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OppLoans Personal Loan Review
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.
Written By
Updated on Wednesday, June 26, 2019
What is Opploans?
Opportunity Financial, LLC — which does business under the more recognizable name OppLoans — focuses on offering loans to borrowers with bad credit. As a result, its interest rates are extremely high. However, it does have educational initiatives to help its borrowers climb the credit ladder, potentially earning the consumers better interest rates in the future when they apply for different loans with other lenders.
OppLoans personal loan highlights
- High interest rates: OppLoans has some of the highest interest rates for personal loans we have ever seen. If there’s any way to borrow somewhere else or save money over the course of a couple months in order to avoid borrowing at 99.00%–199.00% APR, pursue those options. If you’re looking at payday loans, though, note that OppLoans is still a more affordable option.
- Educates borrowers: OppLoans offers educational initiatives to help its borrowers improve their credit scores and overall financial life.
- Quick funding: After your personal loan application is approved, OppLoans is often able to get money in your bank account as soon as the next business day.
APR
99.00%
To
199.00%
Credit Req.
Not specified
Terms
to 36
months
Origination Fee
Varies
on LendingTree’s secure website
Fees and penalties |
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OppLoans’ rates are oppressively high, but there’s a reason they exist. When you find yourself with little money, a mountain of bills and bad credit, it becomes extremely difficult to gain access to low-interest borrowing products.
In these cases, many people turn to payday loans, which can have interest rates of around 400%. Going with a personal loan from OppLoans is a preferable path.
OppLoans makes efforts to help their clientele understand how they can boost their credit scores so they can get back into the traditional marketplace where lower rates can be obtained. They do this through OppU — a collection of free, educational courses that teach you about spending, saving, budgeting, credit and debt. Unless you live in Texas or Ohio, OppLoans also reports your loan activity to the three major credit bureaus, so making on-time payments can help you strengthen your traditional credit file.
Eligibility requirements
Clarity Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Experian, but is not technically one of the big three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Instead, Clarity Services deals with what is known as “alternative credit data.” This data is built by obtaining your credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus and supplementing it with information about recent credit inquiries, potential fraud attempts and your overall financial stability, including income and employment data.
When a lender like OppLoans uses Clarity Services, it’s doing so because it knows that, by traditional credit standards, you might look like a repayment risk, but it also knows that reliable people sometimes go through hard financial times. Clarity’s supplemental information allows OppLoans to make a lending decision on more than just traditional credit data.
If your alternative credit data qualifies you, you will also have to have a steady source of income. If your income is from employment, you have to have been with your employer for at least three months. You must also have a bank account that is at least three months old, where your paychecks are deposited using direct deposit. If you live in New Mexico, you are exempt from the direct deposit requirement.
If you’re active-duty military, you won’t qualify for a loan with OppLoans. That’s because the Military Lending Act protects servicemembers, their spouses and dependents from potentially predatory lenders, and the rates offered by OppLoans are far too high to meet this law’s standards.
Finally, you must be at least 19 years of age to qualify for an OppLoans personal loan if you live in Alabama or Nebraska. Otherwise, you must be 18 and live in one of these states:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Applying for a personal loan from OppLoans
The only way to apply for an OppLoans personal loan is through its online application. Be prepared to enter identifying information such as your name, address and Social Security number, as well as your bank account info and data about your employer or any other way that you bring in income.
At this point in the process, OppLoans will pull your alternative credit data via Clarity Services. If you are approved, you may have to provide supplemental documentation proving you are who you say you are and what you earn.
After approval, many see the money deposited into their bank accounts as soon as the next business day.
Pros: | Cons: |
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Who’s the best fit for an OppLoans personal loan?
OppLoans is not the best option for a lot of people because of its high interest rates. However, if you have poor credit but have a bank account, have recently been denied by other lenders who offer lower interest rates and need money right now, OppLoans may be your most viable solution. Consider OppLoans before you turn to payday loans.
