Average Personal Loan Rates for February 2024 - NerdWallet (2024)

The average personal loan interest rate for consumers with good credit (690 to 719 credit score) is 15.86%, according to aggregate, anonymized offer data from NerdWallet’s pre-qualification marketplace.

Like home and other consumer loans, personal loan annual percentage rates are currently higher than usual. But many factors determine your rate, including shifts in the economy, the type of lender you apply with and your credit profile.

Here are current average personal loan rates, plus more information about how lenders decide your rate.

Average online personal loan rates

APR ranges for online lenders

Here are APR ranges on loans from online lenders that NerdWallet reviews and rates.

Average bank personal loan rates

APR ranges for bank lenders

Here are APR ranges on loans from banks that NerdWallet reviews and rates.

Average credit union personal loan rates

In December 2023, the average APR on a three-year loan from a credit union was 10.78%, according to the National Credit Union Administration.

APR ranges for credit union lenders

Here are APR ranges on loans from credit unions that NerdWallet reviews and rates.

Are current personal loan rates high?

Overall, personal loan rates are the highest they’ve been in years. Commercial bank loan rates are at a high not seen since before the Great Recession, according to Fed data.

Unlike mortgages, personal loans aren’t directly affected by occasional, incremental changes in the Federal Funds rate — lenders can tolerate those hikes without increasing their rates.

However, persistently rising rates coupled with recession fears prompted lenders to raise their rates in late 2022 and early 2023, and they’ve kept them high.

Average online personal loan rates over time

Average bank personal loan rates over time

Average credit union personal loan rates over time

Why lenders charge different personal loan rates

Most personal loans are unsecured and don’t require collateral to secure the loan. Instead, lenders use borrowers’ financial and credit profiles to make approval decisions and determine their rates. Most lenders tailor their APR ranges to the type of borrower they want to attract.

Lenders that accept good- or excellent-credit borrowers may charge lower rates because those consumers’ credit reports show a strong history of repaying credit cards and other loans. Lenders that target mostly bad-credit consumers, with credit histories showing missed payments, may charge higher rates to make up for the added risk.

Online lenders: Online lenders often narrow their target borrower pool to a couple of credit segments — fair- and bad-credit borrowers, for example, or good- and excellent-credit borrowers — and price their loans accordingly.

Banks: Large banks usually work with good-credit borrowers and offer the lowest rates to existing customers because they know how those borrowers manage credit and debt and may see them as less risky.

Credit unions: Credit unions are an exception: They often accept fair- or bad-credit borrowers but charge relatively low rates. Federal credit unions cap personal loan APRs at 18%. Because they work exclusively with their members, credit unions are able to consider the borrower’s membership history when determining their rate.

How is your personal loan rate decided?

Here are four factors that are likely to affect your personal loan rate.

Pre-qualify to compare offers

Lenders don’t usually divulge their underwriting techniques, but many major banks, credit unions and online lenders offer pre-qualification. This process allows you to check your potential loan amount, rate and repayment term without a hard credit pull.