Latest news with #personal loans
Forbes
22-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
This Week's Personal Loan Rates: July 22, 2025—Rates Move Down
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Rates on personal loans declined last week, giving qualified borrowers a chance to secure a decent interest rate and finance a project, purchase or even unexpected bills. From July 14 to July 19, the average fixed rate on a three-year personal loan was 13.24% for borrowers with a credit score of at least 720 who prequalified on personal loan marketplace. The rate was 13.72% the previous week, according to The average rate on a five-year personal loan rose 0.25 percentage point last week to 19.46% from 19.21%. Keep in mind that well-qualified borrowers may be offered rates well below average. The rate you'll actually receive depends on several factors, like your credit profile and the loan terms you choose. These rates are accurate as of July 19, 2025, and based on the three-year fixed rate. Related: Best Personal Loans Personal loan rates fluctuate frequently, and each lender determines and sets different rates. While your rate isn't guaranteed until you sign your loan agreement, you can get an idea of average lender rates below. The table below compares personal loan rates for three- and five-year terms to help you understand rate trends. Lenders typically consider your loan term and credit history to determine your interest rate. Your credit score plays a major role in the interest rate a lender offers for a personal loan. Lenders use your credit profile and other factors to evaluate your risk as a borrower. In general, the higher your credit score, the lower the interest rate you'll receive. The table below compares average personal loan interest rates by credit score, showing how much your score can affect your rate and how much you could save over time. We recommend using these steps to compare and get the best personal loan rates: Prequalify. Prequalifying can allow you to understand the rates you might be offered before officially applying. Although the loan terms shown aren't guaranteed because prequalification is not an offer of credit, you can use these offers to compare lenders. Compare your offers. We recommend prequalifying with multiple lenders so you can compare offers side by side. Interest rates, loan amounts, repayment terms and potential fees will help you understand the cost of borrowing from each lender, but be sure to consider other attributes as well. Some lenders charge fees such as prepayment penalties, and others offer loan deferment if you have trouble making payments. Apply. After you choose your lender, submit an application. Have any required documentation ready to share, including bank statements, W-2s and employer information. Related: 5 Personal Loan Requirements To Know Before Applying We recommend you get a personal loan only when it's necessary. If you're considering a personal loan, these steps can help you understand if it's the right choice: Identify why you need funds. Before taking out a personal loan, understand how you would use the funds. Some common personal loan uses include home improvement, debt consolidation and covering emergency expenses. It's best to avoid using personal loans for nonessential expenses that you could potentially save up for, like vacations and holiday gifts. Determine how much financing you need. Once you identify why you need the funds, calculate how much you need to cover your costs. This amount will typically inform you of the loan amount you need or if you can use an alternative. Consider personal loan alternatives. If you only need to borrow a small amount of money, such as under $2,000, consider alternative options such as a payday alternative loan (PAL) or a buy now, pay later service. Find a lender that fits your needs. If you can't find an alternative that fits your needs, find a personal loan lender that provides sufficient financing. Pro Tip In some cases, getting a personal loan may not be the best decision. For example, we don't recommend a personal loan if you can't afford the monthly payments or if you can wait to save up the money you need. You can find a personal loan online or in person, depending on the institution. With varying lenders offering personal loans, you can find one that works best for you. Lenders offering personal loans include: Banks: Best for in-person banking and opening a personal loan with your current bank. Best for in-person banking and opening a personal loan with your current bank. Online lenders: Best for flexible qualification requirements and an online-only experience. Best for flexible qualification requirements and an online-only experience. Credit unions: Best for those who meet a nearby credit union's eligibility requirements or are current members. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) While borrowers with strong credit typically get more favorable interest rates, lenders also rely on current market conditions to set interest rates. If you have good credit but your annual percentage rate (APR) is high, it may mean interest rates are generally high. That said, it can also mean your income isn't high enough to qualify for lower rates or your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is too high. You can typically repay a personal loan early. However, some lenders charge a prepayment penalty as a percentage of your loan or a flat fee. If you want to pay off your loan early, confirm with your lender whether it charges a fee.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chinese banks stumble on Beijing's consumer lending push
BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese banks are struggling to comply with new Beijing guidelines to boost consumer credit as they reel from a surge of defaults on personal loans and have a hard time finding households in good financial shape that want to borrow. Since March, financial regulators have issued multiple directives urging banks to offer more, and cheaper, loans to spur consumption, as part of broader efforts to counter the impact of the trade war with the United States. This prompted banks to market personal loans at record low interest rates below 3% initially, before raising them back amid concerns over shrinking profit margins. Loan managers and bank executives told Reuters they are struggling to raise consumer lending, citing subdued demand, as well as concerns over an already rapidly growing pile of bad household debt and uncertainty over their clients' incomes. Recent wage cuts in the financial industry, manufacturing and the state sector have further dented households' financial health while higher U.S. tariffs are fuelling concerns over jobs and income stability. "It's very difficult to find borrowers for consumer loans," said a branch head at a state-owned bank, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. "Banks are caught between meeting lending targets and controlling bad loans." "If defaults rise, branch officers face penalties. Many loan officers borrow from each other's banks to meet lending quotas." The People's Bank of China and the National Financial Regulatory Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Consumer loans grew 6.1% in the first quarter, slower than the 8.7% in the same period of 2024 and the 11% in January-March 2023, according to the central bank. Data for the second quarter is expected in coming weeks. The overall NPL ratio of China's commercial banks was 1.51% as of the end of March, remaining steady compared to 1.50% at the end of 2024, official data showed. Smaller rural commercial banks posted a higher NPL ratio of 2.86% in the first quarter compared to 1.22% at major state banks. Official data doesn't disclose the NPL ratio of overall consumer loans, but the bank executives and loan managers told Reuters the defaults on personal lending have risen sharply this year. BAD LOANS PILE UPThe banks' struggles bode ill for official efforts to boost lending to consumers, seen as a faster alternative to raising household incomes. The latter would require indebted local governments spend more on social welfare and civil servants pay, among other measures. Any debt-driven jolt to consumption is likely to prove "transitory", said Lynn Song, chief Greater China economist at ING. "Income growth-driven consumption would be strongly preferable in terms of achieving a more sustainable recovery," Song said, adding that was a more difficult task for authorities. Economists aren't concerned about absolute household debt levels, which are about 60% of economic output in China, compared with about 70% in the U.S. and more than 90% in South Korea. But they worry about how quickly non-performing loans (NPLs) in the consumer debt sector have been rising. In the first quarter of this year, Chinese banks put up 74.27 billion yuan ($10.34 billion) of NPLs for sale, a 190.5% increase from the same period of 2024, data from the Banking Credit Asset Registration and Transfer Center show. About 70% of them were personal loans. "We have a growing pile of bad loans. For many clients who can't repay, all we can do is negotiate extensions," said a loan officer at a major state-owned bank. The officer said his bank prioritised writing off NPLs over issuing new loans. The Industrial Commercial Bank of China, the world's largest commercial bank by assets, said its consumer NPL ratio rose to 2.39% at the end of 2024, from 1.34% a year earlier. Smaller, regional lenders are faring much worse. Bohai Bank's consumer NPL ratio jumped to 12.37% in 2024 from 4.44% the previous year. Harbin Bank's rose to 5.51% from 3.94%. "Clients are in poor operating conditions due to the tariffs war and unable to repay their loans," said a regional bank manager. Another key challenge for banks is that consumers don't want to borrow. A central bank survey of 20,000 households showed that 61.4% intend to boost savings — an increase of almost 20 percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. "The fundamental issue is that income growth is slowing and households are anxious, so they are restraining their spending and borrowing," said Christopher Beddor, deputy director of China research at Gavekal Dragonomics. "It's not that they can't get a cheap loan." ($1 = 7.1770 Chinese yuan) Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chinese banks stumble on Beijing's consumer lending push
BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese banks are struggling to comply with new Beijing guidelines to boost consumer credit as they reel from a surge of defaults on personal loans and have a hard time finding households in good financial shape that want to borrow. Since March, financial regulators have issued multiple directives urging banks to offer more, and cheaper, loans to spur consumption, as part of broader efforts to counter the impact of the trade war with the United States. This prompted banks to market personal loans at record low interest rates below 3% initially, before raising them back amid concerns over shrinking profit margins. Loan managers and bank executives told Reuters they are struggling to raise consumer lending, citing subdued demand, as well as concerns over an already rapidly growing pile of bad household debt and uncertainty over their clients' incomes. Recent wage cuts in the financial industry, manufacturing and the state sector have further dented households' financial health while higher U.S. tariffs are fuelling concerns over jobs and income stability. "It's very difficult to find borrowers for consumer loans," said a branch head at a state-owned bank, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. "Banks are caught between meeting lending targets and controlling bad loans." "If defaults rise, branch officers face penalties. Many loan officers borrow from each other's banks to meet lending quotas." The People's Bank of China and the National Financial Regulatory Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Consumer loans grew 6.1% in the first quarter, slower than the 8.7% in the same period of 2024 and the 11% in January-March 2023, according to the central bank. Data for the second quarter is expected in coming weeks. The overall NPL ratio of China's commercial banks was 1.51% as of the end of March, remaining steady compared to 1.50% at the end of 2024, official data showed. Smaller rural commercial banks posted a higher NPL ratio of 2.86% in the first quarter compared to 1.22% at major state banks. Official data doesn't disclose the NPL ratio of overall consumer loans, but the bank executives and loan managers told Reuters the defaults on personal lending have risen sharply this year. BAD LOANS PILE UPThe banks' struggles bode ill for official efforts to boost lending to consumers, seen as a faster alternative to raising household incomes. The latter would require indebted local governments spend more on social welfare and civil servants pay, among other measures. Any debt-driven jolt to consumption is likely to prove "transitory", said Lynn Song, chief Greater China economist at ING. "Income growth-driven consumption would be strongly preferable in terms of achieving a more sustainable recovery," Song said, adding that was a more difficult task for authorities. Economists aren't concerned about absolute household debt levels, which are about 60% of economic output in China, compared with about 70% in the U.S. and more than 90% in South Korea. But they worry about how quickly non-performing loans (NPLs) in the consumer debt sector have been rising. In the first quarter of this year, Chinese banks put up 74.27 billion yuan ($10.34 billion) of NPLs for sale, a 190.5% increase from the same period of 2024, data from the Banking Credit Asset Registration and Transfer Center show. About 70% of them were personal loans. "We have a growing pile of bad loans. For many clients who can't repay, all we can do is negotiate extensions," said a loan officer at a major state-owned bank. The officer said his bank prioritised writing off NPLs over issuing new loans. The Industrial Commercial Bank of China, the world's largest commercial bank by assets, said its consumer NPL ratio rose to 2.39% at the end of 2024, from 1.34% a year earlier. Smaller, regional lenders are faring much worse. Bohai Bank's consumer NPL ratio jumped to 12.37% in 2024 from 4.44% the previous year. Harbin Bank's rose to 5.51% from 3.94%. "Clients are in poor operating conditions due to the tariffs war and unable to repay their loans," said a regional bank manager. Another key challenge for banks is that consumers don't want to borrow. A central bank survey of 20,000 households showed that 61.4% intend to boost savings — an increase of almost 20 percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. "The fundamental issue is that income growth is slowing and households are anxious, so they are restraining their spending and borrowing," said Christopher Beddor, deputy director of China research at Gavekal Dragonomics. "It's not that they can't get a cheap loan." ($1 = 7.1770 Chinese yuan)
