LightStream Review

LightStream Review Summary

Loans from LightStream have some of the lowest interest rates on the market. Their APRs start as low as 6.49% and only top out at 24.89%. You can also borrow large amounts for long periods of time, with loans of up to $100,000 for for 24 - 240 months. It’s useful to note that LightStream is a division of Truist Bank – formerly SunTrust Bank, before its merger with BB&T.

LightStream has “loans for practically anything,” according to the company’s tagline, and it’s true. Unlike most lenders, LightStream offers loans with different rates for a variety of distinct purposes, from debt consolidation to remodeling a kitchen to paying off dental expenses. LightStream’s interest rate ranges vary based on the purpose of the loan.

One downside is that LightStream does not disclose specific credit and income requirements for loan approval. You will need an SSN to apply for a LightStream loan, however. That much is clear. Below, you can find more information about LightStream personal loans as well as see how they compare to offers from other lenders.

LightStream Interest Rates, Fees & Other Terms

Category Rating: 66% (3.3 out of 5)

• APR range: LightStream interest rates range from 6.49% - 24.89% and are fixed, not variable. However, there are individual interest rate ranges for each type of loan. For example, the interest rate range for debt consolidation loans is different from the one for kitchen/bathroom remodeling loans. The exact rate you get within any of those ranges depends heavily on your credit score, income and existing debts, among other factors. But even LightStream’s highest APRs are low, which means they score big on WalletHub’s grading scale.
• Fees: LightStream does not charge “origination fees” to process loans. There’s no fee for paying off your loan early, either, plus no late fee if you ever miss a due date.
• Loan amounts: LightStream offers large amounts of money, too – up to $100,000. And they give long periods of time to pay loans off – 24 - 240 months.

LightStream Loan Requirements & Application Info

Category Rating: 60% (3 out of 5)

• Mimimum credit score: LightStream requires a minimum credit score of 700+.
• Citizenship: You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Identification: You must have a Social Security number.
• Pre-qualification: LightStream doesn’t really have “pre-qualification,” but you can check potential rate ranges and estimated monthly payments using their online calculator.
• Ways to apply: If you decide to apply, the only way to do so is online.
• Joint applications: Unlike many competitors, LightStream does allow joint applications.
• Application status: If you’re waiting on a decision, you can check your LightStream application status online by logging in to your account.

Overall, LightStream gets a decent, but not high, score in this category. While they do have some big pluses like being one of only a handful of major lenders to offer joint applications, the fact that they don’t have pre-qualification and their lack of any alternatives to using an SSN bring their score down a bit.

LightStream Reviews & Transparency

Category Rating: 96% (4.8 out of 5)

• Better Business Bureau: LightStream’s parent bank Truist has an A+ rating from the BBB but is not accredited. Truist is the result of the 2019 merger of SunTrust Bank and BB&T.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: The CFPB’s database has about 76 complaints about LightStream’s personal loans. Some reasons for complaints include trouble making payments and required payment amounts being higher than expected.
• WalletHub: LightStream has a rating of 3.0/5 on WalletHub across 62 reviews. Its parent bank Truist has a user rating of 2.3/5 across over 5,193 reviews.
• Transparency: LightStream is transparent about their personal loan terms, which you can see on their website. However, they could be clearer about their income requirements. The good news is that LightStream offers $100 to anyone who receives a loan from them and is not completely satisfied. That’s a unique benefit and a nice touch.

Summary: LightStream Scores by Review Category

Other Key Things to Know

• Minimum Income: LightStream’s income requirements are not disclosed.
• Rate beat program: LightStream guarantees low rates. They advertise a “Rate Beat Program” where they will beat any interest rate you’re approved for by a competitor (for the same type of loan) by 0.10 percentage point.
• Age: You must be of legal age to accept a loan in your home state (almost always 18 years old).

LightStream Loans vs. Popular Competitors

**SoFi Personal Loan Disclosure Fixed rates from 8.74% APR to 35.49% APR. APR reflect the 0.25% autopay interest rate discount and a 0.25% SoFi Plus interest rate discount.

SoFi Platform personal loans are made either by SoFi Bank, N.A. or, Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, operating from its Delaware branch, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. SoFi may receive compensation if you take out a loan originated by Cross River Bank. These rate ranges are current as of 02/23/26 and are subject to change without notice. Not all rates and amounts available in all states. See SoFi Personal Loan eligibility details at https://www.sofi.com/eligibility-criteria/#eligibility-personal. Not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including evaluation of your credit worthiness, income, and other factors.

