Best Egg Personal Loans Review

Best Egg Personal Loans Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Can borrow up to $50,000
• Long loan terms are available
• Secured homeowner loans available
• Debt consolidation loans are available
• Potential for low APR

Cons:

• Loans cannot be used for business purposes
• High origination fees
• No joint loans or co-signers

What Is Best Egg?

Best Egg provides secured and unsecured personal loans to individuals with a FICO score of 600 or better.

That said, as with most loan services, better credit will get you better rates. If you want to get the minimum APR, you’ll need to have a score of at least 700, and you’ll need to earn at least $100,000 a year. If you qualify, the 5.99% minimum APR is one of the lowest out there.

This is a modern company, who embraces the digital revolution rather than brick and mortar. They provide all of their services online and can provide funding in as little as one business day.

How Does Best Egg Work?

Best Egg’s loan process is relatively simple. You apply and get approved online, and the loan is sent to your bank account as a direct transfer.

The APR is highly variable, depending on your credit rating. It can be as low as 5.99% or as high as 29.99%.

You also get flexibility in terms of dollar amount and loan term. You can borrow for anywhere from three to five years, and you can borrow between $2,000 and $35,000. In some states, the maximum loan amount is $50,000.

You can have up to two loans simultaneously, but the combined value cannot be more than $50,000.

One thing you’ll very much appreciate is that Best Egg’s loans have no prepayment penalty. If you want to pay the loan off early, you’ll only benefit from the saved interest payments.

Unfortunately, the origination fee can potentially be fairly steep. The minimum fee of 0.99% is quite reasonable.

However, the maximum rate of 5.99% is higher than most. Worse yet, for loans with a term of four years or longer, the fee is a minimum of 4.99%.

The origination fee is charged on day one as a chunk of the loan money. For example, if you borrow $20,000 with a 4% origination fee, you’ll actually receive only $19,200 in cash. Keep this in mind when you’re deciding how much to borrow. Otherwise, you might come up short.

What Can a Best Egg Personal Loan Be Used For?

The funds from a Best Egg loan can be used for pretty much anything you want. This is a personal loan, not a mortgage or a car loan.

You can use the money for fixing your house or performing a major upgrade. You can use it to pay for moving expenses, cover the costs of a baby, or pay off medical bills. You can even take a vacation if you really want to.

That said, there are a handful of prohibited categories. Because this is a personal loan, you’re not allowed to use the money for business purposes – that would require a business loan. You also can’t use it to pay directly for college.

Best Egg Personal Loans Features and Benefits

Fast Funding Time

If you need a loan because of an emergency, you don’t want to wait for weeks to get your money. You can’t afford to.

Best Egg loans normally payout within a single business day. This is ideal, and there are exceptions.

For example, if you’re self-employed, final approval can take an extra couple of business days. But even so, you’re talking about a turnaround time of a week or less.

Great for Borrowers with Fair Credit

Many personal loan providers require a credit rating of 700 or higher. If you only have moderate credit, this can leave you out in the cold.

On the other hand, you can qualify for a Best Egg personal loan with a score as low as 600. That said, borrowers with fair credit will normally need to pay a higher APR. This means you’ll spend a lot more money to get the same loan.

Offers Unsecured and Secured Personal Loans

One benefit of Best Egg is that they offer secured as well as unsecured loans. A secured loan is similar to a home equity loan in that you put up assets in exchange for collateral.

However, you don’t put up your home itself. Instead, you put up appliances and other major fixtures as security.

When you secure your loan, you get a lower interest rate, and potentially, a higher loan amount. Exactly what you get will depend on your individual circumstances.

Awesome Online Experience and Customer Support

Best Egg’s application and account management system is entirely online. Not only that, but they provide six days a week customer support, both on the web and over the phone.

How to Qualify for a Best Egg Personal Loan

To be eligible for a Best Egg personal loan, you’ll need to be a US citizen or permanent resident who is a legal adult.

