Credible is a highly-rated online lending marketplace platform offering student loans and student loan refinancing. The company tops our list of the best private student loans available. Our Credible loans review places the company at the top of the list on our best personal loans page, our best and cheapest home insurance companies review and our best student loan refinancing companies page, offering consumers extraordinary borrowing flexibility to qualify for lending without negatively impacting their credit scores. The company provides the same level of flexibility and ease of use for its private student loans and student loan refinancing applications.
Credible carries an A+ grade at the Better Business Bureau and an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.com, where under 5% of reviewers give Credible less than 4-star ratings. In general, borrowers credit the company for making the borrowing process straightforward and allowing them to choose the funding that works best for them. Following are details of Credible.com’s student loan and student loan refinancing options and benefits.
Student Loans
Pros
Compare student loan lenders and options in minutes without negatively affecting your credit score.
Choose the best student loan refinancing terms available to you from multiple lenders.
Student loans and student loan refinancing are available for borrowers with a wide range of credit scores.
Cons
Some student loan lenders on Credible’s platform don’t allow loan pre-qualification.
Credible isn’t a lender, and borrowers must still formally apply for the financing they choose after pre-qualifying.
Based on creditworthiness and other factors, some lenders may not offer services to all customers.
Credible Student Loans Review: Features and Benefits
Credible is an online lending marketplace featuring student loan and refinancing solutions for undergraduates, graduates, and parents. As a marketplace that also rates among the best debt consolidation lenders, the company understands how to make the borrowing process as straightforward as possible.
- Check loan and refinancing rates without affecting credit score
- Fixed and variable interest rates from 3.45% to 17.99%
- Choose from multiple lending options
- No fees apply for using Credible
- Other fees vary by lender
- Eligibility varies by lender
- Loan terms available from five to 20 years
- High average consumer ratings
- Some low review scores
- Credit score requirements vary by lender from fair to excellent
- Multiple repayment options are available
- Refinance private, federal, or both student loan types
- Some lenders provide forbearance and deferral options
- Educational website provided
Credible Student Loans Review: Editorial Rating
Trusted Company Reviews Rating Score for Credible Student Loans: 9.7
We awarded Credible’s student loan and student loan refinancing platform at 9.7 out of 10 possible points for several reasons. Despite a small number of negative reviews, the company outrates its competitors on many levels.
Credible student loans review scores from both consumers and experts give the company an average rating of around 4.4 out of 5 stars. The lowest rating score featuring a large number of respondents is 3.7 stars, while the highest among popular review sites is 4.8.
However, Credible stands out for more than just its ratings scores. The company’s best attributes are its easy application process that won’t affect your credit score until you formally apply for a loan or refinancing, its long list of available borrowing options, and its ability to offer borrowers multiple financing options.
| Fixed and variable APR | 3.45% to 17.99% |
| Loan Terms | 5, 7, 8, 10, 15, 20 Years |
| Refi Terms | 5, 7,10, 15, 20 Years |
| Repayment Options | Immediate, interest-only, deferred |
| Loan Amounts | $1,000 to total attendance cost |
About Credible Student Loans
Unlike federal student loan options, Credible offers only private student loan and refinancing choices. The company partners with numerous lenders that offer varying borrowing terms, interest rates, and qualifying requirements.
After taking the pre-qualification step on Credible’s website, the lending options returned typically represent several borrowing choices rather than simply a list of lenders that may approve you.
The options presented can vary in loan length, APR, loan fees, forbearance options, and payment terms so customers can choose the best option for their financial situation. However, it’s essential to remember that refinancing federal student loans disqualifies you from federal loan protections such as income-based repayment terms that may not be available through Credible’s partner lenders.
Student Loan Types Offered Through Credible
Credible’s partner lenders offer a variety of loan types with varying terms, lengths, and interest rates. The four general types of student loans offered are immediate repayment, deferred payment, interest-only, and deferred payment with a cosigner release option.
- Immediate repayment loans require full payment against the balance while still in school.
- Deferred repayment loans put off making payments until after leaving school or graduating. Interest continues to accrue on these loans while payments are bing deferred.
- Interest-only loans are available in full or partial interest payment options. Full interest-only loan payments start while still in school and cover the interest accruing on the loan until after graduation. Partial options are similar, except the partial interest payment includes set payment amounts that may not cover all of the interest accruing.
- Deferred repayment with cosigner-release loans are the same as deferred payment loans but come with the eventual option of applying to release the cosigner from their obligations—usually after several months or years of making loan payments.
What’s the Difference Between Federal and Private Student Loans?
Federal loans are generally available through a financial aid program after filling out a FAFSA form. Federal loans backed by the government are available in subsidized or unsubsidized options for students and parents who take out the loans on behalf of their children and feature several benefits.
