Personal Loans

Achieve Personal Loan Review 2023

Achieve Personal Loans offers unsecured loans up to $50,000 for debt consolidation or to fund major purchases. Same-day approval and funding in as little as three business days is possible.
Small business owners look at a computer and discuss their personal loan options
Written by:
Rebecca Lake
Edited by:
Kristin Marino verified
Editor's Rating

Personal loans can provide you with cash when you need money. You could use a personal loan to consolidate debts, pay off medical bills, or just tackle those home repairs you’ve been putting off.

Achieve offers personal loans of up to $50,000 for debt consolidation or to fund major purchases. It’s possible to get same-day approval and funding in as little as three business days.

Wondering whether an Achieve personal loan is right for you? Our Achieve personal loan review offers a closer look at the features and benefits.

Achieve Personal Loans Pros & Cons

Achieve Top Features

Achieve personal loans can offer flexibility in meeting your financial goals since you can use loan funds to cover a variety of different expenses.

When you’re looking for a personal loan, it’s helpful to start with a rundown of the features.

Here are some of the highlights of Achieve personal loans:

  • Borrow up to $50,000 for debt consolidation or other large expenses
  • Same-day approvals with fast loan funding
  • No prepayment penalties if you decide to pay your loan off early
  • Get a discount when you apply with a qualified co-borrower
  • Discounts are also available for direct payment to creditors and for borrowers who show proof of retirement savings
  • The application process is quick and easy
  • Borrowers have multiple repayment term options to choose from
  • Minimum credit score requirements aren’t as high as other lenders
  • Achieve loans are unsecured and don’t require collateral

When you borrow with Achieve, you get access to dedicated loan consultants to make the process as hassle-free as possible.

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What Is Achieve?

Achieve is a digital personal finance company that’s dedicated to helping people improve their money situations.

As with other fintech companies, Achieve is attempting to change the traditional lending landscape in order to better serve the needs of its customers.

Here are a few fast facts about Achieve:

Achieve offers personal loans, home equity loans, and debt resolution services.

The company uses a personalized approach to help borrowers get the funding they need.

To date, Achieve has helped more than 400,000 people gain access to $7.5 billion in loan funding.

Achieve aims to be different and unique in its approach to lending. The focus is on the customer and helping everyday people reach their goals.

Who Is Achieve For?

Achieve personal loans could be a great option for people with less-than-perfect credit who need money to pay off high-interest debt or fund large expenses. You might consider an Achieve personal loan if you:

  • Are looking for an unsecured loan option
  • Need to borrow $5,000 to $50,000
  • Have a minimum credit score of 620
  • Are interested in a personal loan that allows co-borrowers
  • Want to take advantage of direct payments to pay off credit cards or other debts

What can you use an Achieve personal loan for?

The short answer is just about anything. Some of the things you can use an Achieve loan for include:

Achieve doesn’t specifically exclude college costs from this list, but many personal loan lenders do not allow you to use loan proceeds to fund higher education.

If you’re interested in using an Achieve personal loan this way, you might want to contact customer service first to make sure that’s allowed. The same goes if you’re considering using an Achieve loan to start or grow a small business.

Other Programs Offered Through Achieve

Personal loans aren’t the only financial solution offered by Achieve. Achieve offers other powerful financial tools, such as home equity lines of credit and debt relief assistance, to give you financial freedom and peace of mind.

Home Equity Loans

Homeownership can be more than just a place to hang your hat; it can also serve as a powerful financial tool. Achieve Home Equity Loans allows homeowners to unlock the hidden potential within their homes, offering a range of benefits that can alleviate financial stress and put you on the path to fiscal freedom.

The standout advantage of Achieve Home Equity Loans is the ability to use the equity in your home to consolidate your debts. By leveraging your home equity as collateral, you can secure a low, fixed interest rate – often lower than what you’d find with a personal loan. The best part? There’s no need to refinance your home or extract equity; it’s a flexible line of credit that allows you to tap into it whenever necessary, even after paying it down or off within the first five years of the loan.

Freedom Debt Relief

Achieve’s partnership with Freedom Debt Relief provides a comprehensive debt assessment and a tailored debt relief plan to help you regain control of your finances. This debt relief program can help you tackle a wide range of unsecured debts, from credit cards to medical bills and personal loans.

While it’s important to note that your credit score may initially dip during the program, the positive impact on your debt-to-income ratio as your debts are resolved can improve your long-term credit score

Achieve’s program fees, which range from 15% to 25% of the enrolled debt amount, may vary depending on your state of residence.

Furthermore, the program guarantee ensures that if the total program cost and fees exceed the enrolled debt amount, you can receive a refund of the difference, up to 100% of the collected fees, subject to certain limitations.

Compare Achieve to Other Lenders

Achieve is not the only option for getting a personal loan. There are plenty of other lenders offering personal loans online. Taking time to compare them to Achieve can help you narrow down which one might be best for you and your situation.

Here are a few other personal loan lenders you might consider.

Avant

Avant offers personal loans ranging from $2,000 to $35,000 for people with a wide variety of credit scores.

Terms range from 24 to 60 months, and it’s possible to check your rate before applying without hurting your credit score.

If you’re applying for an Avant loan with poor credit, you can expect the maximum APR to be on the higher side.

Read Our Avant Review

SoFi

You might consider a SoFi personal loan if you need to borrow a larger amount.

