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LightStream Personal Loans Review 2023
Find the Best Personal Loans for You
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LightStream requires you to use your personal loan for the purpose you selected in your application. Loans can be used to finance:
- Vehicles. Purchase a new, used or classic car; get a motorcycle; buy out a lease; or refinance.
- Home improvement. Finance a basement remodel, a hot tub, a kitchen makeover, a landscaping project, a solar energy system or a pool.
- Recreation. Pay for a big-ticket item, such as a boat, an aircraft, an RV, a timeshare or destination club, or refinance a boat loan, an RV loan or boat repair.
- Family needs. Cover adoption costs, medical or dental procedures, in vitro fertilization and fertility treatments, pre-K through 12th grade educational expenses, or weddings.
- Other purchases. Consolidate debt, pay for an engagement ring, buy land or finance a tiny home.
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You cannot use a LightStream loan to:
- Pay for higher education.
- Refinance other LightStream loans.
- Purchase bonds, stocks or stock options, or pay back a loan against a stock option.
- Contribute loan proceeds to retirement, life insurance or education savings plans.
Go to lightstream.com and click the blue “Apply Now” button.
Next, you will select the purpose of your loan and request a loan amount and term to see a monthly payment and an annual percentage rate for the loan. You will then enter personal, employment and financial information before you submit your application.
Applicants will receive a decision quickly during business hours. You will need to sign your loan agreement if the loan is approved, and you could get your money the same day.
The funds must be transferred into your account within 30 days – 90 days for home improvement loans – or you will need to reapply.
Loan terms may differ based on loan purpose, amount, term length and credit profile. The lowest rates require excellent credit.
APR rates are fixed from 5.99% to 23.99% including the autopay discount. Loan amounts range from $5,000 to $100,000 with terms of 24 to 144 months.
An APR discount of half a percentage point is available if you use autopay, plus LightStream charges no origination or late fees.
Each credit profile is different, and “We make our credit decision based on the specific facts of that profile,” according to LightStream.
The lender requires excellent or good credit, which it outlines as:
- Several years of credit history at minimum.
- Stable and sufficient income and assets to repay your debts.
- Experience with different types of credit, such as credit cards, auto loans and mortgages.
- Evidence of savings, such as retirement savings and college savings accounts.
- Positive payment history with few, if any, problems repaying debts.
LightStream does not state a minimum credit score to qualify for a personal loan. The lender requires good to excellent credit and evaluates each borrower’s ability to repay.
“Ultimately, our determination of good credit is based on whether we conclude that there is a high likelihood that our loan will be repaid in a full and timely manner,” says Julie Olian, vice president of public relations and integrated communications with LightStream.
LightStream is based in San Diego and lends to borrowers nationwide.
LightStream earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a poor 1.9 out of 5 stars from Trustpilot, based on a bit more than 50 reviews.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau received 142 complaints in 2022 about personal loans from Truist, LightStream’s parent company. Truist gave a timely response to 129 and closed 133 with an explanation, seven with nonmonetary relief and two with monetary relief. The main complaints were about problems with the payoff process and problems when making payments.
If you have questions, email [email protected]. Customer service will respond during business hours from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday and from noon to 4 p.m. ET Saturday.
Applications are processed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
LightStream’s application process is online, including signing the loan agreement and scheduling the loan deposit. You may use the lender’s rate calculator to view a range of lowest APRs based on loan amount and purpose.
If you have an online LightStream account, you can use it to:
- Review your loan and payment history.
- Make extra payments or pay off your loan.
- Update your contact information or security information, such as your password.
- Apply for another loan.
The LightStream mobile app allows you to check payment due dates, monitor account balances, make payments and apply for a new loan.
- People with good to excellent credit.
- People who don’t want to pay loan fees.
- People who want an online application process.
