SoFi, short for "Social Finance", bills itself as a modern personal finance company, and its clean, crisp, easy-to-use website definitely matches that description. And, with more than $11 billion in loans funded to date and 165,000 borrowers (described as "members"), they're clearly making an impact in the lending industry. SoFi currently has a variety of products, including personal loans, mortgage loans and refinancing, student loan refinancing, and more.

SoFi's application process is straightforward: enter your personal information, such as your name and address, current employer and annual wages/salary, and post-secondary education information, and if SoFi is able to confirm your information you'll be able to see the loan and terms for which you qualify. (If they are not able to confirm your data, you will be asked to enter your Social Security Number.)

There is an easy-to-miss link at the bottom of the site called "Eligibility Criteria". We encourage potential borrowers to look through the information there, as several states are excluded from their personal loan program, and there are other state-specific details to be aware of. Also, it states that personal loan recipients must be US citizens or permanent resident aliens, be of the age of majority in their state of residence, and must be currently employed.

We love that SoFi publishes its personal loan rates and that there are no prepayment penalties or origination fees: "what you see is what you get". At the time of our review, their interest rates on personal loans were as follows:

• From 5.05% to 10.85% APR for variable interest rate products
• From 6.20% to 12.49% APR for fixed interest rate products

Loan terms of 3, 5, and 7 years were available for both fixed and variable interest rate loans, in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $100,000.

SoFi also has several unique perks that we like, from referral bonuses for new members referred by current borrowers (both parties get a cash benefit), to unemployment protection that suspends payments required from borrowers - for up to 12 months over the course of the repayment term - who lose their job through no fault of their own. SoFi even provides help through its Career Strategy department to assist borrowers in their search for a new job!

If you're in the market for a personal loan, you'll definitely want to take a look at what SoFi has to offer. We give them a strong recommendation because of their low interest rates, transparency, and lack of loan fees.

If you're looking for a personal loan, MoneyLion may have the solution you need. MoneyLion is Better Business Bureau accredited with an "A" rating and has been in business since 2014. Other products and services MoneyLion offers include credit monitoring, personal finance services and advice, points and rewards earned through being proactive about tracking your finances, and a mobile app to track your borrowing, savings, and investing activities.

To apply for a MoneyLion loan:

• Visit MoneyLion and fill out an application by signing up for a new account.
• Return customers can log into an existing account and apply through the dashboard by pressing the "New Loan" button.
• Prequalification to check what your rate is takes just a few minutes through an online two-step information gathering process. The process asks for:
  • contact information
  • social security number
  • date of birth
  • how much you need to borrow
  • the purpose of the loan
  • employment status
  • gross annual income

Joining MoneyLion via online registration is free. The cost of a loan is expressed in the loan interest rate. People having a credit score lower than 640 will expect to pay interest rates from 36% and up. People with credit scores 640 and up will pay interest rates between 7% and 36%.

Interest rates can further be reduced by up to 50% by adding "Boosts". Boosts are engagement from friends and family such as likes on photos you post to Facebook. We think this method of lowering interest rates will particularly apply to the younger set; most "traditional" lenders don't include social media engagement as a way of saving money!

The primary determination of your rate and loan amount comes from the following six criteria:

• Credit history
• Ability to pay
• Existing debt and monthly expenses
• Employment and income
• Residence history
• Boosts

MoneyLion customer support is offered via an online search or a contact form.

Customers who like MoneyLion say that the loan process was fast and easy, the company is honest and up-front about loan terms, and that customer service is great. Of course, as with any business, there are bound to be complaints. We found that the primary complaints centered around issues with reward points, having to pay the interest in full before decreasing the principal, and "predatory" interest rates.

On the plus side, MoneyLion appears to respond regularly to negative reviews with offers to further assist dissatisfied customers. In the majority of cases where customers gave negative reviews, it appears the borrowers didn't take time to carefully read the loan's terms and understand how short-term, unsecured loans work in general.

Although they're newer to the Personal Loans marketplace, we like what MoneyLion has to offer and think they're a solid choice to consider for your lending needs.

Personal Loans

To help you find the Best Personal Loans, TopConsumerReviews.com provides you with an in-depth comparison of SoFi and Money Lion.

Are you in need of some cash? Historically, borrowers have had limited options for a personal loan. You could ask a family member, a friend, or find a personal finance company that offered fixed-rate loans, typically at exobrtantly high interest rates.

Today, however, finding a personal loan brings several more options to the table. While you can still ask a family member, or get a high-rate loan from a finance company, you can also consider using a social lending network. These networks, also called peer-to-peer loans, generally have much lower overhead and as a result can offer much lower interest rates. They're facilitated by professional companies familiar with this type of lending, to simplify things for all parties.

No matter where you borrow money from, before you get your next personal loan you should consider the following:

• BBB rating. Does the lending company have a solid history of doing good business with its customers?
• Loan size and rate. How much will the lending company offer? What interest rate do they charge their customers?
• Loan application process. When applying for your personal loan, can it be completed online? Is the lending process easy and straightforward?

TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best online personal loan providers available today. We hope this information helps you find the best loan at an affordable rate that meets your needs!