If you have no credit or damaged credit, it can be daunting to get a credit card or loan. With Self credit-builder loans, users have a chance to build credit — or restore damaged credit — without requiring money upfront.
Therefore, the idea of Self Lender is to lend money to yourself, build your credit, save money, and earn interest all at the same time.
The reviews of the Self (formerly Self Lender) explains how it works, how to open a Self account, and the benefits therein. From the reviews, you will also get to know if Self Lender is legit.
Take a cursory look at the table of contents below.
What Is Self Lender?
Self, formerly known as Self Lender Self is a financial technology company that helps people build credit, particularly those who are new to credit or who might not have a way to traditional financial products.
It is a new kind of credit builder loan that doesn’t demand a huge amount of money upfront and charges extremely reasonable interest. Additionally, there’s no credit check required.
Self Lender gives you access to their Credit Builder Account, which is an installment loan that allows people to build positive payment history (if they make their monthly payment on time) while they save money for a rainy day.
How Does Self Lender Work?
Here’s how it works:
- Apply for a loan that’s held by our bank partners: Your money is secured and protected in a bank account.
- Pay off the loan in 12-24 months: You can choose a repayment plan that fits your budget.
- Each payment builds credit history and adds to your savings: Your payments are reported to all three credit bureaus.
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How Can I Get Started On Self Lender?
To sign up on Self Lender, you need to heed the following steps listed below.
#1: You will need to input your Social Security number, date of birth, and income. They will run a ChexSystems check to make sure you have not previously abused checking accounts.
#2: You’ll get a text with a verification code to enter.
#3: Once you’ve got the verification code, the next step is to verify your identity by answering questions about your finances that only you should know.
#4: At this point, you can choose your loan.
#5: After choosing your loan, you can now provide payment information. This is done by simply providing your online login for a checking account or traditional account and routing numbers. You may also choose to pay with a debit card, however, an additional convenience fee will apply.
#6: Lastly, you need to confirm your financial details to open the certificate of deposit savings account, which is held at Austin Capital Bank.
And you’re done! Your credit score will begin to improve in as little as 30 days.
Visit the Self-application page and provide basic information about you and your finances.
What Are The Eligibility Requirements On Self Lender?
Because a credit builder loan is created for those with no credit, you don’t need good credit to be eligible. You can even apply if you don’t have any credit history at all.
You typically just have to:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a US citizen or permanent resident
- Have a Social Security number
- Have a bank account, debit card, or prepaid card (so you can make payments)
- Live in one of the 50 US states
How Much Does Self Lender Cost?
Here’s a quick rundown of how much the self lender loan costs:
- There is a non-refundable administration fee of $12 to obtain the loan. These fees range from $9 to $15 depending on the amount of the loan.
- You would make your payments of $89 for 12 months. These payments equal $1,068.
- After the loan is paid, you can withdraw $1,000 (plus a teeny bit of interest) from the CD.
- Your net cost is $80. (Minus the bit of interest your $1,000 earned in the CD.)
Is Self Lender A Good Way To Build Credit?
If you don’t have credit, or trying to rebuild your credit but struggling to gain access to the right tools, Self Lender is legit and a good way to go.
Opening a credit builder loan can help you create this payment history since part of the process involves making regular payments.
People with a starting credit score lower than 600 are more likely to see a positive impact from a credit builder loan over time, according to an analysis of Self Financial customer data.
Furthermore, the Self Financial study did not include people who are new to credit, or who may not yet have a credit score yet because they have no credit history, but if you have no credit history, a credit builder loan can help you establish a credit history.
Even with the presence of an activation fee and an APR, at the end of the 12 or 24-month loan/CD term, you’ll have ownership of the fully funded CD. Meanwhile, all three major credit bureaus–Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax–receive your payment reports, building or enhancing your credit score.
Nonetheless, Self helps you build your credit rating and your savings. And since those are two correlated financial situations, Self will enable you to get control of both at the same time.
The major hindrance with Self is that once you start the program, you don’t have an option to withdraw–unless you’re able to fully payoff/fund the loan/CD. Otherwise, you’ll need to continue making monthly payments until the plan is complete in 12 or 24 months. For that reason, it may be best to go with a 12-month plan, even though the activation fee and APR are a little bit higher.
If you’d like more information, or you’d like to sign up for the service, check out the Self website.
What Are The Features and Benefits of Self?
It is important however that you understand the features and benefits of Self regardless of how amazing the app may be.
Income Requirement
Self does not have an income requirement to open an account.
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Credit Eligibility
On Self Lender, you will not be denied a credit-builder account if you have either poor credit or no credit.
Eligibility for a Self credit-builder account is defined through the ChexSystems database of past retail banking history. This system functions as something of a credit report monitoring your bank transactions.
Credit Score
Generally, it takes at least six months of on-time payments to establish a FICO score. They also warn that seeking a credit builder loan when you already have a credit score is capable of reducing the credit score since it will represent a new and unproven task.
According to Self, customers with an $1,100 credit builder account have experienced an average credit score increase of 45 points within the first six months. They also report subprime customers experience a credit score increase of 20 to 25 points over the life of the loan.
Your credit score is made visible on the Self dashboard.
Making Monthly Payments
On Self Lender, you link your bank account to your Self account, and you can either make one-time payments each month, or set up automatic payments.
Account Beneficiary
When you open a credit-builder account with Self you can designate a beneficiary for any funds paid into your account.
Early Repayment
You are free to pay back your credit-builder account at any time with no extra fees or penalties to be incurred. Once you do, you will receive the proceeds of the CD, plus accrued interest. However, the bank holding the CD will charge an early withdrawal penalty.
How Long Does It Take To Get Your Money From Self Lender?
On Self, you get the money (minus interest and fees)from your Self Credit builder account at the end of the loan term or when you close your account. If you wish to access the money instantly consider getting a personal loan instead.
In other words, you don’t receive funds until your loan matures and/or all loan payments have been concluded. Once you finish your account, it takes up to 3 weeks for your money to arrive, depending on the payout method you chose.
If you just activated your Self Credit Builder Account or you’re thinking of doing so, remember that unlike traditional personal loans, the aim of the Credit Builder Account is to help you build credit and save some money aside for later.
Is Self Lender Legit or Scam?
At the end of the day, Self credit builder is very reasonable. It offers an absolute credit builder plan for someone who either doesn’t have the cash to guarantee for a secured credit card, or a qualified and willing co-signer to cosign a loan.
In other words, Self helps you to both build your credit rating and your savings. And since those are two financial situations that often accompany each other, Self Lender will allow you to get control of both at the same time.
Therefore, the Self app is a legit app that enables you to access your Self Credit Builder Loan account and see your account status at any time. Additionally, the company leaves no smugness in terms of security and privacy — using multiple layers of data encryption.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, if you have no credit or damaged credit, Self credit-builder loans offer users a chance to build credit — or restore damaged credit — without requiring money upfront. Therefore, this article posits that Self Lender is legit and safe to use.
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