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1,313 Reviews

Bankrate Review

Sally Herigstad
Sally Herigstad is a personal finance writer at BestMoney.com, specializing in student loans. She has been writing about personal finance since 1998 and is the author of Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills. A licensed real estate broker in Washington state and a retired CPA, Sally combines decades of experience with practical insights to help readers navigate financial challenges.

November 14, 2025

2 min

bankrate

Bankrate Summary

Bankrate is one of the oldest, biggest and most comprehensive financial services news and knowledge hubs. Its comparison tool lets you quickly compare personal loans from different lenders. Bankrate’s aggregator uses a “soft pull” to check your credit, which does not affect your credit score.

Bankrate Pros & Cons

Pros

See your top deals from many lenders at once
No “middleman fees” charged

Cons

Bankrate does not actually make the loan
Must enter personal information to pre-qualify for a loan
bankrate

Bankrate at a glance

8.8
Editorial score

Variety of loan types

Offers all loan types
10.0

Online experience

Has learning resources, access to rates, mobile app
10.0

Customer services and support

Limited ways of reaching lender
4.0

Loan amount range

Loan amount $50K+
10.0

Repayment flexibility

Loan terms 60 months+
10.0

Suitable For?

Borrowers who want to make sure they’re getting a good deal

Shopping around with many different lenders takes time, especially if you apply for different loans to see the terms you qualify for. Bankrate allows you to quickly compare and pre-qualify for a loan that meets your needs.

Borrowers with different credit scores levels

Bankrate works with lenders who offer products for borrowers with nearly every level of credit score. Borrowers with lower credit scores can find lenders that will work with them, without wasting time applying for loans they can’t get.

Borrowers with higher credit scores can find lenders that give them better terms, based on the scores they’ve worked hard to achieve.

Range of Personal Loans

You may qualify for a loan to consolidate debt, refinance your credit cards, make home improvements, pay for unexpected expenses, or make major purchases, among other things.

Here’s what to expect from lenders who work with Bankrate:

  • Loans available for almost any reason
  • Competitive rates
  • Lowest rates available from some lenders when you use AutoPay
  • Most loan terms starting at 24 months, with some available for as little as 12 months
  • Personal loans ranging in size from as little as $1,000 or as high as $200,000

Application Process & Requirements

To compare personal loan rates from multiple lenders and apply for a loan, follow these steps:

  1. Click Get Started on Bankrate personal loans.
  2. Answer questions about your name, address, income, and other information.
  3. Compare pre-qualified offers from Bankrate partners. You may have more than one offer from each lender; for example, with different lengths of loan terms. Bankrate also sends you an email with links to the various offers.
  4. Choose a personal loan, and click Next. On the lender website, continue your application. You may be asked to submit pay stubs, tax documents, and personal identification.
  5. Sign loan documents, and receive funds in your account.

APRs, Loan Amounts & Repayment Terms

Personal loans provide cash when you need it quickly and you don’t want to secure the loan with your home, car, or other assets. Personal loans generally carry higher rates than home mortgages or home equity lines of credit, but they have significantly lower interest rates than other options such as payday loans.

Personal loan rates with Bankrate partners vary from APR: 6.94% - 35.99%. Lower rates are usually offered to borrowers who use proceeds to improve their home, have excellent credit, and will pay off the loan in fewer years.

Borrowers with lower credit scores generally pay interest rates on the higher end of the scale. Even at the highest rate of 35.99%, a personal loan from a lender is a fraction of the cost of a payday loan, which may charge several hundred percent interest and require repayment in a shorter period of time.

Loan terms vary from one year to 12 years, but most loan terms are for between two and seven years.

Privacy & Security

Bankrate may collect information from you directly, or from other sources, including business partners, affiliates, and publicly available sources. Bankrate uses your information to identify you when you use the website, provide products and services, conduct business analytics, and for other purposes. Bankrate follows the privacy laws of the country in which Bankrate first received your information.

According to the company, Bankrate safeguards its computers and uses secured files and buildings, in compliance with federal law to protect your information from unauthorized access and use.

Help & Support

Bankrate doesn’t have a specific support feature for its personal loans aggregator. To receive assistance from the Bankrate staff, fill out the form on their Contact Us page. You will receive an email acknowledgment that your question was received.

How Bankrate Compares

BankRate
lendingtree
APRAPR: 6.94% - 35.99%

APR: 6.99% - 35.99%

Min. credit scoreNoneNone
Loan amounts$1,000 - $200,000$1,000 - $50,000
Loan term12 - 120 months3- 180 months
Suitable forComparing multiple loansComparing multiple loans

Bankrate works with a number of lenders to give you loans. Most terms are similar to those you would find at their competitors. Bankrate’s lenders show higher loan limits than Lending Tree. Bankrate and Lending Tree may give you more lenders to choose from than Credible, which only shows up to six lenders.

Summary

Bankrate is a trusted personal finance advice and lender comparison site, in business since 1976. In minutes, you can be pre-qualified for multiple personal loans based on your credit score, needs, and other information.

Physical Address

1675 Broadway, 22nd Floor

New York, NY 10019-5820

FAQs
What is a personal loan?
Personal loans are shorter-term loans generally not backed by collateral such as a car or house. You receive a lump sum and make fixed, regular payments.
Who owns Bankrate?
Bankrate is owned by Red Ventures.
How does Bankrate make money?
Bankrate charges lenders to advertise on its website.
What criteria does Bankrate use to determine its weekly averages?
A. For purposes of weekly personal loan averages, Bankrate assumes a FICO score of 700, $5,000 loan amount, and 3-year repayment plan.
Sally Herigstad

Sally Herigstad is a personal finance writer at BestMoney.com, specializing in student loans. She has been writing about personal finance since 1998 and is the author of Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills. A licensed real estate broker in Washington state and a retired CPA, Sally combines decades of experience with practical insights to help readers navigate financial challenges.

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Trustpilot reviews
See what some customers are saying about Bankrate
Poor • Reviews 1,313
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42%
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7%
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Abdalla Alhajeri
3 weeks ago
Nice great work
Nice great work
Debbie Worley
1 month ago
There are great games there and there pay off is great.
I believe that they give people opportunities to win. Which is very important when you're gambling, because if you let people win a little off more often, they always come back.
Frank Snodgrass
1 month ago
Painless and effortless took care of…
Painless and effortless took care of every need with all of my questions definitely recommended
JH
Jeff Howell
2 months ago
I didn’t get my money or perfect gift
I didn’t get my money or perfect gift. Com didn’t reach out but at least I got to vent about this experience. Either they are a bad gift card merchant or salt grass doesn’t train their servers. Either way I won’t be using either . I’ll switch to road house .
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