Can You Get Experian Loans for Bad Credit?

Experian doesn't lend money itself; it runs the Experian Marketplace that links you to dozens of partner lenders who evaluate your credit, income and loan purpose. If your score falls below 670 - often classified as 'bad credit' - the marketplace still shows lenders willing to consider you, though each lender sets its own approval rules and rates.

To see whether any of those lenders will fund you, visit the Experian Marketplace lenders page, enter your zip code and desired loan amount, and review the offers that appear. The list includes soft‑pull pre‑qualification options (discussed in the next section) and gives you an immediate sense of your chances at score levels around 550, 620 or 700 before you commit to a hard inquiry.

Experian Marketplace connects you to partner lenders instead of lending directly, so even borrowers with bad credit (typically below 670) can receive multiple offers in seconds.

• Visit the Experian Marketplace loan offers page and create a free account.
• Enter the desired loan amount, repayment term, and your approximate credit score (e.g., 550, 620, 700).
• Experian runs a soft‑pull pre‑qualification, then displays a list of lenders that serve your score range.
• Filter results by 'bad‑credit friendly' or 'no‑hard‑inquiry' to focus on options that accept scores below 670.
• Compare each offer's APR, fees, and repayment schedule side‑by‑side.
• Click the chosen lender to begin a full application; the hard pull occurs only after you select a specific offer.
• Keep note of any lender‑specific requirements (e.g., secured collateral or a cosigner) before proceeding.

A soft‑pull prequalification shows which Experian Marketplace lenders might consider you without hurting your credit. Enter a few basics and the system runs a non‑invasive inquiry.

• Log into your Experian account and navigate to the Experian Marketplace loan offers.
• Provide personal details (name, address, income, debt) and let Experian pull your current score (scores below 670 qualify as bad credit).
• Select loan purpose and amount; the matching engine filters partner lenders that accept scores as low as 550.
• Review the short list of offers - each displays an estimated APR, term, and monthly payment.
• Choose an offer and submit the full application; the lender performs a hard pull only after you accept.
• If no offers appear, consider improving your score or adding a cosigner before retrying.

If your credit score is 550, 620, or 700, the likelihood of a partner lender on Experian Marketplace approving you climbs sharply with each tier.

Experian itself never funds a loan; it only routes your soft‑pull pre‑qualification to lenders who set their own criteria. Approval chances still depend on income, debt‑to‑income ratio, and the specific lender's appetite for bad credit.

• Score ≈ 550: lenders typically view the application as high risk, so approval odds hover around 10 % - 20 %.
• Score ≈ 620: risk drops noticeably, giving you roughly a 30 % - 45 % chance of approval.
• Score ≈ 700: you enter the 'good‑credit' zone for many marketplace partners, with approval odds near 70 % - 85 %.

Use these ballpark figures when you request a soft‑pull pre‑qualification, then proceed to compare the five loan types you can get with bad credit in the next section.

You can find five loan categories for bad credit (scores below 670) through the Experian Marketplace, which simply matches you with partner lenders. They include personal installment loans, payday loans, auto‑title loans, secured loans (such as a home‑equity or secured personal loan), and credit‑builder loans designed to report on‑time payments to the bureaus.

The five differ dramatically in cost, speed, and risk. Installment loans usually span 12‑36 months with APRs from 15 % to 35 % and a hard credit pull. Payday loans fund the same day, charge flat fees equivalent to 300 %‑plus APR, and often require a bank‑account verification instead of a credit check. Auto‑title loans use your vehicle as collateral, offer terms of 30‑90 days, and carry APRs around 30 %‑40 %; default can lead to repossession. Secured loans need an asset, lower rates (often 10 %‑20 %) and longer terms, but a missed payment risks the asset. Credit‑builder loans provide small amounts (typically $500‑$2,000), report only the repayment schedule, and charge modest fees, making them the safest way to improve a score without immediate cash needs.

The Experian Marketplace lets you compare offers side by side before you submit a soft‑pull pre‑qualification, so you can pick the product that matches your timeline and budget without assuming approval.

Secured or credit‑builder loans give you a realistic path to borrowing when your score sits below 670, because partner lenders in the Experian Marketplace can use collateral or payment reporting to offset bad credit.

