Let's face it: in today's society, credit is important. Whether you want to buy a car, get a new mobile phone plan, own a home, or even rent an apartment, your lack of credit could prove problematic. Making matters worse, establishing credit can be a bit of a Catch 22 and some popular options for those looking to build credit, such as secured credit cards, might accidentally tempt cardholders into spending. That's the type of scenario Self Lender is hoping to prevent. Instead of tying credit to often unhealthy financial products such as credit cards, this service allows users to take out a credit-building loan that teaches them how to save money on a monthly basis (and utilize certificate of deposit accounts). That said, these loans do come with their own set of costs that need to be considered. So, are Self Lender loans worth it? Let's take a look at what the company has to offer.
What is Self Lender?
First of all, I have to note that I haven't personally taken out a Self Lender loan. I actually first encountered Self Lender at last year's FinCon Expo and was pretty intrigued by the premise. Put simply, the company allows borrowers to take out a loan but, instead of receiving the money in a lump sum upfront, they keep the funds in the certificate of deposit account (CD). Not only does this help individuals who may not have established credit start to build a payment history but the benefits of the CD component are two-fold: for one, it helps borrowers learn to save instead of spend and, secondly, it enables them to earn interest on their savings. Self Lender is now available to borrowers in all 50 states. Additionally the company partners with Sunrise Banks, Lead Bank, and Atlantic Capital Bank. These partnerships mean that funds deposited in CDs via Self Lender are FDIC insured. How do I take out a Self Lender loan? Like I said, I haven't actually taken out a Self Lender loan for myself — however I did walk through the application process to see what the experience was like. But before we get there I should mention there are a few requirements borrowers must meet. Their site notes the following criteria for applicants:- Must have a bank account or debit card or prepaid card
- Must provide a valid email address and phone number
- Must provide Social Security Number
- Must be a permanent U.S. resident with a U.S. physical residence
- Must be at least 18 years of age
You can actually access a similar tool by visiting the Self Lender Pricing page as well (and we'll take a much closer look at pricing in the next section). Who does Self Lender report to? Since the main goal of Self Lender is to help individuals build credit, it's important to note that the company does report to all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). This is key as creditors may pull reports from any or all of these bureaus, making it imperative that you establish credit with each. At the same time Self Lender notes that they do not request a "hard pull" of your credit, so applying for the loan won't damage any credit you already have. In fact Self Lender reports that customers "have seen an average increase of 45 points to their credit score, with new-to-credit users reaching an average score of 670 starting from nothing." How do I make payments on my loan? According to Self Lender's help section, borrowers can either make one-time payments toward their loan balance or sign-up for autopay. These payments can be made via a bank account or by debit card. Those looking to save money should opt for the former option as debit payments will incur a convenience fee of $0.30 + 2.99%. It's also worth noting that, since the point of Self Lender loans is to build your credit, you'll want to ensure you're making timely payments. The company notes that any payments made 15 days or later after their due date will be subject to a late fee equal to 5% of the monthly payment. Worse yet, payments that are 30 days late or more will be reported as "late" to the three credit bureaus — a mark that can stay on your report for up to seven years. The moral of the story is to make sure you make your loan payments on time. Can I pay off my Self Lender Loan early? If you're looking to pay off your credit builder loan early, there's both good news and bad news. First, Self Lender notes that you may pay off your loan early without penalty or fees on their end, but they note that "You will receive the loan deposit amount, plus accrued interest, minus any amounts due when the certificate of deposit matures after 12 or 24-months." On the other hand, if you want to remove your savings from the CD before its matured (in other words, before the full term is completed), you may be subjected to an early withdrawal fee. Luckily another FAQ entry on the Self Lender site says these fees are "less than $1." With all that said, the bigger disadvantage of ending your loan early is that you won't receive the full benefit of the credit building loan. Since payment history makes up 35% of your FICO credit score, having on-time payments for a longer period of time may be beneficial. Because of this you'll want to give extra consideration to whether or not it makes sense to terminate your loan early.
The Cost of Self Lender Loans
It would be great if you could take out a self-loan, build credit, and save money at the same time, while not paying a dime extra. Unfortunately that's not quite realistic and Self Lender does need to turn a profit in order to provide their service. Therefore there are some fees and expenses associated with their loan products that you need to know about. Before we get into the specifics of these fees, here's a look at how Self Lender's different loan options break down:| Monthly Payment | # of Months | Activation Cost | Total Loan Cost | Amount Paid Out | Loan Interest % | APR |
| $25 | 24 months | $9 | $609 | $525 (+CD interest) | 13.16% | 14.92% |
| $48 | 12 months | $15 | $591 | $545 (+CD interest) | 10.34% | 15.65% |
| $89 | 12 months | $12 | $1080 | $1000 (+CD interest) | 12.33% | 14.62% |
| $150 | 12 months | $12 | $1812 | $1700 (+CD interest) | 10.69% | 12.03% |
Source and notes: https://help.selflender.com/en/articles/73 (Table data accurate as 2/12/2019)
Administrative fee First, to obtain a Self Lender loan, you'll be required to pay a one-time, non-refundable "administrative fee." You can think of this sort of as an origination fee that most traditional lenders would charge. The cost of these fees range depending on which loan option you choose but ranges from $9 to $15. These fees can be found in the "activation cost" column in the table above. Loan interest On top of the administrative fee you'll pay up front, Self Lender also charges interest. Because of this the money you take home after your loan/savings period is complete is less than the total you paid over the life of the loan. For example, as you can see above, a year of $89 monthly payments would mean you paid a total of $1,068 ($1,080 after the $12 administrative fee). Of that, once your loan is paid off, you'd receive $1,000 plus whatever interest your CD generated. As a result this particular loan option works out to a 12.33% interest rate. CD interest One unique aspect of Self Lender's loan model is that, while you're be paying interest on your loan, you'll also be earning interest on your savings. That's thanks to the CD element of the loan where your money is kept. Sadly I wasn't able to find an estimate of how much this interest could total. To be fair that's likely because rates for certificate of deposit accounts do fluctuate based on a number of factors. One thing's a near certainty, however: this earned interest won't completely offset the amount paid to Self Lender. So while it's a nice thing to have, I'd recommend anticipating the full cost of the loan and then factoring in this as an added bonus.
Final Thoughts on Self Lender
There's no doubt that Self Lender is a clever product that addresses a real need. While many looking to build credit are likely to turn to credit cards or more traditional loan products, Self Lender's loans seek to instill better financial habits in borrowers. For that, the company should definitely be commended. That said, it's important to consider all of the fees and expenses that come with Self Lender's loan options as some come at a total cost of more than $100. Such a total may not be much when compared to other loan products — especially those aimed bad or no credit customers — but they're worth noting nonetheless. Plus, unlike most loans where paying off your balance early may be a good thing, the opposite seems to be the case with these credit-building loans. Ultimately, although I'm not in the market for such a loan myself, I'm definitely interested in Self Lender and the loan model they've created. Despite the necessary fees, I could easily see their products being a net positive for many borrowers wanting to improve their financial standing. So if you're hoping to build up your credit, I'd say it's definitely worth looking into what Self Lender has to offer.
Money at 30: 2019 Self Lender Review was first seen on http://www.dyernews.com/
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