Loan guides: honest answers to the next question
The decisions that follow “should I consolidate” — each one computed, each one cited to the IRS, CFPB, FTC, NCUA, or the regulation itself. No lender tables, no affiliate links.
What these loan guides answer
The short answer
Most loan decisions after "should I consolidate" are narrower questions with a computable answer: whether a 401(k) loan beats a 30% card, whether a HELOC is worth putting the house behind a card balance, whether a 3% transfer fee beats an origination fee, what a 500 or 600 score realistically gets, and what a cash advance app or a tribal lender actually charges as an APR. Each guide below computes that answer and cites the rule that governs it.
All guides, by the decision
Every number on every guide is computed from the same tested functions behind our calculators, and every rule is cited to its primary source.
Which tool for the debt
Three head-to-head comparisons, each with a worked example at the balance sizes people actually carry.
Updated 2026-09-04
Balance Transfer vs Consolidation Loan
A 3–5% transfer fee against an origination fee, what happens when the 0% window ends, and a computed break-even at $5,000, $8,000, and $15,000 balances.
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Updated 2026-09-04
HELOC vs Personal Loan for Debt
A HELOC is cheaper on paper and secured by your home. Variable rates, closing costs, the three-day rescission right, deduction limits, and a $30,000 example.
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Updated 2026-09-04
401(k) Loan to Pay Off Debt: Real Cost
IRS rules for 401(k) loans (50% or $50,000, five years), what happens if you leave the job, the computed opportunity cost, and when it beats a 30% APR card.
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What a credit score actually gets
What our lender dataset shows at each band, the computed cost curve, and the paths that do not need an unsecured approval.
Updated 2026-09-04
Personal Loans for a 600 Credit Score
A 600 score is in FICO's Fair band, where offers exist but sit in the high-teens to mid-30s APR. What changes at 600, 640, and 670, with computed loan costs.
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Updated 2026-09-04
Personal Loans for a 500 Credit Score
What lender data shows at 500: no published minimum that low in our dataset, why floors sit at 580–660, and the secured, co-applicant, PAL, and builder paths.
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Updated 2026-09-04
Cosigner for a Personal Loan: The Risks
Cosigner versus co-borrower, why the cosigner owes the whole loan, how it hits both credit reports, release clauses, and the FTC notice every cosigner must get.
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High-cost products, priced as an APR
Fees and tips converted to annual rates from the products’ own published schedules, with the enforcement record.
Updated 2026-09-04
Cash Advance Apps: The Real APR
What expedite fees and tips cost as an APR, computed from EarnIn's own dated fee table, where the CFPB landed in December 2025, and when an app beats overdraft.
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Updated 2026-09-04
Tribal Lenders: Why the APR Is 300%+
Why tribal-lender loans carry 300% to 700% APRs, what sovereign immunity does and does not cover, the CFPB and FTC dockets, and what borrowers can do about one.
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More guides
Newly published guides, not yet grouped above.
Updated 2026-09-05
Auto Loans With Poor Credit
How subprime auto lending works: dealer markup versus direct financing, negative equity, GAP, yo-yo deals, and how to compare an offer honestly.
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Updated 2026-09-05
Getting a Mortgage With Poor Credit
FHA's 580 and 500 structure, VA and USDA rules, waiting periods by program, mortgage insurance cost, and why lenders see a different score than your app does.
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What this section is not
Credit Defense Hub is an educational publisher. We are not a lender, broker, or lead generator; no lender pays to appear in our dataset; and nothing here is an offer, an approval, or a prediction of what any lender will decide. Figures are illustrative math from stated inputs, and the source list on each guide carries the date every number was verified.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 401(k) loan a good way to pay off credit card debt?
On interest alone it usually wins: $15,000 over five years costs about $3,683 in interest at a 9% plan rate versus about $14,118 on a 30% card. The risks are lost investment growth and the tax bill if the loan is not repaid after a job change, when the unpaid balance becomes a taxable distribution plus a 10% additional tax before age 59½.
Is a HELOC or a personal loan better for consolidating debt?
A HELOC is cheaper on paper because the house is the collateral: $30,000 at 8.5% over 60 months costs about $6,930 in interest versus about $13,111 for a personal loan at 13% with a 5% fee. It is also variable-rate, carries closing costs, is not tax-deductible when used for cards, and can lead to foreclosure if payments stop.
Is a balance transfer better than a consolidation loan?
If the balance can be cleared inside the 0% window, yes: $8,000 moved with a 3% fee costs $240, versus $1,566 to $2,069 for a 12% loan over 36 months. If the payoff will run past the promo period, the card’s regular APR returns on the remainder and a fixed-rate loan is often cheaper.
Can I get a personal loan with a 500 or 600 credit score?
At 600, often, at a price: the score is inside FICO’s Fair band and clears the only published minimum in our 13-lender dataset (580). At 500, an unsecured loan from a mainstream lender is unlikely; no lender in the dataset publishes a floor that low, and the realistic paths are secured loans, a co-applicant, a credit union payday alternative loan capped at 28%, or a credit-builder loan.
What is the real APR on a cash advance app like EarnIn or Dave?
The apps charge no interest, so there is no stated APR. Converting EarnIn’s August 2026 fee table to an annual rate gives about 146% to 194% for a 10-day advance on the expedite fee alone, and about 365% with a $4 tip added on $100. That is still far cheaper than a $35 overdraft fee, which is over 1,200% on the same terms.
Are tribal loans legal, and do I have to pay one back?
The tribe itself is usually immune from suit, but that does not make a loan enforceable against a borrower in a given state. The CFPB alleged Think Finance’s tribal-affiliated loans were void in whole or part in 17 states. Whether a specific loan must be repaid depends on state law and is a question for a consumer attorney or legal aid; the safe steps in every state are getting the paperwork, controlling the bank debits, and filing complaints.
What to do next
- When a consolidation loan actually saves moneyThe full math with the origination fee and disclosed APR, and the offer terms that disqualify a loan.
- Personal loans for bad credit: the honest realityWhat bad-credit loans really cost, the 36% line, and the secured and credit-union alternatives.
- Every debt-relief option, comparedHardship plans, counseling, settlement, and bankruptcy — what each costs and what it can and cannot do.
Educational information — not advice
This page provides general educational information about credit, debt, and consumer protections. It is not legal advice, financial advice, or credit repair services, and reading it does not create any professional relationship. Laws, procedures, deadlines, and dollar amounts vary by state and change over time.
For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney or qualified financial professional. See our full disclaimer.