Best Personal Loans With a Cosigner
If you don't have good credit, you may be having a hard time getting approved for a personal loan. Having a cosigner can increase your chances of being approved.
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Personal loans can play a key role in your financial planning for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you’re trying to pay off some credit cards or consolidate other debt. Whatever your goals, a personal loan can be a good way to help you accomplish them — if you can get approved.
Personal loans don’t need collateral like auto loans or mortgages, and they’re based more on your creditworthiness as a borrower. That can make things a bit more complex if you have a shaky credit history, and that’s where a cosigner comes into play.
Applying for a personal loan or installment loan with a cosigner may be able to help you get approved for a loan you couldn’t get on your own.
On this page:
- Best Personal Loans With Cosigners
- When Would you Need a Personal Loan With a Cosigner?
- What Are the Risks for a Cosigner?
- Tips on Choosing a Cosigner for a Personal Loan
Best Personal Loans With Cosigners
While traditional lenders often accept a cosigner, many of the newer online loan providers do not. With online lenders, you’ll want to find out whether they’ll take a cosigner before beginning the application process.
Here are some of our top picks of personal loan lenders from our partners that allow for cosigners. Note that none of these lenders charge application fees or prepayment penalties.
| Company | APR | Loan Amount |
| LightStream | 3.49% – 19.99%* with AutoPay | $5,000 – $100,000 |
| Upgrade | 7.99% – 35.97% | $1,000 – $35,000 |
LightStream
Rates (APR)
3.49% – 19.99%*
with AutoPay
Loan Amounts
$5,000 – $100,000
Credit Score
660+
LightStream provides personal loans with cosigners with low rates and a Rate Beat program in which they will beat any rate a competitor offers by 0.10 percentage points.** Rates may vary based on the loan purpose, but there are never any fees. If you have excellent or good credit, LightStream is a great option.
- Credit score category: Excellent, good
- Soft credit pull to check rates: Not available
- Deposit time: As soon as the same day
- Autopay discount: 0.50%
- Origination fee: 0%
- Late fee: None
- Discounts: 0.50% interest rate reduction for enrolling in autopay
- Repayment terms: 24 – 144 months***
Upgrade
Rates (APR)
7.99% – 35.97%
Loan Amounts
$1,000 – $35,000
Credit Score
620+
Upgrade is a good option for borrowers that need smaller loan amounts since they have a lower minimum than most lenders. Eligibility is more dependent on free cash flow as compared to other lenders.
- Credit score category: Fair, bad
- Soft credit pull to check rates: Yes
- Deposit time: As soon as the next day
- Autopay discount: 0.50%
- Origination fee: 2.9% – 8%
- Late fee: $10
- Repayment terms: 36 or 60 months
Local Credit Unions
Credit unions are a good place to start looking for an unsecured personal loan with a cosigner. They’re nonprofit lenders that are usually managed locally, and in most cases, they’re owned by their members.
Because they’re different than banks, they can often work more closely with you to find a loan option that works, and they’re more likely to accept a cosigner if you have one in mind.
>> Read More: Credit Union Personal Loans
When Would You Need a Cosigner for a Personal Loan?
The credit score required for a personal loan/installment loan depends on the lender, but you should expect to see a minimum of about 580 to 600 for most traditional lenders offering unsecured loans. Some lenders won’t go below 620. The higher your credit score, the more likely you are to be approved.
Credit scores have several different scales, but they typically run from 300 to 850, with 850 being the highest FICO score available. Anything over 700 is considered good or excellent credit, and anything under 600 is considered poor or bad credit. The space between 600 to 700 is fair to average.
If your credit report is less than stellar, banks and other lenders will see you as a higher risk and they may be more inclined to deny your loan application.
If you do get approved on your own with poor credit, you’ll receive worse loan terms than someone else with a higher credit score. If you’re finding yourself having a hard time getting a decent interest rate or getting approved at all, it may be time to think about getting a cosigner.
>> Read More: Best Bad Credit Personal Loans
How Does Adding a Cosigner to a Personal Loan Work?
