Fiona summary
Pros
- Get matched with an appropriate lender
- Only see deals you are pre-qualified for
- Intuitive interface
Cons
- Doesn’t offer loan refinancing itself
- Displayed rates are subject to change
Editorial score
Online experience
Has learning resources, access to rates, mobile app
Customer services and support
Multiple ways of reaching lender, wide range of hours
Repayment flexibility
Offers multiple repayment plans- but no special repayment programs
Loan Types Covered
Covers all student loan types
Eligibility
Doesn't cover bad credit, low income borrowers
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Suitable For?
Graduates with student loans to consolidate
Through Fiona, it only takes a few seconds to find a new rate at which you can refinance your current student loans. You don’t even need to enter the details of all your debts, just the total amount you want to borrow. This is convenient if you have a complicated debt situation with multiple loans to pay off.
Borrowers with good credit
No matter how bad your credit score is, you can use Fiona to search for loan refinancing. However, during our Fiona review, it became clear that most refinancing services in Fiona’s network only consider customers with good credit scores (660 or higher).
Comparing multiple refinancing options at once
If you are looking for refinancing for the first time, you probably don’t have a clear idea of what’s on offer. Fiona can help out by quickly collecting loan estimates from its network of different providers.
Loan Features
Fiona doesn’t provide direct refinancing, but the platform still has a lot going for it. Its key features are that you can search for refinancing for up to $500,000 in debt and you don’t have to apply for loans on multiple websites to see quotes from a large number of providers. This will save you time and, potentially, cash.
- Search by your amount of debt
- Convert multiple debts into a single monthly payment
- Find a lower interest rates
- Apply for financing for other purposes, such as auto loans
- Access lots of educational resources
The Application Process
It takes less than a minute to apply for student debt refinancing through Fiona. All you need to do is add your approximate credit score, ZIP code, and the amount of refinancing you’re looking for. After that, you’ll see a list of providers who have pre-qualified you for refinancing. If you see an offer that you like, hit the “continue” button adjacent to it, and add your personal information such as date of birth, name, and education status. The Fiona platform will use this to find out if the lender you’ve chosen will pre-qualify you for a loan. Happily, Fiona uses soft credit searches, so your initial search won’t impact your credit score.
Loan Terms
Because Fiona is a marketplace rather than a direct lender, there are no limitations regarding who can search for refinancing on it. All the same, most lenders in the Fiona network do have similar requirements, such as:
- Credit score must be over 660 or above
- Applicant should be over the age of 18
- Must be a US citizen or permanent resident
Repayment Terms
During our Fiona review, when we opted for variable APR refinancing, we were offered APRs as low as 1.99%. However, when we tried applying for fixed-rate refinancing based upon a lower credit score, rates got as high as 6.51%. As with loan terms, your repayment plan will be determined by the specific Fiona-affiliated lender that you decide to use. Most services in the Fiona network have repayment plans that last for five years, but some extend to 15.
How Safe Is It?
When searching with Fiona, you’ll input lots of sensitive information, so data security is paramount. Fortunately, Fiona takes this seriously and protects your details with 256-bit encryption. The company also promises not to sell your information and claims to use a programmatic compliance tool that ensures every lender in its network meets relevant state and federal regulations.
Fiona is owned and operated by Even Financial Inc. The Better Business Bureau has given Even Financial an A rating although it hasn’t yet accredited the company.
Help & Support
If you run into problems with the Fiona platform, you should get in touch with a customer representative over the phone at 800-614-7505 or email help@hifiona.com.
Summary
If you’re looking for an easy way to compare quotes from multiple refinancing sources quickly, Fiona is a suitable tool. Using the service shouldn’t leave any impact on your credit score and, if you meet pre-qualification criteria, you could see a range of offers in less than a minute. Be warned that this service doesn’t provide lending directly and make sure you double-check loan terms carefully before signing up through an affiliated lending service.
Physical Address
43 West 24th Street
6th Floor
New York, NY 10010
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Jacob Parker is a financial and technology writer. With a background in climate science, he's deeply interested in the intersection of fintech and sustainability and has a passion for impact investing and ESG research. He writes for BestMoney and enjoys helping readers make sense of the options on the market.
