Best for a Secured Loan
Our take: Best Egg offers a rare mix of secured and unsecured personal loans, giving borrowers flexibility based on their financial situation. Its secured loans can unlock lower rates and higher loan amounts, while the unsecured option may suit smaller projects. Just be sure to weigh the risks of using your car or home as collateral.
Vehicle-Secured Personal Loans
- May be able to borrow up to 250% of your vehicle’s value (max $100,000)
- More flexible approval criteria
- Vehicle must be owned or nearly paid off
- Origination fee of 3.99% – 8.49%
- Risk of repossession if you default
- Max loan amount may be limited by your vehicle’s value
- Not available in IA, VT, WV, DC, or U.S. territories
| Rates (APR) | 10.49% – 29.99% |
| Loan amounts | $5,000 – $100,000 |
| Repayment terms | 2 – 7 years |
Home-Secured Personal Loans
- May qualify for Best Egg’s lowest rates due to Homeowner Discount (20% off rate)
- Collateral doesn’t require home equity (uses fixtures like cabinets and vanities)
- Fast funding available
- No additional paperwork required for most borrowers
- Origination fee of 0.99% – 8.99%
- Must own your home and use it as collateral
- Unclear how collateral is valued
- Not available in IA, VT, WV, DC, or U.S. territories
| Rates (APR) | 5.99% – 29.91% |
| Loan amounts | $5,000 – $50,000 |
| Repayment terms | 2 – 7 years |
Unsecured Personal Loans
- No collateral required
- May be a good fit for debt consolidation or small projects
- Origination fee of 0.99% – 9.99%
- Not available in IA, VT, WV, DC, or U.S. territories
| Rates (APR) | 6.99% – 35.99% |
| Loan amounts | $2,000 – $50,000 |
| Repayment terms | 3 – 5 years |
Table of Contents
Best Egg loans at a glance
Vehicle equity loan
Best Egg’s vehicle equity loans allow you to use a paid-off car to secure a personal loan. Borrowers may qualify for more money or lower interest rates than they would with an unsecured loan.
| Rates (APR) | 10.49% – 29.99% fixed |
| Loan amounts | $5,000 – $100,000 |
| Repayment terms | 2 – 7 years |
| Time to fund | 1 – 3 business days after verification* |
| Fees | Origination fee of 3.99% – 8.49% |
Secured loan + homeowner discount
Best Egg also offers secured loans backed by items in your home, such as light fixtures, cabinets, or vanities. This option is available to homeowners only.
| Rates (APR) | 5.99% – 29.91% |
| Loan amounts | $5,000 – $50,000 |
| Repayment terms | 2 – 7 years |
| Time to fund | 1 – 3 business days after verification |
| Fees | Origination fee of 0.99% – 8.99% |
Unsecured personal loans
Best Egg’s unsecured loans don’t require collateral. They include the following:
- Debt consolidation loan
- Credit card refinancing loan
- Home improvement loan
- Moving expenses loan
- Major purchase loan
- Baby & adoption loan
- Special occasion loan
- Vacation loan
| Rates (APR) | 6.99% – 35.99% |
| Loan amounts | $2,000 – $50,000 |
| Repayment terms | 3 – 5 years |
| Time to fund | 1 – 3 business days after verification |
| Fees | Origination fee of 0.99% – 9.99% |
Who qualifies for a Best Egg loan?
Best Egg doesn’t publish strict minimums for credit score or income, but it offers guidance about what you’ll need to qualify for the lowest rates. In general, applicants with good to excellent credit, low debt-to-income ratios, and stable income have the best chance of approval.
Eligibility requirements
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Must be of legal age in your state
- Must have a valid email address and verifiable checking account
- Loans not available in Iowa, Vermont, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., or U.S. territories
To qualify for the lowest rates:
- Credit score of 700+
- Annual income of $100,000 or more
Joint loans and cosigners aren’t an option with Best Egg, so you’ll need to qualify on your own.
