Good to excellent credit
American Express
- Credit profile
- Excellent
- APR range
- 6.99% – 19.99%
- Loan amount
- $3,500 – $40,000
Personal finance / CA
Personal loans, banking, insurance, and debt help in California
Californians take out personal loans mainly to consolidate credit card debt, cover car repairs or medical bills, finance home improvements, or pay for weddings and moves, with most loans unsecured.
30lenders in the dataset
CAstate guide
$1,403/yraverage homeowners premium in dataset
51jurisdictions in the dataset
01 / Personal loans
Personal loans in California
Californians take out personal loans mainly to consolidate credit card debt, cover car repairs or medical bills, finance home improvements, or pay for weddings and moves, with most loans unsecured.
Interest-rate law
California's Financing Law (CFL) runs three regimes by loan size: small loans (~$2,500 or less) follow a tiered schedule; loans of roughly $2,500-$10,000 are capped at 36% plus the Federal Funds Rate under the Fair Access to Credit Act (AB 539, effective 2020); loans of $10,000 or more have no CFL rate cap at all.
| Loan range | Rate | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Roughly $2,500 or less | Tiered monthly rates from ~2.5% down to 1% | Original CFL schedule |
| ~$2,500 to $10,000 | 36% simple annual interest + Federal Funds Rate, 12-month minimum term | Fair Access to Credit Act (AB 539) |
| $10,000 or more | No CFL rate cap; priced by market | Not specified in dataset |
Lender complaints: California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI)
02 / Lender directory
Lenders by credit profile
Good to excellent credit
Axos Bank
- Credit profile
- Excellent
- APR range
- 11.79% – 20.84%
- Loan amount
- $7,000 – $50,000
Good to excellent credit
Citi
- Credit profile
- Good - Excellent
- APR range
- 9.99% – 17.49%
- Loan amount
- $2,000 – $30,000
Good to excellent credit
Discover
- Credit profile
- Good - Excellent
- APR range
- 6.99% – 24.99%
- Loan amount
- $2,500 – $40,000
Good to excellent credit
LightStream
- Credit profile
- Good - Excellent
- APR range
- 6.74% – 25.39%
- Loan amount
- $5,000 – $100,000
Good to excellent credit
PNC Bank
- Credit profile
- Not specified
- APR range
- 7.89% – 24.99%
- Loan amount
- $1,000 – $35,000
Good to excellent credit
PenFed
- Credit profile
- Good
- APR range
- 7.99% – 17.99%
- Loan amount
- $500 – $50,000
Good to excellent credit
Prosper
- Credit profile
- Good
- APR range
- 8.99% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $2,000 – $50,000
Good to excellent credit
Reach Financial
- Credit profile
- Not specified
- APR range
- 5.99% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $3,500 – $40,000
Good to excellent credit
Rocket Loans
- Credit profile
- Good
- APR range
- 8.01% – 29.99%
- Loan amount
- $2,000 – $45,000
Good to excellent credit
SoFi
- Credit profile
- Good - Excellent
- APR range
- 8.74% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $5,000 – $100,000
Good to excellent credit
USAA
- Credit profile
- Good - Excellent
- APR range
- 9.89% – 18.51%
- Loan amount
- $2,500 – $100,000
Good to excellent credit
US Bank
- Credit profile
- Not specified
- APR range
- 8.74% – 24.99%
- Loan amount
- $1,000 – $50,000
Good to excellent credit
Wells Fargo
- Credit profile
- Good - Excellent
- APR range
- 6.74% – 25.99%
- Loan amount
- $3,000 – $100,000
Fair credit
60MonthLoans
- Credit profile
- Fair
- APR range
- 25% – 36%
- Loan amount
- $2,600 – $10,000
Fair credit
Achieve
- Credit profile
- Fair
- APR range
- 6.25% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $5,000 – $50,000
Fair credit
Avant
- Credit profile
- Poor to Good
- APR range
- 9.95% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $2,000 – $35,000
Fair credit
Best Egg
- Credit profile
- Fair
- APR range
- 6.99% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $2,000 – $50,000
Fair credit
Happen Bank (formerly LendingClub)
- Credit profile
- Fair
- APR range
- 7.04% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $1,000 – $60,000
Fair credit
LendingPoint
- Credit profile
- Fair
- APR range
- 7.99% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $1,000 – $36,500
Fair credit
Navy Federal Credit Union
- Credit profile
- Fair - Excellent
- APR range
- 8.74% – 18%
- Loan amount
- $250 – $50,000
Fair credit
Oportun
- Credit profile
- Fair
- APR range
- N/A – 35.95%
- Loan amount
- $300 – $10,000
Fair credit
Upgrade
- Credit profile
- Fair
- APR range
- 7.74% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $1,000 – $50,000
Fair credit
Upstart
- Credit profile
- Fair
- APR range
- 6.20% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $1,000 – $75,000
Poor or limited credit
CreditNinja
- Credit profile
- Poor
- APR range
- 195.75% – 349%
- Loan amount
- $300 – $5,000
Poor or limited credit
Integra Credit
- Credit profile
- Poor
- APR range
- 149% – 399%
- Loan amount
- $500 – $3,000
Poor or limited credit
Mariner Finance
- Credit profile
- Poor
- APR range
- 15.49% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $1,000 – $25,000
Poor or limited credit
NetCredit
- Credit profile
- Poor
- APR range
- 34% – 99.99%
- Loan amount
- $1,000 – $10,000
Poor or limited credit
OneMain Financial
- Credit profile
- Poor
- APR range
- 18% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $1,500 – $20,000
Poor or limited credit
OppLoans
- Credit profile
- Poor
- APR range
- 160% – 195%
- Loan amount
- $500 – $5,000
03 / Debt consolidation
Debt consolidation
For loans between $2,500 and $10,000, California's Fair Access to Credit Act caps rates at 36% plus the Federal Funds Rate; above $10,000, California doesn't cap rates at all, making comparing offers especially important for larger consolidation loans.
