What Is Predatory Lending?

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If you need to borrow money, there are a wide variety of legitimate personal loan companies that offer fair rates and terms. But unfortunately, there are also plenty of predatory lenders and scammers looking to take advantage of borrowers desperate for a loan.

If you’re wondering what predatory lending is and how to avoid it, here’s what you should know:

What is predatory lending?

In general, predatory lending is any practice that inflicts unfair or abusive terms on borrowers — such as extremely high rates and fees.

This kind of lending often targets borrowers with poor credit scores who have a harder time qualifying for loans. However, anyone can be the victim of a predatory loan if you don’t know what to watch out for.

How to spot a predatory lender

While there’s no official consensus of what constitutes predatory lending, there are several common red flags of predatory lenders to watch out for when you’re shopping for a personal loan, including:

Poor consumer reviews

Reputable lenders sometimes have dissatisfied customers, but you should be able to find a reasonable amount of good reviews. If the overwhelming majority of consumer reviews for a lender are negative, there’s a good chance the lender is predatory.

Learn More: How to Get a Personal Loan

Seems too good to be true

Applying for a loan online is often a quick and easy process. But if the lender skips common application steps and offers you a loan that you likely wouldn’t qualify for from other lenders, there’s a good chance it’s predatory.

Check Out: How Long It Takes to Get Approved and Get a Personal Loan

No mention of APR or fees

Reputable lenders want you to know exactly how much a loan will cost you over time, which means making sure you know your exact annual percentage rate (APR). Keep in mind that APR includes not only your personal loan interest rate but also any fees you’ll pay over the life of the loan, such as origination fees.

Legally, lenders must disclose their loan rates and fees. But a predatory lender will likely bury this information in fine print rather than clearly stating what you can expect to pay.

Learn More: Debt Consolidation Loans

Signs of a reputable lender

Thankfully, there are many reputable personal loan lenders that don’t engage in predatory lending practices. Here are some signs of a trustworthy lender:

• Rates and terms are clearly disclosed. A reputable lender will clearly advertise the APRs you can expect on their loans. This includes both rates as well as any fees.
• A credit check and income documentation are required. When you apply for a loan, the lender will perform a credit check to determine your creditworthiness as well as your interest rate. You’ll also typically need to submit documentation showing your income and other debts.
• You can find positive reviews of the lender. A reputable lender will have satisfied customers, which means you’ll be able to find positive reviews.
• The lender offers tools and education to their borrowers. Reputable lenders don’t want borrowers to take on more debt than they can handle. Because of this, many lenders provide tools, calculators, and other educational resources to help you decide whether their loan product is right for your financial situation.

If you’ve found a reputable lender to work with, be sure to consider how much a loan will cost you before you borrow. This way, you can be prepared for any added expenses.

You can estimate how much you’ll pay for a loan using our personal loan calculator below.

Alternative loan options to predatory lending

If you have poor credit, you might feel like predatory lenders are your only option for accessing cash in a hurry. But there are a few alternatives available to you that don’t come with astronomical rates and fees and that won’t trap you in a downward spiral of debt.

Here are a few potential options to consider:

Personal loan from a reputable lender

You’ll typically need good to excellent credit to qualify for a personal loan — a good credit score is usually considered to be 700 or higher.

However, there are also several lenders that offer personal loans for bad credit. While these loans tend to have higher interest rates compared to good credit loans, they’ll most likely be much lower than what you’d pay with a predatory lender.

If you decide to take out a personal loan, be sure to consider as many lenders as possible to find the right loan for your needs. Credible makes this easy: You can compare your prequalified rates from our vetted partner lenders below in just two minutes — without affecting your credit.

Paycheck advance

There are several apps available that allow employed borrowers to access a portion of their paycheck early — typically with no interest and minimal fees. This can help tide you over until your next paycheck without trapping you in a debt cycle.

Borrow from family or friends

Asking for a loan from a loved one can be uncomfortable, but it’s usually a much better solution than relying on a predatory lender. Just be sure to pay back the loan within a reasonable amount of time so you don’t strain your relationships.

If you decide to take out a personal loan, remember to do your research so you can make sure the company you choose is trusted and reputable. Credible makes this easy — you can compare your prequalified rates from multiple vetted lenders that have your best interest in mind.

About Rates and Terms: Rates for personal loans provided by lenders on the Credible platform range between 4.99-35.99% APR with terms from 12 to 84 months. Rates presented include lender discounts for enrolling in autopay and loyalty programs, where applicable. Actual rates may be different from the rates advertised and/or shown and will be based on the lender’s eligibility criteria, which include factors such as credit score, loan amount, loan term, credit usage and history, and vary based on loan purpose. The lowest rates available typically require excellent credit, and for some lenders, may be reserved for specific loan purposes and/or shorter loan terms. The origination fee charged by the lenders on our platform ranges from 0% to 8%. Each lender has their own qualification criteria with respect to their autopay and loyalty discounts (e.g., some lenders require the borrower to elect autopay prior to loan funding in order to qualify for the autopay discount). All rates are determined by the lender and must be agreed upon between the borrower and the borrower’s chosen lender. For a loan of $10,000 with a three year repayment period, an interest rate of 7.99%, a $350 origination fee and an APR of 11.51%, the borrower will receive $9,650 at the time of loan funding and will make 36 monthly payments of $313.32. Assuming all on-time payments, and full performance of all terms and conditions of the loan contract and any discount programs enrolled in included in the APR/interest rate throughout the life of the loan, the borrower will pay a total of $11,279.43. As of March 12, 2019, none of the lenders on our platform require a down payment nor do they charge any prepayment penalties.

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