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Bad Credit Lenders to Seek & Avoid

Bad Credit Lenders to Seek & Avoid
Mark Cappel
UpdatedFeb 28, 2024
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    4 min read
Key Takeaways:
  • You can find bad credit loans if you seek a debt consolidation loan.
  • Private lenders can help in narrow situations.
  • Avoid hard money lenders if your mortgage is in distress.

How Private Lending Works & Why to Avoid Hard Money Lenders if You Face Foreclosure

If you seek bad-credit lenders to help you pay for credit card or other personal debt, you have two viable options. If you need a short-term loan from a private lender to fund a real estate deal and you happen to have bad credit, you may be able to get a "hard money" loan. This article discusses both types of bad-credit lenders.

Personal Bad-Credit Loans

Finding Bad Credit Lenders

A personal bad-credit loan may be used to consolidate credit card bills, medical debts, or payday loans. A personal loan that is not attached to collateral is called an unsecured loan. This is in contrast to a secured loan, which is tied to a vehicle’s title, real estate, or some other valuable object. A common characteristic of all unsecured loans is a higher interest rate than secured loans.

You face a difficult situation if you seek either a secured or unsecured loan and have a bad credit score. A credit score is designed to be a predictive statistic that estimates your chances of repaying a loan. A lower credit score indicates a higher chance you will not repay the loan. Therefore, a bank or credit union looking at the loan application of a person with a low credit score will likely reject the application outright.

Other lenders, however, may see a person with a low credit score as an opportunity. For example, peer-to-peer lenders offer an array of loans to people with low, medium, and high credit scores. The interest rate of these loans corresponds with the amount risk involved. A person with a low credit score is a high-risk lender, and will pay a high interest rate. The opposite is true for a person with a high credit score. Therefore, if you have a low credit score, consider peer-to-peer lenders as one potential source for your loan.

Another loan source are your friends and family. If a family member or friend cannot fund you directly, then consider asking them to help you by co-signing on a personal loan. The danger here, however, is if you cannot repay the loan the co-signer is forced to make the payments. Co-signing on a loan may strain your co-signer’s credit score, too. A co-signed loan may also make it impossible for them to qualify for a vehicle loan or mortgage. Be a conscientious friend or family member by disclosing all of these risks to your co-signer before you place a loan application in front of them to sign.

Private Money Loans

Private money loans are usually used in real estate deals where a person (or organization) that wants to own a property for a short period of time will contact a local private investor to lend enough money to buy the land and develop the property. Lately, private money lenders moved into lending money to individuals who buy foreclosed properties needing significant remediation. These individuals will own the property long enough to repair it, and then will sell it for the market value.

The table below compares private loans, which are also called "hard money" loans, with "soft money loans."

Soft vs. Hard Money Loans
Soft MoneyHard Money
Also Known AsMortgage or deed of trustPrivate money or bridge loan
PurposePurchase residence by owner-occupant or a long-term investor.Purchase distressed or REO property that requires moderate amount of remodeling.
Loan AmountUp to 95% of fair market value.Up to 70% of after-repaired value.
Typical Term15 - 30 years6 - 24 months
Interest RateVariesVaries, often double current soft rates
Points1 - 32 - 10
Credit Score~620 FICO for FHA, but variesNone
Time to Funding>30 days<30 days
SourceBroker or direct lender such as a bankLocal private investor

Source: Bills.com

Used as intended, hard-money loans serve their purpose — an alternative to long-term financing offered by traditional mortgage brokers and direct lenders. However, when the housing bubble burst, some less than scrupulous hard money lenders became involved in schemes where hard money was used to help a homeowner avoid bankruptcy. Unfortunately, the terms unwitting homeowners agree to are not disclosed fully, and homeowners lose their homes to these scam artists.

Quick Tip

Get a free analysis of your no-loan options from a Bills.com debt relief partner.

Summary

If you seek a hard-money loan to avoid foreclosure, read the Bills.com article Options to Stop Foreclosure. This article describes four proven alternatives to foreclosure that do not involve losing your home to a scam artist.

If you want a private lender to consolidate your personal debts, then think outside the box and consider an alternative to a loan. Plug your debts into the Bills.com Debt Coach to learn if something other than a loan will meet your needs. Debt Coach is a no-cost, no-nonsense tool that might help you resolve your debts without a loan.

Mortgage market: a pulse check

Mortgage rate fluctuations should come as no surprise. If you are buying a home or refinancing your existing mortgage, it is important to stay informed about the current mortgage rates.

Mortgage rates February 21, 2024
According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year mortgage rate for the week of February 21, 2024 is 6.9%. This represents a 13 basis points increase from the previous week's rate.
Note: A basis point is equal to one-hundredth of one percent (0.01%). In numerical terms, if the mortgage rate changes by 20 basis points, it means the rate has changed by 0.20%.
According to Freddie Mac, the 15-year mortgage rate for February 21, 2024 is 6.29%. This is a 17 basis points increase from last week’s rates.

What does the mortgage rate mean for you?
Mortgage rates are one of the key factors that determine your monthly payment. Here are avergage interest rates (APR) for February 25, 2024 based on Zillow date for borrowers with a high credit score (680-740) in the United States:

  • 30-year conventional loan is 6.88%
  • 15-year conventional loan is 6.08%
    Using the rates mentioned above, the monthly payment for a $279,082 30-year-year mortgage would be $1,834. A 15-year mortgage would require a monthly payment of around $2,367.

Experience a smooth mortgage process: Shop around and get pre-approved today!
Shopping around for mortgages and getting pre-approved can make your home-buying or refinancing process easier. Ready to take the plunge? Check Out mortgage rates now for the best options available.

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8 Comments

RRose Ellen Dippolito, Oct, 2022
Hi my credit score is 555 and I need a loan for $2500.00. I can afford to pay for the loan. Does anyone know where I can get one?
TTed, Oct, 2022
Hello Rose, I would recommend speaking with Freedom Plus. They can be reached at their website at www.freedomplus.com. Or you can call them at 800-368-0061. Thank you.
MMark, Feb, 2021

In need a loan. 5k and I m desperate.

JJosh, Aug, 2021

Mark,
If you are wishing to speak with one of our affiliates for a loan please call Freedom Plus at 800-368-0061. They would be happy to perform a consultation to see your options.

Regards, Josh

MMartin Smith, Jul, 2020

Hi, I am desperate for a loan for £35,000 (GBP) to release inheritance bonds, that are now in cash form and ready to be transferred to my bank account. As my house is sold, I have not got any security. Can you do a 'signature loan' agreement. I can pay back a week later. I have to be out of my house by 17th August having found another house to move in to and have it all sorted with my solicitor by 17th August, so it needs to be quick. I await your reply urgently. Many thanks, Martin Smith. 

DDaniel Cohen, Aug, 2020

Martin, we are not a lender nor are we located in your country. You need to find a local lender. Don't spend valuable time contact US firms. Good luck!

iisaac, Mar, 2020

I need a $50,000 loan. Can you help?

DDaniel Cohen, Mar, 2020

Isaac, we are not a lender but you can see if a loan is available at our personal loan rate table. You commented on a page about loans and bad credit. I just used the table, selected "Poor credit" from the dropdown on the rate table, California for my state (I don't know yours), and saw loan offers up to $35,000. I suggest you play around at the rate table and try various amounts and see what comes up. Looking at scenarios is free and has no effect on your credit.