Loan amounts range from $5,000–$100,000. The APR is the cost of credit as a yearly rate and reflects both your interest rate and an origination fee of 9.99% of your loan amount for Cross River Bank originated loans which will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive and for SoFi Bank originated loans have an origination fee of 0%-7%, will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive.

Autopay: The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi.

SoFi Plus Discount: SoFi Plus members are eligible for an interest rate reduction of 0.25% on a Personal Loan. To be eligible for the discount, you must meet the SoFi Plus eligibility criteria within 31 days of the funding of your loan. For complete SoFi Plus eligibility, please see the SoFi Plus terms. When you enroll in SoFi Plus, the discount will lower the interest rate that applies to your loan only during periods in which you are enrolled in SoFi Plus. The discount will be removed during periods in which SoFi determines you are not enrolled in SoFi Plus. Each time your loan is re-amortized, your monthly payment amount will change based upon the interest rate that was in place. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this offer for unenrolled participants at any time. You are not required to enroll in SoFi Plus to be eligible for Loan approval.

Direct Deposit Discount: To be eligible to receive an additional (0.25%) interest rate reduction on your Personal Loan (your “Loan”), you must set up Direct deposit with a SoFi Checking and Savings account offered by SoFi Bank, N.A., or enroll in SoFi Plus by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee, all within 30 days of the funding of your Loan. Once eligible, you will receive this discount during periods in which you have enabled Direct Deposit to an eligible Direct Deposit Account in accordance with SoFi’s reasonable procedures and requirements to be determined at SoFi’s sole discretion, or during periods in which SoFi successfully receives payment of the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. This discount will be lost during periods in which SoFi determines you have turned off Direct Deposit to your Checking and Savings account or in which you have not paid for the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. You are not required to enroll in Direct Deposit or to pay the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee to receive a Loan.

Direct Pay: Terms and conditions apply. Offer good for personal loan customers with credit cards and personal loans in their name only and subject to lender approval. To receive the offer, you must: (1) register and/or apply through this landing page; (2) complete a loan application with SoFi within 90 days of your application submit date; (3) meet SoFi’s underwriting criteria; (4) apply 50% or more of your loan proceeds directly to your lenders/creditors. Once conditions are met and the loan has been disbursed, the interest rate shown in the Final Disclosure Statement will include an additional 0.25% rate discount. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate the Direct Pay Rate Discount Program to unenrolled participants at any time with or without notice. It takes about 3 business days for your creditor/lender to receive payment after your loan is signed. You will be responsible for making all required payments to avoid credit card and other loan fees.

To check the rates and terms you may qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull and may affect your credit.

Terms and conditions apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or other eligible status, be residing in the U.S., and meet SoFi's underwriting requirements. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. If approved, your actual rate will be within the range of rates at the time of application and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, and other factors. If SoFi is unable to offer you a loan but matches you for a loan with a participating bank, then your rate may be outside the range of rates listed above. Rates and Terms are subject to change at any time without notice. SoFi Personal Loans can be used for any lawful personal, family, or household purposes and may not be used for post-secondary education expenses. Minimum loan amount is $5,000. The average of SoFi Personal Loans funded in 2024 was around $33K. Information current as of 02/23/26. SoFi Personal Loans originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). See SoFi.com/legal for state-specific license details. See SoFi.com/eligibility for details and state restrictions.Methodology

In order to provide the most accurate review of LightStream personal loans, WalletHub used 17 key metrics grouped into three overall sections: Terms, Requirements & Application, and Reviews & Transparency. We rated each section on a scale of 0 to 5, with 5 being the best, and then averaged the scores of the three sections to produce an overall rating for the loan.

1. The “Terms” section includes information about how expensive the loan is, including rates and fees. It also takes into consideration how much consumers can borrow and how quickly they must pay it back. For companies where APR and fee ranges differ greatly by state, we used data from the most populous state serviced by the company. LightStream terms do not fluctuate significantly by state, however.
2. The “Requirements & Application” section examines how easy it is to apply for a loan and how long it takes to receive the money. It also looks at exactly who is eligible to apply.
3. The “Reviews & Transparency” section measures the loan provider’s reputation as well as how clearly the lender discloses its terms and requirements. This takes into account user reviews and information from watchdog organizations.

The average of these three scores reflects how close a loan offer is to WalletHub’s definition of a 5-star loan. For more information, please read WalletHub’s full methodology.