Compare your consumer loan options.
Personal loans, auto loans, debt consolidation, student loan refinancing, and home equity — one starting point instead of five separate searches. Pick the category below to see real lenders, real rate benchmarks, and the trade-offs, side by side.
- Personal loans Debt payoff, big purchases, or a fixed-rate installment loan instead of revolving credit card debt. Compare personal-loan lenders →
- Auto loans New or refinance auto financing — compare rate benchmarks by loan term before you shop a dealership. Compare auto-loan rates →
- Debt consolidation Combine high-rate credit card balances into one fixed-rate, fixed-term loan — if the math actually works. Compare debt-consolidation options →
- Student loan refinance Refinance private or federal student loans for a lower rate — with the federal-protections trade-off explained. Compare refinance offers →
- Home equity Home equity loans (lump-sum, fixed rate) and HELOCs (revolving, variable rate) for homeowners with 15%+ equity. Explore home-equity options →
◆ ClearValue editorial analysis
Why comparing lenders is worth the extra step
Rate benchmarks only tell part of the story — the fine print varies far more by lender than the headline rate does. The CFPB's 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report logged roughly 6.6 million complaint submissions last year, and 387,400 collection records filed specifically about debt collectors — real regulatory volume that exists precisely because loan terms, servicing practices, and collection tactics differ widely across lenders, not because any one product type is inherently risky.
The rate anchors below move on their own federal release schedule, independent of that regulatory backdrop: the Federal Reserve's G.19 Consumer Credit release put the average 24-month personal-loan finance rate at commercial banks at 11.40% as of February 2026, and the average 60-month new-car loan rate at 7.14% as of May 2026 — the same figures cited in the FAQ below, current as of the Fed's most recent release.
Primary sources: CFPB — 2025 Consumer Response Annual Report · Federal Reserve — G.19 Consumer Credit release
Analysis by the ClearValue Editorial Team, applying our published scoring methodology.
This analysis combines cited public data (Federal Reserve, FDIC, FTC, CFPB, SBA/USDA, NAIC, ICI, BLS) with ClearValue's own cost math and category comparison — it is not proprietary ClearValue portfolio data. Rates, APYs, fees, and program terms move; figures carry an as-of date and you should verify current numbers at the linked primary sources and with the provider before deciding. Educational information, not financial, legal, or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up before choosing between consumer loan types.
Which consumer loan type should I start with if I'm not sure?
Start with what the money is for, not the product name. Paying off high-rate credit card balances or funding a large one-time purchase points to a personal loan. Buying or refinancing a vehicle points to an auto loan. A home renovation or major expense where you own meaningful equity in your home points to a home equity loan or HELOC (usually the lowest rate of the group, but it's secured by your house). A federal or private student loan you're overpaying on points to a refinance — with the trade-off that refinancing a federal loan gives up federal protections like income-driven repayment and forgiveness paths.
Will comparing offers across multiple lenders hurt my credit score?
Most personal-loan, auto-loan, and student-refinance lenders let you check rates with a soft credit pull, which doesn't affect your score. The hard inquiry only happens when you formally apply with the lender you choose. FICO also scores multiple auto-loan or student-loan hard inquiries made within a 14–45 day shopping window (depending on the FICO version) as a single inquiry, so rate-shopping within a tight window doesn't multiply the score impact the way many borrowers assume.
What interest rate should I expect right now?
Rates vary by credit profile and product, but two live Federal Reserve G.19 benchmarks are useful anchors: the average finance rate on a 24-month personal loan at commercial banks was 11.40% as of February 2026, and the average 60-month new-car loan rate at commercial banks was 7.14% as of May 2026. Home equity products typically price lower than unsecured personal loans because your home is collateral; student-refinance rates depend heavily on whether you choose fixed or variable. Source: Federal Reserve G.19 Consumer Credit release, federalreserve.gov.
Is debt consolidation or a HELOC the better move for paying off credit cards?
A personal loan for debt consolidation is unsecured — if you can't pay, the lender can't take your house. A HELOC or home equity loan usually carries a lower rate because it's secured by your home, but that means a missed-payment risk you don't have with an unsecured personal loan. If the rate gap is large and you're confident in the payoff plan, the secured option saves more in interest; if you want to keep credit card debt from ever touching your house, the unsecured personal loan is the more conservative structure.
Ready to see your options?
Pick your financing type and start one application — we route you to the partner most likely to fit, scored against ClearValue's published methodology.
ClearValue Lending is a financing platform — not a lender or broker for any product listed on this page. Each category above routes to independent editorial comparisons or a category hub; ClearValue Lending is not the originator of any loan listed there, and each loan is originated by its respective lender. Where lender or affiliate programs are wired, application links may pay ClearValue Lending a referral commission at no cost to you — editorial selection and ranking is independent of any commission. See privacy policy.