We rated LightStream 4.9 out of 5 stars. LightStream delivers where it matters most — on rates. Interest rates on closed loans were the lowest for good, very good, and excellent credit scores compared to all Credible partner lenders.* Plus, there are no fees and large loan amounts are available.
We have more positive things to say about LightStream, which we’ll get into below.But LightStream isn’t for everyone. It can be hard to qualify for a loan (even if you have good credit), customer service is limited, and customer satisfaction is mixed.
Who (or what) is LightStream Financial best for?
- Ultra-low rates: The lender has the lowest available personal loan rates of all Credible partners and some of the lowest rates in the industry. But most people don’t qualify for a lender’s rock-bottom rate — which is where having access to data from real-life borrowers comes in handy. Based on 12 months of closed loans data from the Credible marketplace, average rates for borrowers with excellent credit (800+ FICO score) were below 10%; for very-good-credit (740-799 FICO), they were below 11%; while borrowers with scores from 700 to 740 saw average rates around 12%.
- Borrowers with very good credit: You’ll need a credit score of at least 700 to be eligible for a LightStream loan, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be approved for one. Borrowers approved for LightStream loans via the Credible marketplace had an average credit score of 769 on the FICO scale, which falls in the “very good” range.
- Home improvement loans and large loans: Since LightStream offers loans up to $100,000, it’s an excellent choice for home improvement projects and other large expenses. You could get an extended repayment term as well (which makes monthly payments more affordable) — for example, some home improvement loans have terms up to 20 years.
Advertiser Disclosure
LightStream: Best overall
Pros and cons
Our take
More details
Who is LightStream not best for?
If you’re seeking a robust customer service experience with easy access to an agent, LightStream is not for you. We couldn’t even find a phone number on the company’s website (the Better Business Bureau had one on its website, which is below).
It’s also not a good choice if you need a loan of less than $5,000 or have anything other than good to excellent credit. Note that you can only prequalify with LightStream via Credible or possibly another loan marketplace they partner with — LightStream doesn’t offer prequalification directly on its website, so if you try to check your rate there, a hard credit pull will be entered on your credit report.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Ultra-low interest rates
- No fees
- $100,000 loans available
- Allows co-borrowers
- Same-day funding possible
- Repayment terms up to 20 years
- 6th in consumer lending satisfaction
Cons
- No loans under $5,000
- Requires good to excellent credit
- No changing monthly due dates
- Limited customer service
- Can’t prequalify on the lender’s site
Details on the pros
- Ultra-low interest rates: Not only does LightStream have some of the lowest rates available, no other lender approved lower rates, on average, for borrowers with good, very good, and excellent credit, based on 12 months of Credible marketplace data.
- No fees: A true no-fee lender, there are no origination fees, late fees, or “optional” fees.
- $100,000 loans available: Only a handful of lenders offer loans up to $100,000.
- Allows co-borrowers: Qualifying for a large loan (or any loan) can be easier when you apply with a joint applicant, especially if they have very good credit. Not all lenders offer joint loans.
- Same-day funding possible: If you accept your loan and complete all required steps by 2:30 p.m. ET, your loan could be funded the same day.
- Repayment terms up to 20 years: For certain loan purposes, LightStream offers extended repayment terms: up to 20 years for home improvement loans and up to 12 years for boat, RV, or aircraft purchases and refinances. For other loan purposes, terms are available up to 7 years.
- 6th in consumer lending satisfaction: In J.D. Power’s 2025 Consumer Lending Satisfaction Study, LightStream was the top online lender, and scored higher than SoFi, Wells Fargo, and LendingClub (rebranding to Happen Bank).
Rate Beat program
LightStream offers to beat the rate on any similar loan you’re approved for with another lender by 0.10 percentage points.
Details on the cons
- No loans under $5,000: It’s generally best not to borrow more than you need, making LightStream a poor choice for someone who needs a small loan.
- Requires good to excellent credit: You won’t be eligible with a credit score lower than 700, but even then, it could be tough to qualify. The average LightStream borrower via Credible had an average score of 769.
- No changing monthly due dates: Once the loan has been funded, there’s no changing the due date. And if you make a payment 18 or more days before the due date, it will be considered an extra payment and you’ll still owe that month’s payment.
- Limited customer service: We couldn’t find LightStream’s phone number on its website — which says something about how willing it is to talk to existing and potential customers. There’s not a live or virtual chat feature either. (We did find LightStream’s phone number, below, on the Better Business Bureau’s website and confirmed it belongs to LightStream.)
- Can’t prequalify on the lender’s site: LightStream doesn’t offer a prequalification process unless you go through a personal loan marketplace like Credible.
Editor insight: “If your boat could use some upgrades but you don’t want to abandon ship, LightStream offers marine maintenance and repair financing for expenses including overhauls, engine rebuilds, and navigation systems. Depending on your boat’s age and condition, it might be a preferable alternative to taking out a boat loan and starting over with a new one.”