• Secured loans require an asset  -  a savings account, vehicle or cash‑value life policy  -  that the lender can claim if you default; this often lowers the APR to the high‑teens instead of the thirties.
• Credit‑builder loans deposit the borrowed amount into a locked account; you only receive the funds after you finish paying, but each on‑time payment is reported to the major bureaus, helping lift your score.
• Typical eligibility includes a steady income, a checking or savings account and a willingness to lock up collateral; many lenders accept scores as low as 550.
• Use the Experian Marketplace's soft‑pull pre‑qualification tool to see which partner offers secured or credit‑builder products without hurting your credit.
• Watch for fees higher than 5 % of the loan amount and APRs that can climb above 30 % if the lender treats you as high‑risk.
• Compare offers side‑by‑side, then consider a cosigner (next section) to improve rates and approval odds.
• Learn more about how credit‑builder loans work from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guide.

A cosigner boosts your approval odds on the Experian Marketplace for bad credit borrowers. Lenders look at both the applicant's and the cosigner's credit profiles, so a partner with a 700+ score can offset a score of 550‑620 and make the loan appear less risky.

Because the cosigner shares legal responsibility, lenders often offer lower interest estimates and may extend higher loan amounts. The cosigner must meet the same income and identity checks as any primary applicant, and both parties should understand the repayment commitment. After securing a cosigner, you can move on to estimating rates and payments in the next section. For more detail on how a cosigner helps, see how a cosigner improves loan chances.

Bad‑credit borrowers typically see APRs between 12% and 36% through the Experian Marketplace, which means monthly payments can be much higher than those offered to borrowers with scores above 670.

1. Get a soft‑pull pre‑qualification. The Experian Marketplace shows lenders' estimated rates before any hard inquiry, so you can compare offers without affecting your score.
2. Match rate ranges to your score.
   • 550  -  599 ≈ 20%‑36% APR
   • 600  -  649 ≈ 15%‑30% APR
   • 650  -  669 ≈ 12%‑25% APR

   These ranges cover most unsecured personal loans, secured auto loans, and credit‑builder products found on the marketplace.

3. Run a quick payment example. A $5,000 loan for 36 months at an 18% APR costs about $176 per month; a $2,000 loan for 24 months at a 28% APR costs roughly $106 per month. Adjust the term or amount to see how the payment changes.
4. Add lender fees to the calculation. Origination fees (often 1%‑5% of the loan amount) and possible late‑payment penalties increase the effective cost, so include them when budgeting.
5. Lock in the rate before you accept. Once you choose a lender, a hard pull finalizes the APR; make sure the quoted rate matches the pre‑qualification estimate to avoid surprises.

Proceed to the next section to learn how Experian Boost and disputes can help raise your score before you apply.

Add utility, phone or streaming bills with Experian Boost program and dispute any erroneous entries through the Experian dispute center to lift a bad‑credit score and improve your placement in the Experian Marketplace.

• Link eligible recurring payments, then watch the score update in minutes.
• Review the credit report for inaccuracies, then submit a dispute with supporting documents.
• After a successful boost or corrected item, re‑run the soft‑pull pre‑qualification to see better loan offers.

Higher scores - say moving from 550 to the 620 range - usually unlock more lenders and lower estimated rates, setting you up for the next step of spotting predatory Experian‑linked loans.

SmartMove keeps you inside fair‑housing limits by delivering only permissible data and by creating a paper trail you can show if a dispute arises.

When you run a SmartMove report, follow these guardrails:

• Use only the credit score, rental history, and eviction information SmartMove returns; never request race, religion, gender, or source of income.
• Apply the same screening criteria to every applicant, regardless of background, to avoid disparate‑impact claims.
• Store the full report and the date you ran it for at least three years; documentation proves you acted on objective facts.
• If you reject an applicant, send the required adverse‑action notice within five business days, attaching the SmartMove summary and the credit‑report agency's contact info.

Combine SmartMove with a quick check of state‑specific landlord laws and you'll sidestep most legal pitfalls, letting you focus on finding reliable tenants rather than fighting lawsuits.

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• Check the denial reason in the Experian Marketplace notification and note which credit factor triggered the reject.
• Pull a free soft‑pull prequalification or credit report to confirm the data the partner lender reviewed.
• Dispute any inaccuracies and add positive accounts with the Experian Boost tool to lift your score above the 620‑range often needed for approval.
• Pay down revolving balances to bring credit utilization under 30 % and improve your overall risk profile.
• Explore secured or credit‑builder loan options that accept scores as low as 550, since these products are designed for bad credit.
• Secure a qualified cosigner to boost the application's strength and open doors to more lenders in the marketplace.
• Re‑apply through the Experian Marketplace after 30‑45 days, once the above changes are reflected on your report.