Soledad Maria S.
Verified BorrowerWould you recommend this product? Yes
It was pretty fast and very professional people that I worked with.
Achieve 2026 Personal Loan Review
Consider Achieve if you have fair credit or better and need to borrow at least $5,000. This lender has special perks if you use the loan to consolidate debt, but be prepared to pay an origination fee.
4.3
Est. APR
6.25 - 35.99%
Min. credit score
640
Time to fund
same - day
Loan amount
$5K - $50K
Loan term
2 to 5 years
Origination fee
1.99% to 9.99%
Best if you
- Have fair credit or better.
- Need a mid-sized loan that you can repay within five years.
Not ideal if you
- Lack an established credit history.
- Want to avoid an origination fee.
What to know about Achieve personal loans
Achieve has key features you’d expect from a good personal loan lender. It has competitive rates, offers fast funding and serves a wide variety of consumers with various borrowing needs.
If you need a loan to consolidate debt, you can choose to have Achieve send loan funds directly to your creditors to pay off your outstanding balances. The best lenders for debt consolidation offer this to help borrowers streamline their debt payoff process. Plus, you can get a rate discount for that.
If you need money fast for a home repair or an emergency, Achieve delivers fast funding, so you’re not waiting more than a couple of days for the money to take care of an essential need. The lender sends loan funds the same day it approves your loan application, but it could take one to three business days for the money to arrive in your bank account.
Achieve personal loans come with an origination fee, which isn’t uncommon for online lenders. But if you’re trying to avoid that fee (which can be from 1.99% to 9.99% of the loan amount in this case), consider a loan from a bank or credit union. Many of those lenders don’t charge an origination fee.
Achieve also doesn’t have the flexibility of offering loans under $5,000. You’ll need to borrow from a different lender if you’re looking for a smaller loan.
» MORE: Compare the best personal loans
What the nerds think
"When you’re shopping for a personal loan, you may have a bunch of questions specific to your individual situation. I like how Achieve provides customer support seven days a week and has a transparent website that showcases what you can expect when you apply for one of its loans. This lender also has loan consultants who can evaluate whether you’d be a good candidate for its other products, like home equity loans or debt relief solutions."
Nicole DowLead Writer & Content Strategist
What we like most about Achieve
- It offers several rate discounts: If you opt for a joint loan, Achieve may lower your loan’s annual percentage rate by about 2 percentage points. If you’re consolidating debt and choose to let Achieve send the loan funds directly to your creditors, you could save about 3 percentage points off your loan’s rate. A unique rate discount Achieve offers is the ability to save about 1 percentage point from your rate by showing proof of adequate funds in your retirement account.
- You can get money fast: Achieve tells NerdWallet it typically sends loan approval decisions in 30 minutes or less if an application is submitted during business hours. It will fund a loan the same day you sign the loan agreement, however it could take your bank a day or two to process the deposit.
Why Achieve may not be right for you
- You can’t get a small loan: Achieve’s personal loan amounts start at $5,000. Look for another lender if you want to borrow less.
- You can’t be new to borrowing money: Achieve requires applicants to have at least three years of credit history, spread out over at least two accounts — plus a credit score of at least 640. This loan isn’t for folks who haven’t established a credit history yet.
How much does an Achieve personal loan cost?
The total cost of your Achieve loan depends on the amount borrowed, annual percentage rate and loan term. Here is an example of how different rates affect the costs of a $25,000 loan with a five-year term. Achieve told NerdWallet its average borrower typically gets an APR from 15% to 19.99%.
APR | 15%. | 20%. |
Monthly payment | $595. | $662. |
Total interest cost | $10,685. | $14,741. |
Total loan cost | $35,685. | $39,741. |
» MORE: Use our personal loan calculator to estimate your costs
Do you qualify for an Achieve personal loan?
You may qualify for an Achieve personal loan if you have fair credit or better. However, Achieve doesn’t offer personal loans in Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Achieve’s borrowing requirements
- Minimum credit score: 640.
- Maximum debt-to-income ratio: 70%, including mortgage.
- Minimum credit history: 3 years and 2 accounts.
- Must provide a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
- Must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.
- Must have a valid email address.
- Must provide proof of residency.
- Must provide proof of employment or income.
- Must have a valid U.S. bank account.
Profile of an average Achieve borrower
For an idea of where you would fit in among other borrowers and what to expect, we asked Achieve about its average borrower. Here’s what the lender told us.
- Average loan amount: $20,000 to $29,999.
- Average APR: 15% to 19.99%.
- Most common loan term: 5 years.
- Most common loan purposes: Debt consolidation.
- Average borrower’s credit score: 690 to 719.
- Average annual income: $100,000 or higher.
» MORE: How to get a personal loan
Frequently asked questions
Q: What does it mean to consolidate debt?