The maximum loan limit is $100,000, and you can use loan proceeds to pay off debt, pay medical bills, cover home improvements, or fund other large expenses.

SoFi offers loan terms of up to 72 months. Rates are competitive, though you may need a higher credit score to qualify for the best APR.

Read Our SoFi Review

Happy Money

Happy Money offers personal loans of up to $40,000 for credit card debt consolidation.

You might consider a Happy Money loan if you’re trying to lower the rate you’re paying to credit cards and streamline monthly debt payments.

There are no prepayment penalties or late fees, and it’s possible to get approved with a lower credit score. However, Happy Money doesn’t accept joint loan applications.

Read Our Happy Money Review

Compare rates and see how these and other personal loan lenders stack up against Achieve.

How Does Achieve Work?

Achieve offers personal loans ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 for qualified borrowers.

According to the company’s website, you’ll need a minimum credit score of 620 to apply and get approved.

You can pay back an Achieve loan over two to five years. There are no prepayment penalties if you decide to pay the loan off early.

Loan funds can be used to cover a variety of expenses. Achieve aims to offer same-day decisions on loan applications. Once approved, it’s possible to get funding in 24 to 72 hours.

Achieve personal loans are unsecured, so you won’t need any collateral to get one.

There is an origination fee ranging from 1.99% to 6.99%. Achieve will determine the amount of the fee based on your loan details. The fee is then deducted from your loan proceeds before they’re turned over to you.

That’s important to know, as it’s possible to find personal loans online with no origination fees.

If you decide to apply for an Achieve loan, keep in mind that you may need to request a higher loan amount than what you actually need to account for what’s taken out to cover the fee.

Discount Rates

Achieve offers interest rate discounts to help make your loan less expensive. There are three discounts you might qualify for:

  • Co-borrower discount: Eligible when you add a qualified co-borrower to your loan application.
  • Retirement asset discount: Show proof of sufficient retirement funds in a 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, or Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).
  • Direct pay discount: Get a rate discount when you allow Achieve to use your loan funds to directly pay your creditors when consolidating debt.

In terms of the rates, they’re typical of what other online lenders offer for personal loans.

Keep in mind that the lowest rates are usually reserved for borrowers with the highest credit scores. If you’re interested in Achieve personal loans, you can get prequalified to check your rates without affecting your credit.

How to Get Started

If you’d like to apply for an Achieve personal loan, you can start the process online or over the phone.

You’ll need to tell Achieve how much you want to borrow, then fill in other details, including:

  • Your name
  • Date of birth
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • What you plan to use the loan for

You have the option to talk to an Achieve loan consultant to discuss whether a personal loan is right for you before you apply.

Achieve will only do a hard credit check if you decide to complete the full application. That will require you to share your Social Security number.

Once you submit the application, Achieve may ask for supporting documentation such as pay stubs or bank statements.

You’ll need to give Achieve your bank account number and routing number to get the funds once your loan is approved. Again, it can take 24 to 72 hours for loan proceeds to hit your bank account.

Rating the Features

We’ve already discussed some of the best features of Achieve personal loans. Here’s a little more on how Achieve compares to help you decide if it’s right for you.

User Experience

Overall, Achieve offers a good user experience.

The website is easy to navigate, and there’s a detailed FAQ section that can help answer most questions you might have about the loans before you apply.

If you need help at any time during the loan process, you can talk to a loan consultant.

Fees and Rates

Achieve charges no prepayment penalties or hidden fees, but it’s important to remember that you will pay an origination fee to borrow here.

The fee is similar to what you might pay with other lenders that charge an origination fee.

However, it’s possible to find personal loans that don’t charge this fee at all.

The interest rates for Achieve personal loans are also comparable to other online lenders.

Again, you’ll need a higher credit score to secure the lowest APR.

Transparency

As mentioned, Achieve has a detailed FAQ section that’s designed to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about their personal loans.

It’s easy to see the range of APRs, fees, and loan terms all in one place on the Achieve website without having to fill out an application.

However, keep in mind that you won’t know your exact rate and origination fee until you apply for a loan.

Flexibility

Achieve allows you to use personal loans for a wide range of expenses.

You have plenty of flexibility in deciding how to use the loan proceeds to improve your financial situation.

Customer Service

Achieve has dedicated customer service to help you with your loan application or to answer any questions you might have.

Customer service is available by phone or secure message; there is no live chat support at this time.

You can manage your account online through the Achieve website. Achieve doesn’t have a mobile app for its personal loans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Achieve personal loans hurt your credit?

Applying for any personal loan can ding your credit score if it requires a hard credit check.

An Achieve personal loan could help your credit score improve over time if you’re using it to pay down high-interest credit card debt.

Making on-time payments and reducing credit utilization are two of the best ways to raise your credit score.

Are Achieve personal loans legit?

Achieve is a 100% legitimate lender of personal loans.

The company has helped more than 400,000 borrowers get access to over $7.5 billion in loan funding to date.

What are Achieve personal loan requirements?

You’ll need to be at least 18 and live in a state where Achieve offers personal loans are offered to apply.

Borrowers also need a minimum credit score of 620.

Achieve doesn’t disclose minimum income requirements.

Bottom Line

Getting a personal loan could make sense if you need extra cash to make a large purchase or get a better handle on debt repayment.

Achieve personal loans might appeal to you if you need to borrow $50,000 or less.

If you’re ready to get started, take the next step and start your Achieve personal loan application online.