CreditStrong's credit building loan reports to all three credit bureaus while also growing your own savings account.
The post CreditStrong Credit Builder Review appeared first on LendEDU.
What we like:
Borrowers get to build their credit history and savings at the same time
| Rates (APR) | 0% for Revolv 3.02%, 6.99%, 7.21%, or 7.31% for CS Max 15.51%, 15.61%, or 15.73% for Instal |
| Dollar amount of payments | $28 – $449 per month |
| Repayment terms | 24 – 60 months for loans, unlimited for revolving credit option |
| Fees | $15 – $25 administrative fee |
The CreditStrong credit builder loans offer secured financing to help borrowers improve their credit scores when they have no or poor credit history.
Instead of borrowing funds immediately available to spend, you make payments to a savings account first. You receive the money you saved at the end of your loan term.
CreditStrong reports the payments to all three major credit bureaus and collects interest to cover the cost of the loan. As of March 2023, CreditStrong’s credit builder offerings are available in 48 states, with the exceptions being Vermont and Wisconsin.
In this review:
CreditStrong offers two installment-based credit builder loan products aimed at helping build or rebuild credit. These offerings are uniquely structured as monthly subscription plans, which you pay over two to five years. The larger your loan amount, the longer your repayment term.
Unlike with a traditional personal loan, you don’t receive your loan funds in a lump sum at the start of your term. Instead, you make payments into a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC)-insured savings account.
The bulk of your payment goes into the account. A smaller portion is paid to CreditStrong as interest, and you get access to your savings once your loan term ends.
CreditStrong also offers a revolving credit option with an annual subscription fee, which works a bit differently. Here’s a closer look at CreditStrong’s products.
Instal is a credit and savings building plan for those with limited cash flow and wanting to build a credit history by showing they can make on-time, fixed monthly payments.
The Instal product line has three payment options to choose from:
Depending on the plan you choose, you’ll save anywhere from $1,000 to $1,100 over the life of your loan.
The CS Max accounts are installment credit builder options for individuals with a higher monthly cash flow. This product lets you pay for larger credit amounts for 60 months. Payment options include:
CS Max is not for everyone and isn’t as much a savings tool as it is a method for showing you can repay more significant credit obligations and larger fixed monthly payments.
It’s specifically designed for those who plan to apply for larger personal loans and higher-limit credit cards, those looking to maximize their entire credit profile—not just their score, and those seeking to use personal credit for business purposes.
CreditStrong offers Revolv, a revolving credit option, to complement its installment credit builder loans. Revolv works like a digital credit card that can be used to advance funds into a locked savings account against a credit limit. You then make monthly payments to repay the advance.
The Revolv annual subscription is $99 to unlock a limit of $500. You can continue adding monthly payments to increase your limit to $1,000 and grow your utilization.
Revolv has a 0% APR, which means your entire monthly payment builds toward your savings and payment history. When paired with an installment credit builder loan, Revolv can further improve your credit score by diversifying your credit mix.
An important part of the CreditStrong credit builder review process is determining exactly how your credit score increases.
As you make on-time monthly payments, CreditStrong reports those payments to all three credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. This helps four components of your credit score, which accounts for 90% of all contributing factors:
CreditStrong doesn’t guarantee how much your credit score can improve with its credit builder loans. But you can maximize your score by consistently making your payments on time each month.
With any CreditStrong plan, late payments are penalized in two ways: After a 14-day grace period after your due date, you’ll be charged a late fee. If you’re more than 30 days late, it will be reported to the credit bureaus—ultimately lowering your credit score.
There are advantages and disadvantages of using CreditStrong’s credit builder products to know before you apply.
CreditStrong boasts a five-minute online application process. No minimum income requirement or credit inquiry makes it a straightforward application process. You must be at least 18 years old as well as a permanent U.S. resident.
Be ready with the following information on hand to apply:
If approved, you’ll pay a one-time administrative fee of $15 to $25, depending on your chosen plan. If you’re denied for any reason, CreditStrong sends an “adverse action notice” so you know the issue, fix it, and reapply after 30 days or more.
There are many options for loans designed for lower credit borrowers. In addition to exploring other credit builder loans, check out these alternatives before you choose the right one for you:
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