Good to excellent credit
American Express
- Credit profile
- Excellent
- APR range
- 6.99% – 19.99%
- Loan amount
- $3,500 – $40,000
Personal finance / OH
Personal loans, banking, insurance, and debt help in Ohio
Ohioans use personal loans for debt consolidation, unexpected expenses, home improvement, and major life events. Ohio runs four overlapping licensing regimes with different rate caps, and the effective cost to a borrower often exceeds the headline percentage once fees are added.
36lenders in the dataset
OHstate guide
$920/yraverage homeowners premium in dataset
51jurisdictions in the dataset
01 / Personal loans
Personal loans in Ohio
Ohioans use personal loans for debt consolidation, unexpected expenses, home improvement, and major life events. Ohio runs four overlapping licensing regimes with different rate caps, and the effective cost to a borrower often exceeds the headline percentage once fees are added.
Interest-rate law
The Small Loan Act (up to $5,000) tiers at 28% on the first $1,000 and 22% above that. The Short-Term Loan Act caps loans at $1,000 with a nominal 28% rate, but fees can push real effective APRs to roughly 200%. Loans of $10,000 or more fall under the Residential/General Loan Law (25% cap) or the 8% default usury rate if unlicensed.
| Loan range | Rate | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| First $1,000 (Small Loan Act, up to $5,000) | 28% | Small Loan Act |
| $1,000 – $5,000 (Small Loan Act) | 22% | Small Loan Act |
| Up to $1,000 (Short-Term Loan Act) | 28% nominal, effective APR up to ~200% with fees | Ohio Fairness in Lending Act (HB 123) |
| $10,000+ | 25% cap (Residential/General Loan Law) or 8% default if unlicensed | Residential/General Loan Law |
Lender complaints: Ohio Division of Financial Institutions
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
Huntington Bank
- Credit profile
- Not specified
- APR range
- 8.47% – 25%
- Loan amount
- $0 – $50,000
Good to excellent credit
KeyBank
- Credit profile
- Not specified
- APR range
- 8.99% – 22.99%
- Loan amount
- $2,000 – $100,000
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
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
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
Fig Loans
- Credit profile
- Poor
- APR range
- 190% – 209%
- Loan amount
- $300 – $500
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
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
Given Ohio's overlapping rate regimes, the ceiling that applies depends heavily on lender licensing category and loan structure, so comparing the actual disclosed APR across multiple offers matters more in Ohio than almost anywhere else, since the headline rate may not reflect the full fee-inclusive cost.
04 / Banking and credit unions
Banking in Ohio
National banks offer scale and convenience, while Ohio-based regional and community banks compete on relationship banking and faster local lending decisions.
Banks listed
- ChaseNational bank.
- Huntington BankHeadquartered in Columbus, OH.
- Fifth Third BankHeadquartered in Cincinnati, OH.
- KeyBankHeadquartered in Cleveland, OH.
- PNC BankNational bank, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.
- US BankNational bank, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.
- Park National BankHeadquartered in Newark, OH.
Credit unions
Ohio'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 5.4% year-over-year median membership growth (Q4 2025 NCUA data), one of the stronger figures nationally, alongside solid asset growth (about 5.0%) and a notably high median loan-to-share ratio (about 93%).
Dense and fragmented, built on industrial and employer roots: auto-parts plants seeded 7 17 Credit Union (Packard Electric/GM workers, 1957) and Superior Credit Union (1954), while a federal Air Force installation produced Wright-Patt Credit Union, now Ohio's largest. Liberalization happened piecemeal; Lima Superior individually lobbied the NCUA in the early 1980s for the first community charter granted to a U.S. city over 50,000 residents.
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, though the statute historically leans nonprofit-oriented for debt adjusting under Ohio Rev. Code § 4710.01 et seq., with some ambiguity in how it's been applied to for-profit activity. No clearly documented fee cap; the federal Telemarketing Sales Rule's ban on advance fees is the baseline protection.
Companies listed in the dataset
06 / Insurance
Ohio insurance
Regulator
Ohio Department of Insurance
Insurance regulator websiteAuto insurance
25/50/25
Ohio requires $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident bodily injury liability plus $25,000 property damage liability.
Homeowners and renters
$920/yr
- State requirement
- No
- National homeowners average
- $1,337/yr
- Renters average
- $160/yr
One of the lowest premiums in the country (45th, 2021 NAIC data). Ohio faces severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, and lake-effect winter storms near Lake Erie.
07 / Questions
Ohio FAQs
How do I file a complaint against a lender in Ohio?
Contact the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions, which licenses and supervises consumer lenders operating in Ohio.
How do I file a complaint against my insurance company in Ohio?
File with the Ohio Department of Insurance.
What's the maximum interest rate a lender can legally charge on a personal loan in Ohio?
It depends on the licensing category. The Small Loan Act tiers at 28% on the first $1,000 and 22% above that up to $5,000. The Short-Term Loan Law caps loans at $1,000 with a nominal 28% rate but effective APRs with fees can run far higher. Loans of $10,000+ typically fall under the Residential/General Loan Law's 25% cap or the 8% default rate if unlicensed.
What credit score do I need for a personal loan in Ohio?
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 Ohio, and are there caps on fees or loan amounts?
Only under a reformed structure since 2019 (Ohio Fairness in Lending Act, HB 123): a minimum 91-day term, nominal 28% interest cap, and total outstanding short-term principal capped at $2,500 per borrower. Real effective APRs with maintenance fees can still land around 148%.
How long can a debt collector legally pursue an unpaid debt in Ohio before the statute of limitations runs out?
6 years for written contracts (ORC § 2305.06) following a 2021 reform that shortened it from 8 years. Oral contracts have a 4-year window (ORC § 2305.07), down from 6 years. These apply to claims accruing on or after June 14, 2021.
What's the difference between a debt consolidation loan and debt settlement for someone living in Ohio?
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. Ohio's debt adjusting statute leans nonprofit-oriented with some ambiguity around for-profit activity.
