SoFi Personal Loans: 2022 review

SoFi is the money management platform that can help you take back control of your money.  able of Contents: What is SoFi?     How does SoFi work? Is SoFi a legit lender? What credit score does SoFi require? How much can you borrow with SoFi? How long does it take to get money from SoFi? […]

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SoFi is the money management platform that can help you take back control of your money. 

able of Contents:

What is SoFi?    

How does SoFi work?

Is SoFi a legit lender?

What credit score does SoFi require?

How much can you borrow with SoFi?

How long does it take to get money from SoFi?

Is SoFi legit?

What bank is SoFi money?

Is SoFi easy to get approved for?

Does SoFi money do a credit check?

How do you get the lowest rate on SoFi?

Is a personal loan good or bad?

What is SoFi short for?

Is SoFi a FIFO?

How is SoFi rated?

Where is SoFi based?

Does SoFi sell its loans?

What documents does SoFi require?

What is SoFi?    

SoFi Technologies Inc is a USA-based company that deals with online personal finance. Their products include: 

The company was founded in August of 2011 and it has its headquarters in San Francisco, California. 

How does SoFi work?

SoFi is a new way of approaching your personal finances and it can be the tool that can help you gain complete control of your finances. Their products are specifically designed to suit their members’ needs and they can be a way of gaining greater financial freedom. As SoFi is not a bank or traditional financial institution their process and the rules and regulations under which they carry out their business also differ. Anyone signing up with SoFi will get access to their products. This includes their Lending products which is one of the main ways that SoFi makes money. 

Their lending products include:

  • Student Loan Refinancing
  • Personal Loans
  • Private Student Loan and Home loans

In contrast to traditional lenders, SoFi does not require an origination fee by those who sign on to take out a loan with them. Instead of an origination fee, SoFi makes money through the interest that is paid by the borrower. Apart from that they also make money by selling loans to investors but still maintain some ownership of these products for themselves. This is why SoFi takes the process of choosing who they can give a mortgage or loan to very seriously. 

Apart from their lending services, they also offer investment products. While there is no commission charged for these products, they do use them to generate some profits for their platform. The ways in which they manage to do that include: 

1. Earning interest from the cash that remains uninvested in the account. This is normally done through an FDIC program so as to ensure that their members will not lose any of their cash

2. SoFi also lends out shares to borrowers. In return for this service, they are compensated. 

3. Finally, some money is also made through sending members’ orders to third-party market makers. 

SoFi Crypto is another product they offer, only for this product do they offer a 1.25% markup on each transaction. This generates a nice amount annually as the percentage exponentially grows as more crypto investments are made through the platform. 

Finally, with Deposit accounts, SoFi makes a profit through the interest on the money held in that account. This is something traditional banks also do in order to make money from deposit accounts that do not have repayment plans or monthly fees. 

Is SoFi a legit lender?

SoFi is a legitimate lender, but it is not a bank. The SoFi Lending Corp. is licensed under the department of Financial Protection and Innovations under the California Financing Law License. This makes it a completely legitimate lender that can help money people get the financial products that they need. 

What credit score does SoFi require?

For Personal Loans, SoFi requires a good credit score of 680. Those with the required score can apply and be approved within a few days. On the other hand, if you are looking to use SoFi as your lender for your future home then you may be glad to know that the credit score that they demand is not as high. In general, your credit score is not the only thing that SoFi will check before granting you your mortgage. In fact, according to their website, the way they evaluate each potential applicant is by looking at the following requirements. 

•  Payment history (35%): How consistently applicant has made their payments on time

 •  Credit utilization (30%): The ratio between the amount that you are borrowing and the amount that you could potentially borrow

 •  Length of credit history (15%): The longer you have had your account and the longer your credit score history is the better that will reflect on your application

 •  Types of credit (10%): The types of credit and installment credit you have will be taken into account when your application is looked at and assessed. 

 •  New inquiries (10%): Every time a new inquiry is made on your credit, a negative reflection of that will appear on your credit score. Normally, these inquiries are made in cases where you are taking on a loan or opening a credit card.

With SoFi two are the really important credit score numbers that you will need to remember.

1. To qualify for a loan with a 3.5% down payment you will need to have a credit score of 580 – this is related to the FHA loan and program.

2. Those with a score as low as 500 will need to be able to put down a 10% down payment in order to be able to take on a mortgage.

How much can you borrow with SoFi?

