Personal loan guides that go beyond discover personal loans

Each guide belongs to one of six loan types, and each loan type has its own page with typical costs, amounts and what to ask a lender. Start with the loan type that matches your situation, then read the guides linked from it.

• General-purpose borrowing: comparing a loan with a credit line and paying off early.
• Debt consolidation loans: listing your debts and how consolidation affects your credit score.
• Dental loans: root canal costs and choosing between a loan and a card for a crown.
• Appliance repair loans: repair-or-replace decisions and financing a new refrigerator.
• Funeral loans: what a simple funeral costs and financing a headstone.
• Installment loans: how payments are calculated and how installment credit differs from revolving credit.

Four of our guides compare two ways to pay side by side: a loan versus a line of credit, a loan versus a credit card, a loan versus buy now, pay later and installment versus revolving credit. Each one starts with a short verdict and a comparison table.

Comparisons are useful because the cheapest option depends on how you will use the money. A credit line can beat a fixed loan for staged costs, a 0% card can beat both for a balance you clear quickly, and a pay-in-four plan can be free for a purchase you repay in six weeks. Each guide shows the numbers so you can see which one fits.

Our staff writers research each guide from lender disclosures, federal consumer guidance and published cost surveys, and we update figures when lenders or rules change. We do not accept payment to feature a lender in an article.

Each guide names its author, shows the date it was last updated and links to the sources of its main claims where possible. If you spot an error, email us and we will correct it. Lenders in our network may pay us when a loan is made through our form, which is explained on our advertiser disclosure page; that arrangement does not change what our guides say.

We write in plain English and avoid jargon. Where a technical term is unavoidable, our glossary explains it. Each guide also ends with a short set of questions and answers, written for that topic only, so you can find a quick answer without reading the full article. Related guides are linked at the end of every post.

If you are new to borrowing, start with how fixed-rate loans work and how they are priced, then read the guide for your situation. If you already have an offer, compare it using our calculator and the comparison guides.

1. Read our beginner’s guide to borrowing for the basics.
2. Check typical APRs on our rates page.
3. Estimate a payment with the loan calculator.
4. Read the guide for your purpose from the list above.
5. Compare offers using the compare lenders page.

Many readers arrive after searching for discover personal loans or checking discover personal loan rates. Our guides explain the same products in general terms, so the advice applies to any lender, including large banks and credit unions.

Cost figures in our guides, such as what a root canal or a simple funeral usually runs, are broad ranges drawn from published price lists and surveys. Local prices can be higher or lower, so a written quote from a provider is always the number to plan around.

We show ranges rather than single figures because prices vary by region, provider and the details of each case. A molar root canal in a large city can cost several hundred dollars more than the same treatment in a small town. A funeral home’s itemized price list may differ from a national average by thousands.

Payment examples use a sample APR, usually 24.99%, which sits near the middle of what fair-credit borrowers are often offered. Your offer may be higher or lower. Every example states its assumptions, such as whether an origination fee is included, so you can adjust the math to your own quote.

Our guides work best as a checklist next to a real offer. Read the guide for your purpose, then hold the offer up against it: amount, APR, fees, term, payment and total cost, plus any questions the guide suggests asking.

If an offer looks expensive compared with the examples, that is a cue to compare other lenders or to adjust the amount or term. If it looks competitive, the guide can help you confirm there are no surprises, such as a fee deducted from the deposit or a prepayment penalty.

When you are ready to see offers, our request form takes about five minutes and sends one request to lenders in our network. There is no fee, and you can decline any offer.

We add guides based on the questions readers send us, with a focus on costs that fit a $500 to $5,000 personal loan and on comparisons that help people choose the cheapest way to pay.

Topics under consideration include moving costs, car repair estimates, how to read a Truth in Lending disclosure line by line and how credit unions price small loans. If there is a question you would like answered, email us with as much detail as you are comfortable sharing, such as the amount and the cost involved. Readers who compared discover loans with smaller lenders often suggest the most useful topics, because they have already seen how different the terms can be.