What happens after you submit

You filled out the form and hit submit. Here's what the next day or two typically looks like, and a few things worth knowing so nothing surprises you.

The first hour

Lenders review requests fast, often within minutes. We send you a confirmation email right away so you know your request went through. If a lender is interested, they'll usually reach out the same day.

About those phone calls

Lenders call from their own numbers, which you won't recognize. We know everyone's trained to ignore unknown callers. For the next day or so, don't. If you'd rather not talk, many lenders follow up by email too.

Comparing what comes back

Ask every lender the same questions. What's the APR? Is there an origination fee, and how much? What's the monthly payment, and over how many months? What's the total I'll have repaid by the end? Write the answers down side by side. The best offer is rarely the one with the smallest monthly payment; it's usually the one with the lowest total cost you can comfortably afford.

How to spot a scam

The lending world has parasites, so keep three rules in mind. A real lender never asks for payment before you receive your loan; anyone demanding an upfront fee, gift card, or wire transfer is a scammer, full stop. A real lender doesn't pressure you to decide in the next ten minutes. And a real lender has a verifiable existence: a website, a physical address, and licensing you can check with your state's banking regulator.

If nobody calls

Sometimes no lender in the network takes a request. It's not a judgment of you as a person; it means the profile didn't fit what those lenders were funding that day. You can try again after a change in circumstances, like an improved credit score or higher income, or shop lenders directly outside any network.