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Achieve Personal Loans Review
Reviews 50,008
Lender type: Direct lender
Loan types: Unsecured
Loan amounts: $5,000 to $50,000
Loan terms: 2 to 5 years
APR range: APR: 6.25% - 35.99%
Best for: Borrowers with fair to good credit who want to work with a dedicated loan consultant
Achieve is a direct online lender headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in 2002 as FreedomPlus before rebranding in 2022, and has been offering personal loans since 2013.
In addition to personal loans, Achieve offers home equity loans and lines of credit (HELOCs) as well as debt relief services. To date, it’s served more than 2 million customers and funded more than $14 billion in loans.
Achieve holds an A+ BBB rating and has a review score of 4.27 out of 5. On Trustpilot, customer reviews average 4.8 out of 5, based on over 12,000 reviews — higher than many well-known competitors.
One gap worth noting: Achieve doesn’t appear in J.D. Power’s annual consumer lending satisfaction rankings, so there’s no comparable benchmark score.
Getting an Achieve personal loan is straightforward if you have fair-to-good credit, but there are some hurdles to know about before you apply.
The minimum credit score is 640 (660 for loans of $35,000 or more). These thresholds are comparable to those of many competitors.
Achieve doesn’t disclose a maximum debt-to-income (DTI) ratio.
You also need:
Proof of income and identity
Your Social Security number
Employment status
One limitation is geographic availability. Achieve’s personal loans aren’t available in Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, or Wyoming.
Expert Take: “Borrowers should understand that independent lenders may look at different criteria than a bank or credit union would. Some will have a direct conversation with the consumer that allows the consumer to provide information and context about their credit scores and profiles, savings, life insurance, and other factors.” — Kyle Enright, President of Achieve Lending
Personal loan range from $5,000 to $50,000. That range is competitive, with some lenders capping loans at $35,000 to $40,000.
Repayment terms are 2 to 5 years, which is also on par with the market, but some competitors extend terms up to 7 years.
The following table shows how your loan amount and term affect your monthly payment and collective costs. A longer term lowers your monthly payment but increases what you pay overall.
Term | Monthly Payment | Total Cost | |
Loan A: $10,000 at 15% APR | 2 years | $485 | $11,637 |
Loan B: $10,000 at 15% APR | 5 years | $238 | $14,274 |
Loan C: $30,000 at 20% APR | 2 years | $1,527 | $36,645 |
Loan D: $30,000 at 20% APR | 5 years | $795 | $47,689 |
*These estimates are from an online loan calculator. Your amounts may vary.
Achieve stands out for its rate discounts. You can lower your rate by applying with a qualified co-borrower, showing proof of retirement savings, or allowing Achieve to pay your creditors directly on a debt consolidation loan. Stacking all three cuts your rate by up to 4%.
APR range: APR: 6.25% - 35.99%
Origination fees: 1.99% to 9.99%
Prepayment penalty: No
Late fees: $15 or 5% of the amount due, whichever is greater
Other notable charges? No
Achieve APRs are competitive, though the lowest rates require excellent credit, a loan amount less than $12,000, and a 24-month term. At 35.99%, the upper end is consistent with most online lenders, including Avant and LendingClub. Your final rate depends on your credit score, income, and loan amount.
The larger cost consideration is Achieve’s origination fee of 1.99% to 9.99%, which is deducted from your loan before funds reach you. Borrow $10,000 with a 6% fee, and you’ll receive $9,400 but repay the full $10,000 (plus interest).
Several competitors don’t charge origination fees. Achieve doesn’t charge prepayment penalties, however, so paying off your loan early costs you nothing, though it’s worth noting that prepayment penalties are increasingly uncommon.
Achieve’s website is easy to navigate, with loan amounts, APR range, term options, minimum credit score, and rate discount details all clearly laid out on the main personal loans page.
Pre-qualification is available without affecting your credit score, which is pretty standard for online lenders. The process requires personal information on income, employment, and housing, but not your Social Security number (though it’s needed to complete a full application).
We received a full rate quote immediately after submitting.
We also received three phone calls, a voicemail, and three emails within minutes.
That level of outreach may feel high, but it’s relatively typical for lenders that assign dedicated loan consultants.
The application is fully digital, with document submission through a secure online portal. Same-day approval is possible if you submit early, with funds arriving within one to three business days. That’s on a par with other online lenders and faster than most traditional banks.