OppLoans consumer reviews
Despite its staggeringly high interest rates, OppLoans receives mostly positive feedback from its customers. Those who have reviewed the company on LendingTree (MagnifyMoney’s parent company) say the application and funding process is quick and easy, and many note that the customer service is very good.
For example, reviewers praise OppLoans for being “professional, secure, and speedy,” as well as “upfront with fees and payment terms,” and “very helpful if you have any questions.” Ninety-six percent say they would recommend OppLoans — plus, the company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Negative reviews for OppLoans are few and far between, but those that did rate their experience poorly say they weren’t approved by the lender or were unhappy with the high rates and fees.
OppLoans FAQ
OppLoans offers both installment loans (what we’ve covered in this piece) and lines of credit. The latter is only available in a few states.
If you’re approved, OppLoans will deposit your funds directly into the account you provided. You could see the money come through as soon as the next business day, though this depends on what time of day (and day of the week) your application is processed and finalized.
OppLoans accepts electronic funds transfers (EFT), which is basically a debit from your checking account to the lender. You can also use your debit card for one-time payments.
You can use your personal loan for nearly anything. Some of the most common uses include debt consolidation, paying off medical bills, and financing a big purchase.
Yes. OppLoans doesn’t charge a prepayment penalty — if you are able to pay off your loan faster, you’ll save on interest.
OppLoans advises customers who expect to pay late or miss a payment to call the company directly at 855-408-5000. Note that there is a late payment fee that varies depending on where you live.
OppLoans specializes in working with bad credit borrowers but has a number of additional eligibility requirements for its personal loans. If you don’t qualify, take a look at alternatives on MagnifyMoney’s personal loan marketplace. You may find other offers that work for you.
Alternative personal loan options
NetCredit
APR
34.00%
To
155.00%
Credit Req.
Not specified
Terms
6 to 60
months
Origination Fee
Up to 5% if interest rate is 36% or less
on LendingTree’s secure website
NetCredit issues personal loans with interest rates up to 155.00%. That’s not great, though it is a bit better than OppLoans’ ceiling of 199.00%. It also has far lower starting rates at 34.00% compared with OppLoans’ 99.00%. You may be able to qualify for a NetCredit personal loan with a credit score as low as 500.
LendingPoint
APR
15.49%
To
35.99%
Credit Req.
585
Minimum Credit Score
Terms
24 to 48
months
Origination Fee
0.00% - 6.00%
on LendingTree’s secure website
LendingPoint is an online lender that targets borrowers with fair credit, and allows borrowing up to $25,000.... Read More
If you have a credit history strong enough to merit more traditional interest rates, take advantage of it. LendingPoint works with individuals with credit scores as low as 585 according to CEO Mark Lorimer. Interest rates are far lower than OppLoans, at 15.49%–35.99%.
Finova Financial
APR
18.00%
To
30.00%
Credit Req.
Varies
Terms
12 to 24
months
Origination Fee
Varies by state
Terms and Conditions Apply. FINOVA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in an eligible state and meet Finova's underwriting requirements. A borrower cannot be an active-duty service member of the U.S. Armed Forces (or a covered dependent under the Military Lending Act). Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. To qualify for the lowest rate, you must have a responsible financial history and meet other conditions. If approved, your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, a responsible financial history, years of experience, income and other factors. Rates and terms are subject to change at any time without notice and are subject to state restrictions. To check the rates and terms you qualify for, Finova conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull. Finova is an equal opportunity lender.
Without a traditional bank account, you’re going to have a hard time getting an unsecured loan. You can instead look at title loans. To get these loans, you have to put up some collateral, like your car, which the lender could repossess should you fail to repay your debt. This is very risky, as losing your car could further complicate an already dire situation, but if you find yourself needing to us this type of financial product, consider Finova Financial, which has personal loan-like interest rates on its title loans, currently sitting at 18.00%–30.00%.
