The average interest rate on a personal loan is anywhere from around 12% and 15% depending on the loan term. However, if you have excellent credit and you do some comparison shopping across multiple lenders, you can potentially find a lower rate.

The post What is a Good Interest Rate for a Personal Loan? appeared first on Prosper.

College can feel like an expensive time of life. But making the right money moves now can help set yourself up for long-term success even beyond graduation. One of the first things to do is to make sure you understand your student loans, particularly how interest accrual and payments work. Also
start learning how to budget and try to set a little extra savings aside as a beginning emergency fund. Getting a side hustle can help boost your spending power while in college, as can a credit card– as long as you know how to manage it responsibly.

The post 8 Smart Money Moves to Make the Most of Your College Years appeared first on Prosper.

The Prosper Performance Updates are designed to help our investor community better understand performance trends and provide important insights into the trends we are seeing and the information needed to invest through the Prosper platform.

The post Prosper Performance Update – August 2026 appeared first on Prosper.

FICO Scores are the credit scores used by most lenders. But many people don't understand how they work. In short, a FICO Score is a three-digit number that reflects whether you've paid your past debt as agreed. If you've missed payments in recent years, or you simply have too little history with debt, your FICO Scores may be low. And with low scores, it's difficult to qualify for credit cards and loans.

However, if you practice healthy credit habits, including paying your debt on time and paying off your credit card balances each month, you can expect to see your FICO Scores grow over time.

The post What is a FICO Score? Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Prosper.

The key to budgeting irregular income is to identify your bare-bones spending needs, then make a plan for any income you earn above that. It’s important to account for taxes, savings, and discretionary spending on top of your basic living expenses. Set yourself up for financial success with clear priorities on how to handle both busy and slow months. The longer you earn money from your side hustle, the more data you have to predict future income trends.

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A holiday sinking fund is a mini-savings goal where you set aside extra cash to cover your anticipated extra spending in December. Even if it feels like it’s too late to make any real progress, there are actually several ways to cut back, earn more, and save plenty of money before Santa comes down the chimney. Start with a clear holiday budget, then create a plan for the next three months. Temporarily cut back recurring expenses, implement a no-spend challenge or two, lower your grocery bill, and declutter your home to earn some extra cash. In just three months, your holiday sinking fund will look merry and bright!

The post How to Create a Holiday Sinking Fund in Just 3 Months appeared first on Prosper.

The Prosper Performance Updates are designed to help our investor community better understand performance trends and provide important insights into the trends we are seeing and the information needed to invest through the Prosper platform.

The post Prosper Performance Update – July 2026 appeared first on Prosper.

Protecting your finances online starts with a few simple habits: use strong, unique passwords, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), monitor your accounts regularly, and think twice before sharing personal information. This guide explains the most common financial scams, how cybercriminals target different age groups, and practical ways to protect children, teens, older adults, and yourself from fraud and identity theft. It also covers what to do if your financial information is compromised, including when to freeze your credit, contact your bank, and report scams to the appropriate agencies.

The post Safeguarding Your Finances Online: A Multi-Generational Guide appeared first on Prosper.

Avoid common back-to-school shopping mistakes by creating a budget that works for you. Start by calculating how much available cash you have to spend, then get creative to stick to the plan. One common mistake is to buy supplies you already have. Also remember to take advantage of hand-me-downs and secondhand stores. Starting the school year off on strong financial footing means less stress for you and your kids!

The post Back-to-School Shopping Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on Prosper.

A debt-to-income (DTI) ratio measures how much of your gross monthly income goes toward required debt payments. Lenders use it to help determine whether you can comfortably afford a new loan, making it an important factor when applying for a mortgage, personal loan, auto loan, or credit card. This guide explains how to calculate your DTI, what counts toward the calculation, what lenders consider a good ratio for different loan types, how the 43% mortgage rule works, and practical strategies you can use to lower your DTI before applying for financing.

The post Debt-to-income ratio: what it is and how to improve it appeared first on Prosper.