A cosigner is someone who signs the loan paperwork with you, essentially promising that if you default on the loan, they’ll make the payments and ensure that the loan is paid back in full and on time.
From a lender’s perspective, this is a good thing. It decreases the risk they’re taking on by approving your loan. Since the cosigner has solid credit, the likelihood that they’ll step up and fulfill the loan’s obligation by making the monthly payments if you don’t is high.
A personal loan or installment loan cosigner can also help get you a lower interest rate. Typically, a lender is more willing to offer those coveted lower rates if the risk on the loan is low, which is exactly what a personal loan with a cosigner brings.
>> Read more: How to Apply for a Personal Loan
What Are the Risks for a Cosigner?
Being a cosigner carries a lot of responsibility, and before you ask someone to cosign your loan, you should understand exactly what you’re asking for.
A cosigner essentially offers their own credit history as collateral for the loan. If you make the monthly payments on time and pay the loan off, they lose nothing.
However, if you cannot or do not make the necessary loan payments, your cosigner is on the hook. And if their financial situation has changed or they are otherwise unable to make your payments for you, their credit can take a major hit.
Tips on Choosing a Cosigner for a Personal Loan
Because of the risks, cosigners are usually family members or significant others, although anyone who is willing to cosign your loan may be approved if the lender accepts them. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should use anyone who is willing.
A good cosigner is one that your lender will view as very low risk. They’ll have a healthy, steady debt-to-income ratio that’s easily documented with direct deposits or check stubs. They’ll also need a good credit history, with several years’ worth of responsible credit use.
Before you ask someone to cosign your loan, you’ll want to have a contingency plan. If you can’t pay your loan, do you have a fallback plan besides relying on your cosigner to pick up your payments for you?
Also, are you planning on using the loan proceeds for something beneficial like debt consolidation or to pay off credit card debt, or is it for something that is unnecessary?
Not only is that being financially responsible, but it will also help your cosigner feel more comfortable about saying yes.
If the person you had in mind chooses not to cosign your loan, all is not lost. Understand that it’s a big risk for them and don’t get angry. You still have other options. There are many lenders out there that serve subprime borrowers, and while you’ll pay more in interest, you’ll get the money you need. Paying it back on time will help your own credit.
Bottom Line
Getting a personal loan or installment loan is sometimes necessary, even if you have poor credit. Having a cosigner can help make things easier and help you get better rates.
Make sure you have a solid plan to pay back your loan and compare multiple loan offers to find the best personal loan rates available for your needs.
If you have trouble getting a personal loan even with a cosigner, you may want to consider applying for a joint loan. With these, both applicants are equally responsible for the loan which may make lenders more likely to offer you a loan.
Recap of the companies listed above.
| Company | APR | Loan Amount |
| LightStream | 3.49% – 19.99%* with AutoPay | $5,000 – $100,000 |
| Upgrade | 7.99% – 35.97% | $1,000 – $35,000 |
*Your loan terms, including APR, may differ based on loan purpose, amount, term length, and your credit profile. Excellent credit is required to qualify for lowest rates. Rate is quoted with AutoPay discount. AutoPay discount is only available prior to loan funding. Rates without AutoPay are 0.50% points higher. Subject to credit approval. Conditions and limitations apply. Advertised rates and terms are subject to change without notice.
**Payment example: Monthly payments for a $10,000 loan at 5.95% APR with a term of three years would result in 36 monthly payments of $303.99.
***LightStream will offer a rate .10 percentage points lower than the rate offered on any competing lender’s unsecured loan provided that you were approved for that lower rate (with the same loan terms offered by LightStream) no later than 2 p.m. Eastern time two business days prior to loan funding. The Rate Beat Program excludes secured or collateralized loan offers from any lender, and the competitive offer must be available to any customer with a similar credit profile. Terms are subject to change at any time.
If you believe you have been approved by another lender for a lower qualifying rate, contact LightStream customer service. We will work with you to determine your Rate Beat eligibility and obtain the necessary documentation.