Costs, fees, and repayment
Best Egg charges an origination fee of 0.99% to 8.99%, which is deducted from your loan amount before disbursement. There are no prepayment penalties.
Your final APR includes the interest rate plus this origination fee. Best Egg says borrowers with stronger credit profiles are more likely to qualify for lower rates and fees.
Example: For a $10,000 loan with a 10% APR and a 3% origination fee:
- $300 origination fee
- $9,700 disbursed to your bank account
- $323 monthly payment for 36 months
- $11,640 total paid over 3 years
Repayment basics:
- Choose from 2, 3, 5, or 7 year terms depending on loan type
- Fixed monthly payments
- No prepayment penalty for early payoff
- Automatic payments available (no discount disclosed)
- Payments accepted via online dashboard or by check
Loan management and tools
Once you’re approved, you can manage your loan through Best Egg’s secure online platform or mobile app. In addition to managing payments and checking balances, you can access helpful financial wellness tools.
Features:
- View and track your credit score for free
- Use budgeting and debt payoff tools through Best Egg Financial Health
- Direct Pay option sends funds directly to creditors for debt consolidation
Customer service and support
Best Egg has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), is BBB-accredited, and earns consistently high reviews from borrowers.
| Source | Customer rating | Number of reviews |
| Trustpilot | 4.6/5 | 11K |
| Better Business Bureau (BBB) | 4.86/5 | 3.1K |
| 4.4/5 | 2.5K |
Most reviews mention a smooth application process and helpful customer support. Some borrowers have reported rate increases during refinancing or minor technical issues with the app.
How to contact Best Egg
- Phone: 855–282–6353
- Email: [email protected]
- Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Eastern; Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern; Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern
Best Egg alternatives
Best Egg is a strong lender, especially if you’re looking for a secured loan. But if an unsecured loan makes more sense for you, here are a few alternatives worth considering:
Best Egg vs. Upstart
Upstart‘s unsecured personal loans may be a better choice than Best Egg if you have limited or no credit history. It evaluates applicants using alternative data, such as education and job history, and has no minimum credit score requirement.
Best Egg vs. Upgrade
Upgrade is a strong unsecured option for borrowers with fair credit (FICO 580 to 669). It offers longer repayment terms than Best Egg and includes free tools to track your credit score.
Best Egg vs. SoFi
SoFi caters to borrowers with good to excellent credit, offering high loan amounts and member benefits, including referral bonuses and financial planning.
More financing options from Best Egg
Best Egg also offers a Flexible Rent program and a credit card product. While these aren’t personal loans, they may appeal if you want to smooth out your monthly budget or build credit.
- Best Egg Credit Card: May be available after building history with a Best Egg loan
- Flexible Rent: Helps you split monthly rent into two payments
How to apply for a Best Egg personal loan
The application process starts with a soft credit check to see your rate. If you prequalify, you can move forward and submit a full application, which may involve a hard credit pull.
Step-by-step:
- Check your rate using the prequalification form
- Choose the loan option and amount that fits your needs
- Submit your full application and any required documents
- Review and accept your loan offer
- Receive your funds as soon as the same day
If you received a preapproval offer by mail, you can enter your offer code during step 1.
How we rated Best Egg
We designed LendEDU’s editorial rating system to help readers find companies that offer the best personal loans. Our system awards higher ratings to companies with affordable solutions, positive customer reviews, and online transparency of benefits and terms.
We compared Best Egg to several personal loan lenders, using hundreds of data points from company websites, public disclosures, customer reviews, and direct communication with company representatives. We weighted, scored, and combined each factor to produce a final editorial rating. This rating is expressed on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest possible score. Our take is represented in our rating and best-for designation, recapped below.
| Company | Best for… | Rating (0-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Best for a Secured Loan |
About our contributors
-
Written by Kristen Barrett, MATKristen Barrett is a managing editor at LendEDU. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her wife and their three senior rescue dogs. She has edited and written personal finance content since 2015.