SoFi Review

Thursday, October 21st

2021 Debt Consolidation Company Reviews

SoFi

• Fixed-rate loans from $5,000 to $100,000
• Competitive APRs (with AutoPay discount)
• Repayment terms from 2-7 years
• No origination fees
• Unemployment protection benefits on all personal loans
• Available in all states except MS
• "A+" rated by the BBB

SoFi wants you to get your money right, reaching financial independence so you can make your ambitions a reality. And, with over two million members and $50 billion in funded loans, this service is absolutely helping people like you accomplish that. While you can definitely use SoFi just for a consolidation loan and nothing else, you may want to take advantage of their additional products and tools that can give you guidance for attacking your debt with a plan, building and maintaining a safety net, putting your money to work, and even saving for retirement or other goals.

A few unique questions in application process

To apply for a consolidation loan from SoFi, enter your name, state of residence and email address to create an account on their site. Next, you put in the desired loan amount (from $5,000 to $100,000) and click on the category that matches your intended use of the funds. We like the next question: "What monthly payment amount works with your budget?" You can enter any number between $150 and $500, or skip it altogether. The remaining questions help SoFi to verify your identity; otherwise, you'll be asked for your Social Security Number if they can't match your credit history to the details you provided.

Big perks you won't find elsewhere

SoFi has some huge perks compared with many financial institutions offering consolidation loans. Their interest rates are generally lower than what you'll find elsewhere, with an added deduction if you set your repayments to automatically come out of your bank account each month. Better yet, the APRs on SoFi personal loans have zero origination fees - good luck finding that with other lenders!

Look for sign-up bonus promotions

There was even a promotion in place at the time of our most recent visit to SoFi: a $10 credit for simply checking our offered rate on a loan, and a $300 cash bonus if our loan was funded. Hey, if credit cards can offer sign-up bonuses, why not providers of loans too?

Unemployment protection benefit

Our favorite SoFi benefit, though, is their Unemployment Protection program. If you lose your job through no fault of your own and your loan is in good standing at that time, you can apply to have your loan repayments suspended for three months at a time, for a total of 12 months over the life of the loan. SoFi's Career Advisory Group will even help you look for a new job.

Disappointing downturn in overall customer satisfaction

However, we were disappointed to find out that in the time that has passed since our last evaluation, several of SoFi's rivals have done a better job of keeping clients happy. In fact, even though the BBB gives them an "A+" rating, Sofi's listing there says "this business receives a high volume of complaints" . That's not good. Looking at nearly 2,500 independently-verified reviews elsewhere, SoFi comes in with a disappointing 3.2 out of 5-star average, and less than 80% of their reviewers would give the service a perfect score. Ouch!

Customer service needs improvement

The biggest complaints we found described frustrating challenges getting ahold of anyone in SoFi's customer service department - and the resulting long timeframes for resolving issues. If you need funds quickly, or if you have any problems with your personal loan, you want to know you'll get a prompt, professional response. Unfortunately, SoFi has some work to do in that regard.

Still worth considering

SoFi has a lot to offer: you'll find low interest rates on your loan, and no other lender we found works with you so supportively if you lose your job. But, there's more to the story, and customer complaints tell a tale that leaves us feeling more than a little disappointed. We really hope to see an upswing in customer satisfaction in the near future, because SoFi has previously been a great option for loans.