helps to prevent an increase in the total debt.
Mobile Application To Access loans on The Go
SoFi has a mobile app that allows you to manage your loans, savings, and investments easily anytime and anywhere. You can carry out any transactions via the app, from rate calculation to loan application and account management.
Perks for members
SoFi offers loans to its customers and gives them free access to career coaching, financial planning, and discounts for using estate planning services. Members can have free entry to different events organized at the Member Lounge at SoFi stadium.
Due Date Adjustment
When your account is in good standing, you can apply to change the due date of your monthly payment to any day between the 1st and 25th of that same month. However, you must have made one payment before accessing this perk.
Co-applicants Loan Application Acceptable
SoFi allows co-applicants to take out joint loans. A co-applicant shares the same responsibility for a loan as the primary applicant, meaning they are both fully liable for the debt.
To apply, the primary applicant had to add the co-applicant’s employment, income, educational information, and address (must be the same as the primary applicant's).
An implication of adding a co-applicant is that the loan processing may be extended by a week or two. Therefore, it is important to plan ahead of this.
Another thing you should know about co-borrowing is that you cannot remove the co-applicant from the loan regardless of an improvement in your credit score or payment history.
If you remove their name, you may have to pay off the debt completely or refinance with a new loan borrowed in your name.
Note: SoFi does not accept cosigners for personal loans.
There is a huge difference between a co-signer and a co-applicant. While a co-applicant shares joint responsibilities and loan ownership with the applicant, a co-signer does not.
A cosigner simply acts as a guarantor for a borrower and is liable when such a person defaults. Such a person does not have to live at the same address as the applicant too.
Good Customer Feedback
SoFi has a good reputation with consumer watchdogs and their customers. In addition, they are very transparent, more so than many competing lenders. Based on the feedback from customers, most are satisfied with SoFi loan services generally.
For instance, SoFi has a 3.2 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, which is a good score. Most of the members like the easy application, fast funding, and helpful customer support.
There are also negative reviews and complaints about the delays in customer support responsiveness, qualification requirements, high APRs, and approval process.
On BBB also, SoFi gets an A+ review from the platform itself and some of the customers. On the other end, some customers expressed their displeasure about fund seizure, unresponsive customer support, held bonuses, and lag in delivery time.
Note that not all the feedback was about SoFi loan products. Some are for their banking services.
Where SoFi Personal Loans Fall Short
High Credit Score Requirement
The minimum credit score requirement on SoFi is 680, meaning people who have bad credit don't stand a chance of getting their loans approved.
High Minimum Loan Amount
SoFi's starting loan amount is a whooping $5000, which is usually much more than what some borrowers need. So, for anyone who wants to borrow an amount less than $5k, they'd have to seek other means regardless of their qualification.
No Secured Loan
SoFi does not offer borrowers secured loan options. Instead, it relies on their credit score, payment history, and income to determine their qualifications for loans. So, unlike other personal loan lenders that allow collateral, SoFi does not allow it.
Delay in Decision For Self-Employed Borrowers
SoFi bases its qualification on a borrower's income, so self-employed people may find it more difficult to secure a loan than people with traditional jobs and regular paychecks.
Such people have to go the extra mile to prove their income, extending the loan processing time up to 15 days. They may need to submit extra documents like tax statements, bank statements, profit and loss statements, court-ordered agreements, and more.
Checking Rates Online Requires Borrower To Open An Account
Pre-qualification is an essential step for people planning to borrow on SoFi. However, you must open an account before you can check SoFi rates. You cannot do a quick check without first creating an account with them.
Compare Sofi with Other Lenders
SoFi may be a better option if;
- You have a strong credit score and income to access the lowest rates.
- You don't want to pay origination or late fees
- You require a large loan amount.
- You want a more flexible loan term.
LendingClub may be a better option if;
- You require a smaller loan.
- You have a lower credit score.
Personal Loans™ may be a better option if;
- You have a bad credit score
- You want to consolidate your debts
- You want fast funding
7.99%–23.43%
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EST. APR
6.34%–35.89%
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5.99%-35.99%
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$5,000–$100,000
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Loan Amounts
$1,000–$40,000
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$1,000-$35,000
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2 to 7 years
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Loan Term
3 or 5 years
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3 months-6 years
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Origination fee: $0
Late fee: $0
Prepayment penalty: $0
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Fees
Origination fee: 2%-6%
Late fee: 15% of the payment amount
Prepayment penalty: $0
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Origination fees: 1%-5%
Prepayment penalty: $0
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As soon as the same day
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Time to fund
Usually takes about 2 days
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one business day
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680
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Min. credit score
600
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600 for peer-to-peer loans
580 for personal installment loans and bank personal
loans
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$45,000
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Minimum annual income
None
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Not Disclosed
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Yes
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Co-applicants permitted
Yes
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Not Disclosed
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Loans is available in every state except Mississippi
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Loan availability
Loan applications are accepted from all states
except Lowa and the U.S territories
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Not Disclosed
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Borrowers with strong credit Large loan amounts
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Best for
Borrowers with fair credit
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Borrowers with bad credit and want debt
consolidation
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Requirements for Sofi Personal Loans
Minimum Credit Score: You must have a minimum FICO score of 680 to be considered for a loan on SoFi. Those with a 700 score or higher have a higher chance of getting their loans approved.
Employment: You must be employed (traditional job or self-employment), have sufficient income, or have an employment offer that will start within the next 90 days.