A: A debt consolidation loan is a loan you use to pay off smaller debts, so you only have one monthly payment rather than managing multiple ones. Ideally, your new loan should have a lower APR than the combined rates of your other debts. That way you save money and can pay down your debt faster.
Q: What is a joint loan?
A: A joint loan is a loan you share with another individual, also known as the co-borrower. Applying with a co-borrower can help you get approved or qualify for a larger loan amount or better rate than you would qualify for on your own. Both you and the co-borrower have access to the loan and are equally responsible for making payments. Missed payments can hurt both of your credit scores.
Q: Does Achieve have a mobile app?
A: No, this lender doesn’t have its own mobile app. However, you can set up automatic payments to manage the repayment process.
Q: Can you adjust your monthly payment due date?
A: Yes, Achieve lets you change your monthly payment date up to twice a year with a maximum cap of six times throughout the life of the loan. This can be useful if you change jobs and have a different payday schedule, or if you need the flexibility to balance other expenses that pop up.
Q: Does Achieve report payments to credit bureaus?
A: Achieve reports loan payments to Experian and Equifax, but not TransUnion. This means future lenders, employers or landlords won’t see any on-time payments you’ve made toward your Achieve personal loan if they only pull your TransUnion credit report.
Q: Can you have more than one Achieve personal loan at a time?
A: Yes, Achieve doesn’t set a restriction on the amount of loans you can concurrently have from its company.
How does Achieve compare?
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
Est. APRFrom 6.99% to 35.49% | Est. APRFrom 6.53% to 35.99% | Est. APRFrom 7.24% to 24.89% | Est. APRFrom 7.74% to 35.99% |
Loan amountFrom $5,000 to $100,000 | Loan amountFrom $1,000 to $75,000 | Loan amountFrom $5,000 to $100,000 | Loan amountFrom $1,000 to $50,000 |
Min. credit scoreNaN | Min. credit score600 | Min. credit score660 | Min. credit score600 |
How we rated this lender
NerdWallet’s editorial team rates lenders using a rubric with five weighted categories and 29 subcategories. Here are the factors we prioritized, plus why this lender received each score.
Overall rating
4.3/5
Affordability25% of rating
4.1/5
Achieve has a low starting APR and multiple opportunities to get rate discounts. However, origination fees can be nearly 10% of the loan amount.
Our Method: We review lenders’ rates and fees, plus any opportunities for rate discounts.
Customer experience20% of rating
4.2/5
Borrowers can reach customer service reps seven days a week and can adjust their monthly payment date or request hardship accommodations. The lender loses customer experience points, though, for its lack of a mobile app and for reporting payments to only two of the three major credit bureaus.
Our Method: We look at factors such as customer service availability, monthly payment flexibility and whether the lender reports on-time payments to major credit bureaus.
Loan flexibility20% of rating
3.9/5
While Achieve offers a variety of loan types and other positive features, its high starting loan amount isn’t flexible for those wanting to borrow less than $5,000.
Our Method: We assess loan amount and term ranges and whether lenders offer multiple loan types or direct payment to creditors on debt consolidation loans.
Underwriting and eligibility20% of rating
4.7/5
Achieve is offered in most states, and applicants can pre-qualify with a soft credit check to see potential loan offers prior to submitting a formal application.
Our Method: We consider how widely available and accessible the loans are and how lenders review applicants’ credit.
Application process15% of rating
5.0/5
Achieve’s application process is quick and transparent. Pre-qualifying shows you what costs and terms to expect so you can decide if the loan is right for you.
Our Method: We evaluate loan approval and funding times and the lender’s transparency throughout the application process.
Read more about our ratings methodologies for personal loans.
Achieve borrower reviews
4.0out of 5
(6 reviews)
50%
Would recommend
this product
Rating Breakdown
5
(3)4
(1)3
(1)2
(1)1
(0)Sort by:
Bernard T.
Verified BorrowerWould you recommend this product? Yes
It was quick, but I actually have an issue.
Gabriel S.
Verified BorrowerWould you recommend this product? No
I was fine with the loan and the product, but ever since I applied for that information I keep having multiple people reach out to try to give me info even though I try not to get their info anymore and get removed from the calls and get off the mailing list and everything yet it still happens.
Domingo R.
Verified BorrowerWould you recommend this product? Yes
It went very smoothly and we were very, very happy. We can't wait to refinance.
Kevin S.
Verified BorrowerWould you recommend this product? No
Loan was good. Everything was good. Everything was okay. Yeah, no complaints.
User reviews are displayed for informational purposes only and are not monitored for accuracy. These reviews do not reflect the opinions of NerdWallet or the financial institutions referenced and are not endorsed by them. Neither NerdWallet nor the financial institutions are responsible for the content of any review, nor are the financial institutions obligated to respond to or address any user posts.
Learn more about personal loans
