Minimum Credit Requirement

5.99% – 35.99%

Minimum 500 FICO

24 to 60

months

Origination fee

Varies

LendingTree is our parent company. LendingTree is unique in that you may be able to compare up to five personal loan offers within minutes. Everything is done online and you may be pre-qualified by lenders without impacting your credit score. LendingTree is not a lender.

Origination fee

None

6.25% – 18.00%

Origination fee

None

7.50% – 15.99%

Not available

24 to 48

months

Origination fee

Not available

Not Available

Origination fee

None

Virginia Credit Union

Virginia Credit Union has 18 branches throughout the state, offers surcharge-free ATM access and is part of the CO-OP Network®. Any U.S. citizen or resident alien can join the credit union if you reside within Richmond or the cities and counties listed on their site. You can also join if you work for for any of their approved list of companies or are currently a student at a Virginia state funded college.

To join, all you need to do is pay a $5 membership deposit and a valid credit or debit card if you want to open any accounts. You can then apply for a personal loan as low as $100. Virginia Credit Union claims to have an easy and fast application process, which you can complete online.

Partners Financial Federal Credit Union

Founded in 1958, Partners Financial Federal Credit Union has four branches, including two in Richmond. There are no origination or prepayments with the loan, meaning you can pay it off any at time without penalty. While there is no minimum loan amount, you can only apply for a maximum of $15,000 and up to 5 years. Once you apply for a loan, you’ll get your exact APR, and the typical time to approval is 45 minutes.

To see if you’re eligible to become a member, you’ll need to contact the credit union and speak to an associate.

Connects Federal Credit Union

Connects Federal Credit Union serves customers that reside in the Greater Richmond area. Anyone that lives, works or goes to school in the city of Richmond or in Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties is eligible to join; this includes immediate family members of current credit union members. You need to make an initial $5 deposit when joining.

With their personal loans, you can either use it as a line of credit or with set terms. Once approved, you’ll be presented with your payment schedule with a minimum payment of at least $25 a month. Members are also eligible for a 0.25% rate discount if you make automatic payments or if you have a Connects credit card in good standing; if a borrower has both qualifications, they can obtain both discounts.

RiverTrace Federal Credit Union

RiverTrace Federal Credit Union serves customers in the Greater Richmond area. To join, you need to either work, live or attend school in the city of Richmond, or in local Chesterfield, Hanover or Henrico counties. You’ll also need to complete a member and signature card application and open a regular share account. The membership fee is $1; you will need to keep a minimum of $5 in your share account.

Their personal loans range from $1,000 to $10,000 and offer fixed rates depending on your creditworthiness. There are no prepayment fees, meaning you can pay off your loan at any time with incurring any fees.

Compare Personal Loans Online

Shopping around for a personal loan online is a great way to see more options, ones that have more competitive rates and that suits your needs. However, you may be limited in options if you’re only looking for personal loans at your local Richmond branches.

Online lenders tend to be trustworthy and many customers have written reviews outlining great customer service and rates. Many places even offer loans to those who may not have a great credit history or might need secured loans. However, even though there are many reputable online companies, some may not be as trustworthy. As with any loan, do your research and ask questions to make sure you understand what you’re getting into. In other words, only borrow from a company you can trust. If you’re unsure, you can read reviews at places like the Better Business Bureau to check on their reputation. It also goes without saying, but read all the fine print before signing off on a personal loan.

Going with an online lender has numerous benefits. For one, it’s convenient — you can apply and get approval all within the comfort of your own home. You don’t need to spend a lot of time going to your local branch to get a personal loan. Secondly, shopping around online gives you more options and, by extension, lower rates. Many of these companies don’t have to pay for much overhead such as physical offices, so they pass on those savings to their customers. If you don’t have a good credit score, you can also search for secured loans or find companies online that deal with bad credit loans.

An efficient way to find personal loans is through an online lending marketplace. Websites like LendingTree, the parent company of MagnifyMoney, can help guide you through the loan request process. LendingTree isn’t a lender, but their site may be able to connect customers up to five different lenders at once so they can compare and save on loans. All you need to do is fill out a short online form.

Once you do so, there’ll be a soft pull on your credit, meaning that your credit score won’t be affected at this point. You may then be presented with multiple offers, listing the name of the lender, approximate APR and terms. You can contact any of these companies to ask further questions if you want, or just go ahead and submit an application to that specific lender. LendingTree doesn’t handle this part of the process; rather, it directs you to the lender’s site so you can complete the application there. The lender will do a hard pull on your credit when you officially apply.

When your loan is approved, you’ll need to complete the closing process with your lender, which typically involves you signing an agreement and letting the lender know where to send the funds. The money will then be deposited into your account within a few business days.

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