You’ll also need to have a US checking account. You can qualify for a Best Egg loan with a score of 600 or better. That said, you’ll only get the best rates if you have a score of 700 or higher and an income of $100,000 or more.

There are also a couple of additional requirements. First, you’ll need to have at least three years’ worth of credit history in the US.

You’ll need to have three open accounts, none of which can have delinquent payments. Finally, you won’t qualify if you’ve filed bankruptcy within the next decade or if you’re under a tax lien.

How to Apply for a Best Egg Personal Loan

The Best Egg application process is as quick and easy as they come. You enter some personal information on their website, along with the amount of money you want to borrow.

At this point, Best Egg will run a soft credit check, which won’t affect your credit score. Provided you’re pre-approved, you’ll soon see offers for 36- and 60-month loan packages.

If you accept one of their offers, Best Egg will now run a hard credit check before the loan is complete. Unlike the soft check, this one will affect your score, but only slightly.

And provided you’re approved, your score should soon recover. During this phase, you may also need to upload proof of income or a copy of your ID. Upon finalization of your loan, the money will be transferred directly to your bank account.

How Does Best Egg Compare to Other Lenders?

#1. Best Egg vs. Payoff

Payoff is a personal loan company that provides service primarily to people who already carry high-interest debt.

The idea is simple. You take out a low-interest Payoff loan, and you use it to pay off your outstanding high-interest loans. On balance, you can save a boatload of money.

When you sign up for Payoff, you also get access to the services of Happy Money, their parent company. This is a general-purpose financial management service that helps you meet all your goals.

>> More: Payoff Personal Loans Review

#2. Upstart vs. Best Egg Personal Loans

While Best Egg is designed for people with fair credit, Upstart is made for people with little or no credit.

This service provides a valid way to get the money you need to cover your short-term expenses if you’re in need.

The downside is that you’ll generally have a higher APR than you would with Best Egg. So if you’ve got the track record, Best Egg will probably be a better value.

>> More: Upstart Personal Loans Review

#3. Best Egg Loans vs. Upgrade Personal Loans

Upgrade is designed for people who don’t have a high enough credit score to qualify for Best Egg. This can be a lifesaver if you’ve made a few mistakes in the past and you need to borrow some money.

The two companies have similar APR ranges in general. That said, if you’ve got a lower credit score, you can expect to pay close to the maximum.

>> More: Upgrade Personal Loans Review

#4. Avant Personal Loans vs. Best Egg Personal Loans

Avant is similar to Best Egg in that it requires a minimum credit score of 600. The APR range is like Best Egg, although the maximum loan amount is only $35,000.

That said, it’s worth applying to both services to see who makes you the better offer.

>> More: Avant Personal Loans Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Pay Off My Best Egg Loan Early?

Yes. There is no penalty or other fee for paying off your loan early.

Does Best Egg Do Joint or Co-Signer Personal Loans?

No. At this time, Best Egg only offers loans to individuals.

How Long Does It Take to Get Money from a Best Egg Personal Loan?

It depends, but very quickly. You can get your payment in as little as one day after being approved.

Is Best Egg Legitimate?

Yes, Best Egg is a legitimate company, and they currently maintain an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. They have an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot and a 5-star customer support rating from US News and World Report. If that doesn’t make them a legitimate company, it’s tough to say what would.

Is Best Egg Safe to Use?

Yes, Best Egg is safe to use. In 2020, the last complete year of reporting, there were a total of eight complaints levied against Best Egg with the CFPB. Some of these were from people who were upset that they couldn’t get approved. All complaints have been closed, and Best Egg responded to all of them in a “timely” manner.

Bottom Line: Best Egg Personal Loan Review

Best Egg is a good personal loan provider for people with moderately good credit. It offers potentially low-interest rates, although the maximum rate is higher than we would have liked. That said, you can always get a better rate by using your home as collateral.

Outside of the steep origination fees, we didn’t really have many complaints. To be fair, you could get better perks with another program, but programs with more perks tend to require a higher credit rating. If your rating falls in the 600 to 700 range, Best Egg is one lender you should definitely consider.