How loan matching works

Loan matching sites can feel like a black box. You type in your details, something happens, and then your phone starts ringing. Here's what's actually going on inside the box, at least inside ours.

Step one: your request

You answer questions about the loan you want and your financial situation. Amount, purpose, income, housing, that sort of thing. Lenders need this to decide whether your request fits what they lend on. We verify pieces of it as you go, like checking that your phone number is real and your address is deliverable, because lenders pay attention to whether a service sends them quality requests.

Step two: the review

Your request goes out to the lenders in our network whose criteria it could fit. Each one looks at the profile and decides if they want the chance to make you an offer. This usually takes minutes. No credit check happens at this stage, at least not from us; we don't run them at all.

Step three: contact

Interested lenders reach out directly, by phone or email. This is the part people don't expect, so we'll say it plainly: you will likely get calls from numbers you don't recognize. Answer them. It's usually a lender who wants your business.

Step four: your decision

Compare what you're offered. Rates, fees, monthly payments, how long you'll be paying. Take the best one, negotiate, or walk away entirely. Nothing about submitting a request obligates you to borrow a dime.

Wondering who pays for all this? Lenders do. The details are on our how we make money page.