PrimeRates provides access to personalized loan offers through our simple and quick pre-qualification application. Once you’re pre-qualified, you can select the best offer for you and finalize the loan application with the lender.
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Simple pre-qual application in less than 1 minute.
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Choose the offer that best fits your needs.
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Finalize your loan offer, get approved, and receive funds.
If you need a small-amount personal loan, consider these five lenders. All offer fixed rates with predictable, fixed monthly payments, plus easy online applications. Personal loans are often utilized for major life expenses, such as home renovations, major surgery or even a wedding. But small personal loans can be useful as well for things like car repairs or vacations. Credit cards can be used for small expenses, but they may not be ideal if you have a high interest rate, low credit limit or if you aren’t able to qualify for a card.
Additionally, banks and credit unions may not be willing to approve a loan for a small amount. Online lenders, however, typically offer a wider range of loan amounts, and with more lenient borrowing criteria than traditional financial institutions.
| Lender | APR range | Loan terms | Minimum loan size |
| Upgrade | 6.94% — 35.97% | 36 and 60 months | $1,000 |
| Upstart | 5.99% – 35.89% | 36 to 60 months | $1,000 |
| OneMain Financial | 18.00% — 35.99% | 24, 36, 48 and 60 months | $1,500 |
| Best Egg | 5.99% — 29.99% | 36 and 60 months | $2,000 |
| LendingPoint | 15.49% — 34.99% | 24 to 48 months | $2,000 |
| Prosper | 7.95% — 35.97% | 36 to 60 months | $2,000 |
| Avant | 9.95% — 35.99% | 24 to 60 months | $2,000 |
| Marcus | 6.99% – 24.99% | 36 to 72 months | $3,500 |
Of the five lenders on our list, Upgrade offers the smallest minimum personal loan amount, starting at just $1,000. But you can pick up a loan all the way up to $50,000. Loan terms are offered at either 36 or 60 months, origination fees range from 2.9% to 8% and there are no early prepayment fees. Borrowers with excellent credit will enjoy low interest rates starting at just 6.94%. Once you’re approved, Upgrade sends money to your bank account within one day. The online application is easy and straightforward.
OneMain Financial has the second lowest minimum loan amount on our list, starting at just $1,500. However, their interest rates start at a steep 18.00%, which is much higher than the starting interest rates of the other four lenders. But one of OneMain’s benefits over the other four lenders is they have some physical branches across the country. That means you can apply and speak to someone in person. OneMain also has more loan terms available than some online lenders — it offers 24-, 36-, 48-, and 60-month options. The origination fee depends on the state you reside in. For example, while the minimum you can borrow is $1,500 for most, the minimum loan amount in California is $3,000, and in Georgia, it’s $3,100.
Best Egg is an online-only lender offering loans starting at a low $2,000, going all the way up to $50,000. Interest rates start at very low rates for those with excellent credit, at only 5.99% at the lowest end. And origination fees range from 0.99% to 5.99%. The online application is fast and easy with Best Egg, and you’ll get the money delivered to your bank account within as little as one day following approval. Best Egg offers 36- and 60-month personal loan options, and there are no prepayment penalties if you’re able to pay off your loan early.
LendingPoint offers loans starting at just $2,000, with a maximum amount of $25,000.
The lender focuses on what they call NearPrime™ customers, or people with credit scores in the 600s. Interest rates range from 15.49% to 34.99% APR. If your credit isn’t as strong as it could be, LendingPoint could be a good bet. The lender offers personal loan terms of 24 or 48 months. And it has customers commit to bi-weekly payments rather than monthly to help making budgeting easier. Origination fees range from 0% to 6%. Once you’re approved, money is transferred to you the next day.
SoFi’s personal loans have the highest minimum loan amount of the five on our list, with loans starting at $5,000 and ranging up to $100,000. But it has one of the lowest starting APRs around — 5.99%. The APR maxes out at a reasonable 18.64% if you enroll in AutoPay, which is by far the lowest interest rate cap among all five lenders. Another big perk of SoFi is that unlike most lenders, they don’t charge an origination fee, saving you significant money. SoFi also offers more terms than most online lenders, with 36-, 48-, 60- and 84-month loan options. It also has no prepayment penalties. The lender is unique in that it offers unemployment protection, allowing you to pause payments if you lose your job.
U.S. employers cut 23,000 jobs in July and revisions erased 103,000 more from May and June, pushing September Fed hold odds to about 60 percent. Prime holds at 6.75 percent.
The Fed held $524.9 billion of Treasury bills on August 5, up $329.4 billion since balance sheet runoff ended, while reserve balances stalled near $3 trillion.
Treasury will auction $125 billion of 3-year, 10-year and 30-year securities on August 11 to 13, holding coupon sizes flat as Q3 borrowing climbs to $739 billion.
U.S. public debt reached $39.84 trillion on July 30, 2026, just $158.9 billion below $40 trillion, as the average interest rate on the debt climbed to 3.41 percent.
U.S. labor costs rose 0.9% in the second quarter of 2026, above forecasts, keeping wage-driven inflation in play as the Fed holds and the prime rate stays at 6.75%.
June core PCE inflation eased to 3.3 percent, its first cooling in months, but a divided Fed that held rates on July 29 keeps the prime rate at 6.75 percent.