Federal loans are generally the best way to pay for a large portion of secondary education for most students. However, private student loan funding and refinancing typically pick up where federal loans have limitations.
| Federal student and parent loans | Private student loans | |
| Repayment terms | Payments begin after leaving school or reducing attendance to less than half-time. Payments can be tied to income. Deferred payments are available, as are multiple repayment options. | Several repayment terms are available based on lender, potentially including similar options to federal loans. |
| Loan and refinancing amounts | $57,500 for undergraduates, $138,500 for graduate students | Maximum amounts up to the entire cost of attendance, depending on the lender |
| Interest rates | 5.5% to 8.05% fixed | 3.45% to 17.99% fixed or variable |
| Financial assistance | Subsidized loans available with income requirements | Subsidized private loan options generally don’t exist |
| Approval requirements | Credit check only for graduate and professional students | Varies by lender |
| Refinancing options | Federal consolidation avaialble | Refinancing available for federal and private loans |
| Loan forgiveness | Full or partial loan forgiveness is available in several circumstances | Rarely available through state-funded programs only |
What Is a Student Loan Cosigner Release?
Getting a private student loan typically requires a credit check. Many students won’t have had enough time before entering secondary education to develop credit scores and histories that allow them to qualify for a major loan.
A cosigner is often necessary to acquire student loan approval. However, being a cosigner comes with risks. The cosigner becomes responsible for making payments if the student can’t pay them.
It’s often desirable for the student to release the cosigner from the obligation, if possible, after the student has developed a sufficient credit history.
Many of Credible’s partner lenders offer private student loans with a cosigner release clause, stating that after a particular number of payments made against the loan (usually somewhere between 24 and 48 months), the student can apply to have the cosigner removed from the loan. Making the loan payments then becomes the sole responsibility of the borrower.
About Credible Student Loan Refinance
Credible offers student loan refinancing for up to $750,000, depending on the lender and the borrower’s qualifications. Credible student loan refinancing is subject to the company’s same pre-qualification process for most refinance products that will only draw a soft credit inquiry until after formally applying for the loan.
Credit score and debt-to-income ratio qualifications will apply and vary between Credible’s partner lenders. Fixed and variable interest rates of between 3.85% and 13.44% are available with repayment terms of 5, 7,10, 15, and 20 Years, depending on the chosen lender.
Lenders that work with Credible can refinance both federal and private student and parent loans. There are no fees for using Credible to find the lender you need, and none of the company’s partner institutions charge origination fees or prepayment penalties.
Credible Student Loans and Credible Student Loan Refinance Pre-Qualification Details
You can pre-qualify on the company’s website. The form requires customers to input personal and financial information. Within a few minutes, in most cases, the website will return multiple loan or refinancing options after performing a soft credit inquiry that won’t affect your credit score or appear on future credit inquiries.
You can then choose a lender and loan or refinancing option that fits your needs best. You can select based on interest rates, loan length, and other agreement terms and formally apply for the funding on Credible’s website. Formally applying will draw a hard inquiry on your credit report that will temporarily negatively affect your score.
Credible Student Loans and Credible Student Loan Refinance Reviews
Credible enjoys high consumer and expert reviews across numerous platforms as an online lending marketplace offering student loans, student loan refinancing, personal loans, debt consolidation options, mortgage lending, and insurance. Customers returning positive reviews generally award the company 4- or 5-star ratings and cite things like fast turn-around times, application ease, excellent website user experience, helpful site information, and estimating accuracy from lenders.
So easy to do everything online.
Great explanations of questions being asked, information that was requested. If forms were required, the process to supply the forms, sign the forms, send the forms was the easiest I have ever experienced. I did everything on my phone! – Shiloh, Trustpilot
Credible was incredibly easy to navigate and use, especially for someone like myself who is not technologically inclined. Credible prompted step by step, then showed me a list of loan options I could choose from and select which one worked best for me, I finished the application and a few days later I received an email saying I was approved, it could not have been any easier for me to be able to apply for a loan. – Christopher, Trustpilot
However, some negative reviews of the platform exist as well. Poor reviews of three stars or less relate to experiences of poor communication or miscommunication between the pre-qualification step and final approval and aggressive marketing tactics by some lenders.
I reach the site looking to learn what the rates are and it expects me to enter name, birthday, social, and all kinds of stuff they’re not entitled to this early in the inquiry. I’m just trying to price it out and I’m not about to give this information to everyone while I look for information about what’s available. – David, Trustpilot
Also check out our Credible Home Insurance review.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is Credible good for student loans?
Does Credible require a cosigner for student loans?
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Source
Image Sources: credible.com – trustpilot.com
Deane Biermeier