04 / Banking and credit unions
Banking in California
National banks offer scale and convenience, while regional and California-based banks compete on relationship banking and faster local decisions.
Banks listed
- ChaseNational bank.
- Bank of AmericaNational bank, headquartered in Charlotte, NC, with deep California roots (originally founded in San Francisco in 1904).
- Wells FargoNational bank, headquartered in San Francisco, CA.
- US BankNational bank, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.
- CitibankNational bank.
- East West BankHeadquartered in Pasadena, CA.
- Cathay BankHeadquartered in Los Angeles, CA.
- Banner BankHeadquartered in Walla Walla, WA, with a significant California presence.
Credit unions
California's credit unions are member-owned, not-for-profit institutions offering lower rates and fees than banks, hosting more credit union assets and members in absolute terms than almost any other state.
California credit unions posted median membership growth of about 0.1% year over year (Q4 2025 NCUA data), compared to a national median of about -0.5%.
California's credit union sector grew from military and naval installations (North Island, NAS San Diego, China Lake, Port Hueneme) and public-sector employee groups such as teachers, with California Credit Union beginning in 1933 to serve educators. State bankers tried to pass a tax targeting credit union income as early as 1933, which directly provoked the founding of the California Credit Union League that same year.
Federally insured credit union deposits are protected up to $250,000 through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund.
Credit unions listed
05 / Debt settlement
Debt settlement
Legal, regulated more actively than most states. Providers must register with the DFPI under the California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL), authorized by AB 1864 (2020); registration regulations were approved October 2024, with a February 15, 2025 filing deadline. A separate 'prorater' license under California's Prorater Law may also apply. No clearly established fee cap; the federal Telemarketing Sales Rule's advance-fee ban is the baseline protection.
Companies listed in the dataset
06 / Insurance
California insurance
Regulator
California Department of Insurance
Insurance regulator websiteAuto insurance
15/30/5
California requires liability insurance with minimum limits of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury liability, plus $5,000 for property damage liability, one of the lowest property damage minimums in the country.
Homeowners and renters
$1,403/yr
- State requirement
- No
- National homeowners average
- $1,337/yr
- Renters average
- $177/yr
California carries catastrophic wildfire exposure, which has driven major insurer pullbacks and non-renewals, along with earthquake risk (standard policies exclude earthquake damage, requiring a separate policy through the California Earthquake Authority or a private insurer).
07 / Questions
California FAQs
How do I file a complaint against a lender in California?
Contact the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), which licenses and supervises personal loan lenders, debt settlement companies, and payday lenders.
How do I file a complaint against my insurance company in California?
File with the California Department of Insurance.
What's the maximum interest rate a lender can legally charge on a personal loan in California?
It depends on loan size: roughly $2,500 or less follows a tiered CFL schedule; $2,500 to $10,000 is capped at 36% plus the Federal Funds Rate under the Fair Access to Credit Act; $10,000 or more has no CFL rate cap.
What credit score do I need for a personal loan in California?
It depends on the lender. Banks and credit unions typically want a FICO score of 700+, online FinTech lenders work with fair credit (low-to-mid 600s), and some lenders serve poor or limited credit at significantly higher APRs.
Are payday loans legal in California, and are there caps on fees or loan amounts?
Yes, but tightly capped: a 'deferred deposit transaction' is capped at $300, with a maximum fee of 15% of the amount advanced and a term up to 31 days (about 460% APR). Rollovers aren't allowed and only one loan is permitted at a time, tracked via a DFPI real-time database.
How long can a debt collector legally pursue an unpaid debt in California before the statute of limitations runs out?
Written contracts have a 4-year statute of limitations (CCP § 337); oral contracts have a 2-year window (CCP § 339).
What's the difference between a debt consolidation loan and debt settlement for someone living in California?
A debt consolidation loan pays creditors in full with new borrowed money at a lower rate; credit recovers quickly. Debt settlement negotiates a reduced payoff but damages credit and may create taxable forgiven income. California requires debt settlement companies to register with the DFPI, a stronger regulatory baseline than many states.