The amount that you are able to get a personal loan for with SoFi ranges from $5,000 to $100,000. Depending on the type of loan that you are looking to get, that amount may vary even further. If you are considering getting your mortgage with SoFi then you can use the SoFi mortgage calculator in order to see how much you would be able to get in a mortgage. 

How long does it take to get money from SoFi?

Normally, once you have been approved for a loan it will take around 4 to 11 days for the money to appear in your bank account. 

Is SoFi legit?

SoFi is a legitimate money management business and lender, however, they are not a traditional bank and they should not be mistaken for one. Still, the SoFi platform offers members a number of different financial products including: 

  • Refinancing loans
  • Consolidating debt
  • Insurance Policies
  • Investment Services
  • Personal Loans
  • Mortgage services and a mortgage calculator. 

What bank is SoFi money?

SoFi currently has a collaboration with Bancorp Bank for the provision of their Money Debit Card. They also have a partnership with AllPoint to allow their users access to over 55,000 ATMs across the USA. 

Is SoFi easy to get approved for?

SoFi is no easier to get approved of than other banks are. Their application process is just as expensive and they require a high credit score in order to approve any loan. Apart from that, they are vigilant about checking the members’ financials before agreeing to provide them with any sort of loan whether it is a personal loan or a home loan

Does SoFi money do a credit check?

SoFi does complete a credit check when you are applying for a loan. They will also perform a soft credit pull when you first apply for a credit card with them. Normally hard credit checks occur at the time of approving your loan. Apart from your credit score, SoFi will also look at the following aspects of your financial history.

  • Payment history (35%)
  • Credit utilization (30%)
  • Length of credit history (15%)
  • Types of credit (10%) 
  • New inquiries (10%)

How do you get the lowest rate on SoFi?

If you are looking to refinance with SoFi so as to get a lower interest rate then you will need to consider following the 5 strategies outlined below. 

1. Check your credit.

SoFi will not look at your credit score but rather at your credit report when assessing your application. This means that repaying old debts and getting on track with payments can really help your application stand out and can assist you with receiving a lower rate.

2. Know your budget

Every place has different costs of living and each person has different financial responsibilities that you will need to cover. Making sure that you know these ahead of time can truly help you with getting a lower interest rate as you will know exactly how much you can afford to spend on your loan.

3. Give lenders a complete history.

SoFi will take into consideration an array of different facts including where you went to school, what career prospects are available to you, and your general financial and living situation. For example, if you have recently gotten a promotion or you are shortly coming into one then this is something you will want to disclose if you are looking at reducing your interest rates.

4. Show all your income.

When noting down your income, you need to ensure that it is your total income and not just your income from your job. This can help drastically change how much you are able to spend on your loan and the interest rates that you will be given.

5. Be flexible.

In some cases, some flexibility is needed so as to ensure that you will get the best deal available. This could potentially include adding a co-signer or even a larger down payment if you are looking at a home mortgage.

Is a personal loan good or bad?

Personal loans can be a great way of consolidating different debts into one account. This could also reduce the amount of your interest rates and it could make it easier for you to make up a monthly repayment plan. Personal loans can also be a great way of paying for a house remodel or a larger purchase without losing all of your cash flow

What is SoFi short for?

SoFi is short for social finance. This name relates to the original focus of the company which had to do with helping people with student loan refinancing and personal loans. 

Is SoFi a FIFO?

SoFi does sell shares however they do not give members the option to choose between a FIFO (first-in, first-out) or a LIFO (last-in, first-out). Instead, they just choose the option that is most tax-efficient. 

How is SoFi rated?

SoFi has been given an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. This score was based on an evaluation of how trustworthy the company is, the customer complaint history, the licensing it has, and other advertising actions. 

Where is SoFi based?

Sofi is currently based in San Francisco, California, and is being run by CEO & Director Anthony Noto. 

Does SoFi sell its loans?

SoFi does sell its loans to investors for 105%. This is one of the primary ways in which SoFi generates revenue. From that amount 5% is given to SoFi to repay all of the upfront costs related to the lending of the funds and the operations that they run. 

What documents does SoFi require?

When first starting with SoFi you will not be asked to provide a lot of information. Your address, income, and social security number should be enough information for you to be able to get some sort of pre-approval as well as to simply start using the platform. That information is also enough for SoFi to complete a soft credit pull. 

Summary

 SoFi is a money management platform that can help its members gain back their financial freedom. Through their refinancing options as well as their personal loans and mortgages, members of SoFi can proceed with any repayments or future purchases that they wish to make using the best interest rates. They also offer a variety of other products including investment products for those interested in brokerage.

We hope you enjoy reading this blog post.

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