Westside Lending FAQ: Personal Loan Questions Answered

Westside Lending is a free connector service that helps people request a personal loan from $500 to $5,000. You fill out one request, and the service passes it to lenders and lending partners in its network. Those lenders decide whether to make an offer. Westside Lending does not make credit decisions, set rates or fund loans.

No. The service is a connector, not a lender, so it never lends money or approves applications. Every rate, fee, term and approval decision comes from the lender that reviews your request. If you accept an offer, your loan agreement is with that lender, and you repay the lender directly.

Using the service is free. There is no charge to submit a personal loan request, compare offers or decline them. Lenders may charge their own costs on a loan, such as interest and sometimes an origination fee, and those appear on the lender's disclosure before you sign anything.

No. Submitting a request carries no obligation. You can review any offers that come back, compare them, and walk away from all of them if none fits your budget. Nothing is final until you sign a loan agreement with a lender.

Like most loan-request services, the company may be compensated by lenders and partners in its network when they receive requests or when a loan is made. That compensation does not change what you pay the lender. The advertiser disclosure page explains the arrangement in more detail.

You can request a personal loan for any amount from $500 to $5,000. The best amount is the smallest one that fully covers your expense, since every extra dollar borrowed adds interest. A lender may offer the amount you asked for, a smaller amount, or no offer, depending on its review.

Expect to enter your name, address, date of birth, contact details, income, employment or income source, and the amount you want to borrow. Lenders also typically need a checking account to deposit funds and collect payments. Having a recent pay stub or benefit statement handy makes the process smoother if a lender asks for verification.

Most lenders require you to be at least 18, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and to have a steady source of income and an active checking account. Some lenders set a minimum monthly income or credit score. The eligibility requirements page covers these in more detail, but each lender applies its own rules.

Most people finish the personal loan request form in about five minutes. Many lenders respond quickly, sometimes within minutes, though some take longer or ask for documents first. The overall time depends on the lender and how quickly you supply anything they request.

If a lender approves your loan and you accept, many lenders send funds as soon as the next business day. Timing varies by lender and by your bank, and weekends or holidays can add a day or two. A request submitted late on a Friday, for example, may not fund until the following week.

Many lenders use a soft credit inquiry to decide whether to show you a personal loan offer, and soft inquiries do not affect your credit score. A hard inquiry usually happens only if you accept an offer and the lender finalizes the loan. A single hard inquiry typically lowers a score by a few points for a short period.

Yes, you can submit a request with any credit history. Some lenders in the network offer a personal loan to borrowers who have fair or poor credit, often at higher APRs to reflect the added risk. Approval is never certain, and offers vary widely, so compare the total cost carefully if you receive one.

Personal loan lenders usually consider your income, how stable it is, your existing debt payments, and your recent payment history. Many look closely at your debt-to-income ratio, which compares monthly debt payments to monthly income. Some also review bank account activity to confirm regular deposits.

A lender may pass on a personal loan request because of income, existing debt, recent missed payments, the amount requested, or rules in your state. Sometimes no lender in the network is a fit at that moment. Waiting a few months, paying down a balance, or requesting a smaller amount can change the outcome later.

Some lenders accept co-signers or joint applications on a personal loan, and others do not. A co-signer with stronger credit may help you qualify or get a lower APR, but that person becomes legally responsible for the debt if you fall behind. Ask the lender directly whether it allows a co-signer before you rely on one.

Typical personal loan APRs run from about 6% to 35.99%, and some offers fall outside that range. Borrowers with strong credit and low debt tend to see lower rates, while those with thinner or damaged credit see higher ones. The personal loan rates page breaks down what drives an APR up or down.

As a representative example, $2,000 borrowed for 12 months at 24.99% APR is about $190 per month, with about $2,281 repaid in total, or about $281 in interest. That is an estimate only. Your real payment depends on the amount, term, APR and any fees on the lender's offer.

The most common personal loan fee is an origination fee, a one-time charge that some lenders deduct from the loan before funding. Others include late fees and returned payment fees. Every fee must be listed on the lender's disclosure, so read it before you sign and compare offers by APR, not just by monthly payment.

The interest rate is the cost of borrowing the principal. The APR includes the interest rate plus certain fees, such as an origination fee, expressed as a yearly percentage. Because it includes those fees, APR is the better number for comparing one offer with another.

You repay the lender, not the request service. Your personal loan is a contract between you and that lender. Most lenders set up automatic payments from your checking account on a fixed date each month, and many also accept online or phone payments. Your loan agreement lists the due date, amount and accepted payment methods.

Many personal loans can be paid off early without a penalty, which saves interest. Some lenders do charge a prepayment penalty, so check your loan agreement before signing. If early payoff matters to you, ask the lender about it when you review the offer.

A missed payment usually triggers a late fee once any grace period ends. If the payment is 30 or more days late, the lender may report it to the credit bureaus, which can lower your score. Repeated missed payments can lead to collections, so contact the lender as soon as you know a payment will be late.

Some lenders let you move your personal loan due date once or twice during the term, often to line up with when your paycheck lands. Policies differ, so call or log in to your lender account to ask. Changing the date may slightly change the interest on that cycle.

Contact your lender before you miss a personal loan payment. Many lenders offer hardship options, such as a short payment deferral or a temporary reduced payment, though these are not available everywhere. Acting early gives you more options than waiting until the account is past due.

The request form uses encrypted connections to protect the data you send. Your details are shared only with lenders and partners in the network so they can review your request. The privacy policy explains what is collected, how it is used and the choices you have.

Lenders that review your request may contact you by email, phone or text to present an offer or ask for documents. West side lending advisors may also reach out about your personal loan request. You can ask any lender or partner to stop contacting you.

Be cautious of anyone who asks you to pay a fee upfront before a loan is funded, asks for payment by gift card or wire transfer, or promises approval before reviewing your details. Legitimate personal loan lenders disclose costs in writing and deduct any fees from the loan itself. If something feels off, stop and call the lender using contact details from its official site.

The west side lending advisor team will never ask for your online banking password by phone or email. Some lenders use a secure third-party tool to verify income from your bank account, which you approve yourself within the lender's own application. Never share passwords, PINs or one-time codes with someone who contacts you unexpectedly.

Advisors can be reached at (888) 245-7685 or [email protected]. The mailing address is 6300 Poplar Drive, Suite 307, Charleston, WV 25301. Advisors can explain the West Side Lend request process, but questions about a specific offer or loan should go to the lender.