National Loans: Compare Lenders and Loan Options

What National Loans USA does

National Loans USA is a free consumer site that helps you compare lenders and loan options in the United States. You can search our lender directory, read plain-English guides to each loan type and to your rights as a borrower, or send one request through our loan request form. We are not a lender, and we don’t make credit decisions.

How to use National Loans

Most people start in one of three places.

Search the lender directory

The directory lists banks, lenders and finance companies by category, including US banks, mortgage companies, auto finance and business lenders. Businesses submit their own listings, and some pay for a package that gives them more visibility. A listing is not an endorsement. Before you share personal details with any company you find here, check that the lender is licensed in your state.

Read the guides before you apply

Our guides explain how each type of loan works, what it costs, who it suits and who should skip it. Each one also covers safer options and the warning signs of a bad deal. If you have a quick question, the FAQ page has short answers.

Request offers through one form

Our loan request form covers amounts from $100 to $35,000, and you must be 18 or older to use it. An outside lead network runs the form. It shares your request with lenders and partners in that network, and they may contact you by phone, email or text. Lenders may check your credit, and they set the rates and terms, which vary by lender, state and credit history. Sending a request doesn’t guarantee an offer.

Loan options you can compare

Each loan type below has its own guide. Start with the closest match, or see them all on the loan types page.

• Personal loans give you a fixed amount that you repay in equal monthly payments, usually without putting up collateral.
• Bad credit loans are made to borrowers with fair or poor credit, and they often carry higher rates and fees.
• Debt consolidation uses one new loan to pay off several debts, and it only saves money if the new rate is lower than what you pay now.
• Cash advances are small, short-term loans that can cost far more than their size suggests, so read the costs before you borrow.
• Unsecured loans are based on your income and credit, with no car or savings pledged; our guide to secured vs. unsecured loans shows how the two compare.
• Auto finance covers loans for new and used cars from banks, credit unions, online lenders and dealers.
• Mortgages are long-term home loans, where a small difference in rate can add up to thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.
• Business loans fund small businesses through bank term loans, lines of credit and SBA-backed programs.

Know your rights before you borrow

Federal law gives you several protections when you borrow. Knowing them makes a bad deal easier to spot.

• You get to see the full cost before you sign. The federal Truth in Lending Act requires lenders to give you written disclosures of the APR, the finance charge and the total of payments. Compare offers by APR, not by the monthly payment alone.
• If a lender turns you down, it must give you the main reasons or tell you how to ask for them within 60 days, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If your credit report played a part, you can get a free copy from the credit bureau that supplied it. Our guide on what to do if you’re denied a loan walks through the next steps.
• You can check your credit reports for free. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion each let you see your report once a week at no cost through AnnualCreditReport.com, the Federal Trade Commission says. If you spot an error, dispute it before you apply.
• No one can legally charge you up front to promise a loan by phone. The FTC warns that it’s illegal for telemarketers to promise you a loan and ask you to pay for it first.
• Debt collectors have to follow rules too. If a loan goes to collections, there are limits on when and how a collector can contact you. Read your rights when a debt collector calls.

How we make money

National Loans USA earns money in two ways. Some businesses pay for Silver or Gold directory listings, and payment can affect where a listing appears. The lead network that runs our loan request form may also pay us when a request is submitted or matched with a lender. That money doesn’t change what our guides say. Our advertiser disclosure has the details.

Learn more about National Loans USA, or read our editorial policy to see how we research and update our guides.