Good to excellent credit
American Express
- Credit profile
- Excellent
- APR range
- 6.99% – 19.99%
- Loan amount
- $3,500 – $40,000
Personal finance / NC
Personal loans, banking, insurance, and debt help in North Carolina
North Carolinians use personal loans for debt consolidation, unexpected expenses, home improvement, and major life events, under a tiered rate schedule that was recently expanded to cover larger loans.
31lenders in the dataset
NCstate guide
$1,192/yraverage homeowners premium in dataset
51jurisdictions in the dataset
01 / Personal loans
Personal loans in North Carolina
North Carolinians use personal loans for debt consolidation, unexpected expenses, home improvement, and major life events, under a tiered rate schedule that was recently expanded to cover larger loans.
Interest-rate law
The Consumer Finance Act (Chapter 53) used to cap out at $15,000; a 2023 amendment raised that ceiling to $25,000. Rates run 30% on the portion up to $4,000, 24% on $4,000-$8,000, and 18% on the remainder up to $25,000. Above $25,000, loans fall to the general usury statute (Chapter 24): an 8% legal default rate, with written contracts able to reach roughly 16%.
| Loan range | Rate | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $4,000 | 30% | Consumer Finance Act, Chapter 53 |
| $4,000 – $8,000 | 24% | Consumer Finance Act, Chapter 53 |
| $8,000 – $25,000 | 18% | Consumer Finance Act, Chapter 53 |
| Above $25,000 | 8% default, up to ~16% with written contract | General usury statute, Chapter 24 |
Lender complaints: North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks
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
Fifth Third Bank
- Credit profile
- Not specified
- APR range
- 8.69% – 21.74%
- Loan amount
- $2,000 – $50,000
Good to excellent credit
Happy Money
- Credit profile
- Good
- APR range
- 7.95% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $5,000 – $50,000
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
Truist
- Credit profile
- Good - Excellent
- APR range
- 6.74% – 25.39%
- Loan amount
- $3,500 – $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
Wells Fargo
- Credit profile
- Good - Excellent
- APR range
- 6.74% – 25.99%
- Loan amount
- $3,000 – $100,000
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
TD Bank
- Credit profile
- Fair - Excellent
- APR range
- 9.99% – 23.99%
- Loan amount
- $2,000 – $50,000
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
Mariner Finance
- Credit profile
- Poor
- APR range
- 15.49% – 35.99%
- Loan amount
- $1,000 – $25,000
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
Poor or limited credit
Personify Financial
- Credit profile
- Poor
- APR range
- 36% – 179.50%
- Loan amount
- $500 – $15,000
Poor or limited credit
Rise
- Credit profile
- Poor
- APR range
- 99% – 199%
- Loan amount
- $500 – $5,000
03 / Debt consolidation
Debt consolidation
North Carolina's tiered schedule runs from 30% down to 18% within the Consumer Finance Act's $25,000 ceiling, so a well-priced debt consolidation loan should land well under whatever blended rate applies to the loan size; comparing lenders matters more for larger loans outside CFA coverage.
04 / Banking and credit unions
Banking in North Carolina
National banks offer scale and convenience, while North Carolina-based regional and community banks compete on relationship banking and faster local lending decisions.
Banks listed
- TruistHeadquartered in Charlotte, NC.
- Bank of AmericaHeadquartered in Charlotte, NC.
- Wells FargoNational bank, with a major regional hub in Charlotte, NC.
- First Citizens BankHeadquartered in Raleigh, NC.
- Fifth Third BankHeadquartered in Cincinnati, OH.
- PNC BankNational bank, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.
Credit unions
North Carolina's credit unions are member-owned, not-for-profit institutions that often post lower loan rates and fewer fees than comparable bank products, with membership tied to living, working, or having other ties to a specific group.
About 3.1% year-over-year median membership growth (Q4 2025 NCUA data), alongside solid asset growth (about 3.3%) and the strongest median loan growth of any state in this comparison (about 1.6%).
Site of the Supreme Court case NCUA v. First National Bank (1998), which struck down broad field-of-membership interpretations and led Congress to pass the Credit Union Membership Access Act that same year. Roots include a 1915 state law producing Lowe's Grove Credit Union (arguably the first rural credit union in the nation) and State Employees' Credit Union (1937), now the largest state-chartered, natural-person credit union in the U.S.
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
No, not for a typical for-profit company. North Carolina has prohibited debt adjusting since 1963 (N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 14, art. 56, § 14-423 et seq.), with an exemption for attorneys. A 2025 bill (S.B. 491) would create a licensing framework with a 15%-of-principal or 20%-of-savings fee cap, but had not been enacted as of this writing; a competing bill (H.B. 734) would expand the prohibition instead.
06 / Insurance
North Carolina insurance
Regulator
North Carolina Department of Insurance
Insurance regulator websiteAuto insurance
30/60/25
North Carolina requires $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident bodily injury liability plus $25,000 property damage liability. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage are also required.
Homeowners and renters
$1,192/yr
- State requirement
- No
- National homeowners average
- $1,337/yr
- Renters average
- $164/yr
North Carolina faces hurricanes and tropical storms along its coast, plus severe thunderstorms and occasional tornadoes inland; coastal counties see meaningfully higher premiums than the state average.
07 / Questions
North Carolina FAQs
How do I file a complaint against a lender in North Carolina?
Contact the North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks, which licenses and supervises consumer finance companies operating in North Carolina.
How do I file a complaint against my insurance company in North Carolina?
File with the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
What's the maximum interest rate a lender can legally charge on a personal loan in North Carolina?
A tiered schedule within the Consumer Finance Act's $25,000 ceiling (raised from $15,000 in 2023): 30% on the first $4,000, 24% on $4,000-$8,000, and 18% on the remainder up to $25,000. Above $25,000, the general usury statute applies (8% default, up to ~16% with a written contract).
What credit score do I need for a personal loan in North Carolina?
It depends on the lender. Banks and credit unions typically want a FICO score of 700+; FinTech lenders work with fair credit (low-to-mid 600s); some lenders serve poor or limited credit at higher APRs.
Are payday loans legal in North Carolina, and are there caps on fees or loan amounts?
No. North Carolina was the first state to ban payday lending, letting the authorizing statute expire in 2001. The Consumer Finance Act's small-loan interest cap makes triple-digit payday rates illegal, and the state has aggressively pursued out-of-state, tribal-affiliated, and rent-a-bank workarounds. No legally operating payday loans have existed since roughly 2006.
How long can a debt collector legally pursue an unpaid debt in North Carolina before the statute of limitations runs out?
3 years for written contracts, oral contracts, and open accounts (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(1)). Contracts for the sale of goods under a security agreement get a 4-year window. Payment or even a verbal promise to pay can restart the clock.
What's the difference between a debt consolidation loan and debt settlement for someone living in North Carolina?
A debt consolidation loan pays off debts in full with newly borrowed money at a fixed schedule, letting credit recover quickly. Debt settlement negotiates reduced balances but requires stopping payments first, damaging credit, and forgiven amounts can be taxable. In North Carolina, debt adjusting is currently prohibited outright, so a debt consolidation loan is the clearly legal path, at least until pending legislation changes that.