Achieve offers two free mobile apps. The Achieve GOOD app is where you start the loan application. It also functions as a budgeting tool, earning ratings of 4.7 out of 5 on the Apple App Store and 4.3 out of 5 on Google Play. The Achieve MoLo app helps you track spending and build saving habits.
The only real drawback is that neither app supports full loan management. Once your loan is active, you can’t make payments or monitor your loan through an app.
Expert take: “Sometimes, borrowers do need money quickly. Depending on the lender, the application, approval, and funding process can be very fast. At Achieve, for example, the entire process can be as few as 1 to 3 days.” — Kyle Enright, President of Achieve Lending
Achieve offers phone, email, and an online contact form, but no live chat.
Phone support is available Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT on Saturday and Sunday. This weekend availability sets Achieve apart from many digital lenders, which typically only offer support on weekdays.
When we tested the contact form, we received an immediate confirmation with the Achieve personal loans phone number included.
Within minutes, a loan consultant followed up by email and provided their direct line. This dedicated consultant model is a meaningful differentiator — rather than reaching a generic support queue, you have a specific person to contact.
Achieve’s personal loans reviews on BBB and Trustpilot are largely positive. Customers cite quick responses, helpfulness, and professionalism.
However, a small handful of reviewers reported difficulty modifying loan payments in hardship situations, so it’s worth asking about hardship options before taking out a loan.
Achieve takes customer feedback seriously and actively responds to online reviews.
We use a research-based process to review personal loan lenders and help you make informed decisions. Each provider is evaluated across five core categories, capturing nearly 40 metrics:
Reputation: Years in business, BBB and Trustpilot scores, etc.
Accessibility and Flexibility: State availability, variety of loans, minimum borrower requirements
Cost: Minimum and maximum APR, fees, penalties, and other charges
User experience: Easy access to information on the website and availability of an online portal and mobile app
Customer service and support: Channels available, such as phone, email, and chat support, hours of operation, and customer testimonials
We calculate average ratings across the categories to produce our BestMoney Editorial Score, ensuring no single strength or weakness disproportionately influences the final score.
Expert Take: “For borrowers with mid-range credit, providers like Best Egg and Achieve offer a balance between accessibility and reasonable pricing. These lenders typically accept a broader range of applicants, though at slightly higher APRs compared to prime lenders.” — Nina Abazyan, banking professional and personal lending specialist
Achieve is a good fit for borrowers with fair-to-good credit who want a personalized lending experience. However, it really stands out for its rate discounts, which can reduce what you pay over the loan term. The dedicated loan consultant model is also a plus if you want guidance through the process.
That said, Achieve isn’t right for everyone. Excellent-credit borrowers may avoid origination fees entirely with a competing lender, and residents of 12 states won’t qualify at all. Regardless, you should compare offers from at least two lenders before committing, as even a small APR difference adds up over time.
Achieve Loans
1875 South Grant Street
Suite 510
San Mateo, CA 94402
1. Home Equity loans are available through Achieve Loans (NMLS ID #227977), Equal Housing Lender. All loan requests are subject to eligibility requirements, application review, loan amount, loan term, and lender approval. Product terms are subject to change at any time. Home loans are a line of credit.
Loans are not available to residents of all states and available loan terms/fees may vary by state where offered. Line amounts are between $15,000 and $300,000 and are assigned based on debt-to-income ratio and loan-to-value ratio. Minimum 640 credit score applies for debt consolidation requests, minimum 670 applies for cash out requests.
Fixed rate APRs range from 6.74% - 14.75% and are assigned based on underwriting requirements and offer APRs include a .50% discount for automatic payment enrollment (autopay enrollment is not a condition of loan approval).
Example: average HELOC is $57,150 with an APR of 12.75% and estimated monthly payment of $951 for a 15-year loan. 10-year and 15-year terms available. Both terms have a 5-year draw period with the remaining term being a no draw period. Payments are fully amortized during each period and determined on the outstanding principal balance each month. Closing fees range from $750 to $6,685, depending on line amount and state law requirements and typically include origination (2.5% of line amount) and underwriting ($725) fees if allowed by law.
Property must be owner-occupied and combined loan-to-value ratio may not exceed 80%, including the new loan request. Property insurance is required and flood insurance may be required if the subject property is located in a flood zone. You must pledge your home as collateral.
Average funding time is between 15 to 18 days from submitted application and documentation and includes rescission. Contact Achieve Loans for further details.