— Barry Bridges, Personal Loans Editor, Credible
How to qualify for a LightStream personal loan
At a minimum, you must:
- Earn at least $45,000 per year (this can be between you and a co-borrower)
- Have a minimum 700 FICO score (higher is better)
- Have a low enough DTI to afford payments (if too much of your income is already going toward debt, you may not qualify)
Explainer
“DTI” refers to your debt-to-income ratio. It’s the amount of minimum monthly debt payments relative to your income. Most lenders prefer a DTI below 36% for personal loans.
LightStream personal loan purposes
You can use a LightStream personal loan for almost anything that isn’t illegal. Common loan purposes include credit card and debt consolidation, home improvement financing, paying for medical procedures, and purchasing a boat, RV, or used car. Less common loan purposes that are also allowed include solar financing, tiny home financing, adoption fees, and financing a preK-12 education.
LightStream loans can’t be used for student loans (original or refinanced) or to purchase stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrencies. You also can’t use one LightStream loan to refinance another LightStream loan, and you must use the loan for the purpose stated in your application.
Company details and history
LightStream is the online lending division of Truist, which is the bank that funds the loans. It launched under the name LightStream in 2012, and is a BBB-accredited business. You aren’t required to bank with Truist to qualify for a LightStream loan.
Contact information
- Phone number: Call (866) 635-1330
- Business hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, noon to 4:00 p.m. ET.
- Email: customerservice@lightstream.com
- Mailing Address: PO Box 117320; Atlanta, GA 30368-7320
Methodology
Credible evaluated 32 lenders across 1,216 data points based on customer experience, minimum fixed interest rates, maximum loan amounts, funding times, loan terms, fees, discounts, third-party reviews, and more. Credible’s team of experts gathered information from each lender’s website and from our partners directly. We also considered each of our partner lenders’ statistics over a 12-month period — including average funding times, average credit scores for approved applicants, and average rates.
Learn more about how Credible rates lenders by exploring our personal loans lender rating methodology.
We assigned a numerical value to each attribute based on how that feature compared with the same feature for every other lender in the set. Attributes were grouped into categories, scores were compiled, and categories were weighted according to their relative importance — for instance, rates and fees were weighted highest since loan cost is among the most important factors in determining loan value.
- Rates and fees: 18.75%
- Eligibility and options for bad and no credit: 17.5%
- Availability: 12.5%
- Loan amounts and terms: 10%
- Customer satisfaction: 10%
- Customer service: 10%
- Efficiency and fund delivery: 10%
- Discounts: 7.5%
- Credible proprietary data: 3.75%
We also considered each of our partner lenders’ statistics over a 12-month period — including average funding times, average credit scores for approved applicants, and average rates. Learn more about how Credible rates lenders by exploring our full personal loans lender rating methodology.
Where we get our data
Credible is a personal loans marketplace that partners directly with lenders to offer loans for a wide range of credit profiles and loan purposes. Because of these relationships, we have access to the most current interest rates that real borrowers are being approved for, along with average rates by credit score and loan purpose, approval rates overall and by lender, and more. The data we use is primary source data, updated weekly, and does not include any personally identifiable information about borrowers.
FAQ
Is LightStream a good company?
LightStream is a reputable company with an A rating from the Better Business Bureau, and high marks in J.D. Power’s most recent consumer lending satisfaction study. It also has over 32,000 largely positive reviews through Bazaarvoice, with an average 4.9 rating. It’s worth noting that reviews on Trustpilot are few but overwhelmingly negative.
Read more: How To Compare Personal Loans: A Step-by-Step Guide
What credit score is needed for a LightStream loan?
At a minimum, you’ll need a 700 FICO score to be considered for a loan from LightStream. However, that doesn’t guarantee approval. In fact, most borrowers who qualified through Credible had a much higher FICO score — 769, on average.
Read more: hat Credit Score Do You Need for a Personal Loan?
Does a loan from LightStream hurt your credit?
As with most lenders, applying for a loan with LightStream will temporarily hurt your credit score. However, LightStream does not offer a prequalification process on its website, which means if you “check your rate” there, the lender will report a hard credit pull on your credit report. That can bring your score down by up to 10 points for up to one year, though most scores drop by five points or less.
If you’re approved for a LightStream loan, you can improve your credit with timely payments or if you use the loan to pay down credit card debt. Late payments will hurt your credit.
Read more: How Does a Personal Loan Affect Your Credit Score?
Is it hard to get a loan through LightStream?
If you don’t have a very good credit score, it could be hard to get a LightStream loan. However, you can take steps to improve your application by applying with a co-borrower with very good credit. You’ll need to earn at least $45,000 annually to qualify — and it’s possible that a higher income could offset a lower credit score (as long as it’s at least 700).
Can you pay off a LightStream loan early?
Yes. You can pay off a LightStream loan early without penalty. However, note that if you make an early monthly payment — 18 or more days before the payment’s due date — it’s considered an extra payment and you’ll be required to make the monthly payment as scheduled.