Income Requirements: You must have a minimum annual income of $45000, but higher is better. SoFi also calculates the debt-to-income ratio of applicants to see how much of their income goes into debt payment already.
If the remaining income left after paying debt and monthly expenses is not up to $1500, such an applicant has a slim chance of getting a personal loan on SoFi.
Age: You must be at least 18 years old before applying for a SoFi personal loan.
Citizenship: You must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or immigration visa holder to qualify for a loan. You must have at least two years left before your permanent resident or immigration visa expires, or you must have filed for an extension or renewal.
Identification: SoFi requires a government-issued means of identification which may be a Social Security Number, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or Passport.
Apply For A SoFi Personal Loan Online Within 3 Steps
1. Pre-qualify
Before applying for a loan, you should pre-qualify on SoFi's mobile app or site. You will input how much you'd like to borrow, the loan purpose, personal details, income, and employment to preview the loan offers.
This will help you determine the rates you qualify for with your credit score, income, and other requirements. The whole process takes less than three minutes, with the decision time being 60 seconds.
During this process, there will be no hard pull, meaning your credit score will not be affected.
2. Preview Loan Offers, Select One and Fill Out An Application Form
Compare the loan offers and accept the one that suits your needs the most. Once you accept an offer, you'll have to complete your application by filling out a personal loan form. You will be asked for extra documents as proof of all the information filled in during earlier pre-qualification.
Some of those documents include W-2, bank statements, and pay stubs. Then, a hard credit check will be done by SoFi to evaluate your credit report (your credit score may be affected depending on how frequently hard pulls are done).
3. Receive Your Fund and Make Repayment Plans
Once your loan is approved, the loan amount will be deposited into your account that same day or the next business day. Then, you will begin repaying the debt about 40 days after receipt.
Ensure you make adequate plans for repayment because SoFi reports defaulters to three major credit bureaus. Missing payments will be detrimental to your credit score and history.
How CreditYelp rates SoFi
Overall Score | 4.7 | Explanation |
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Requirements & Application | 4.3 | The application process and requirements are clear and straightforward |
Loan flexibility | 4.5 | SoFi allows you to change your due date. |
Rates, Fees & Other Terms | 4.5 | SoFi does not charge additional fees like origination, prepayment, or late payment fees on its personal loans. |
Customer experience | 4.7 | SoFi has good customer reviews across different platforms. |
Transparency | 4.7 | SoFi is transparent about its rates and allows users to prequalify online to preview potential loan offers. |
Sofi FAQs
What Can A SoFi Personal Loan Be Used For?
Permitted uses
Credit Card consolidation
Home improvements
Family planning
Wedding planning
Moving
Medical bills
Travel or vacation expenses
Funeral expenses
Prohibited uses
Business purposes
Security acquisition
All kinds of investments
Post-secondary school educational expenses
Short-term bridge Financing
Is SoFi Legit?
SoFi is a registered bank which makes its operation legitimate. It offers different financial management products and services, including Personal loans, student refinancing, investment, savings, insurance, home loans, private student loans, and banking services.
Apart from interest, SoFi does not charge additional fees. It offers a flexible loan term, low APR, and helpful customer service. A company like SoFi can provide you with high loan limits at a low cost, especially if you have good credit and a steady income source.
Can I Take Out Multiple SoFi Personal Loans At the Same Time?
All borrowers except Michigan residents may take an additional SoFi loan if eligible. You must have made three consecutive scheduled payments on your existing loan to apply.
If you don't qualify initially for a second loan, you can reapply with a co-applicant who lives at your address. Once approved, you will both be liable for the debt until payment is made in full or a refinance happens.
How Do I Contact SoFi?
For personal loan inquiries and complaints, you can talk to a SoFi customer rep by calling 855-456-7634 anytime from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday. You can also chat with their customer support or get help from their virtual assistant.
SoFi Reviews
The review data come from Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs, and WalletHub.
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Trustpilot4.4
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WalletHub2.3
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ConsumerAffairs1.7
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CreditYelp0
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4.4 stars based on 200 reviews
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DDouglas Crittendon5.0Fast,afficient and professional. In the loan process.Keep up the Great Work!
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NN. Capel5.0The loan request was very user friendly. The approval was fast and I was given an update on each process. Very pleased with the results.
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JJennifer Harris5.0Quick and easy!
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NNatalie Numa5.0The process was really easy.
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SSam5.0It was so easy and quick to get through the loan approval process and I couldn't be happier. SoFi's online process was extremely easy to use.
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AAlex Nguyen5.0Swift, efficient application process, rapid response. Excellent experience.
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MMike Farides5.0everything went fast and they did what said they were going to do. Definitely would recommend them to anyone looking for a loan
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KKevin Carlyle5.0easy to get done
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LLetty5.0I was looking for an unsecured personal loan and after checking apr’s with Prosper and Lending Club, I was very disappointed. Then I came across Sofi and obtained a decent apr and a next day approval. Hours later, I received a notification that the loan funded. I can’t tell you how long it takes to see it in your account because all this happened within 48 hrs and I’m already rating them. Great experience altogether.
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DDK1.0They decided to freeze my credit card for 2 months while they were investigating my account and misplayed the documents I mailed to them upon request. After a lot of messing about and wasting hours on the phone with totally inexperienced people, they decided to close my account because I am overseas working for a few months. They have not released my money yet from my checking and savings accounts. Should be interesting to see if or when I get MY money back. Shocking customer service.
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