Personal Line of Credit

Personal line of credit summary:

  • A personal line of credit works like a credit card. You can borrow money, repay it, and borrow it again.

  • Personal lines of credit often have a variable interest rate. In contrast, personal loans typically have a fixed interest rate.

  • Personal lines of credit are usually unsecured, which means you qualify based on your creditworthiness.

Personal line of credit definition and meaning

A personal line of credit (PLOC) is similar to a credit card. You can borrow as much as you want, up to a preset limit. You can draw funds as needed. As you make payments, you free up available credit and can borrow more.  

You can draw from a personal line of credit more than once, so it’s a type of revolving debt. You pay interest only on the amount you borrow, not the entire preset limit. For example, if your credit limit is $20,000 and you borrow $5,000 to repair your garage, you only pay interest on the $5,000 you owe.

Key concept: A personal line of credit allows you to borrow up to a preset credit limit. Once you've repaid those funds, you're free to borrow the money again.

More about personal line of credit

Because you can borrow from and repay the line of credit as often as you'd like, a personal line of credit is one of the most flexible kinds of credit accounts available. PLOCs are most often offered by smaller banks and credit unions. 

When you apply for a personal line of credit, the lender typically reviews your credit history and income. They could also look at your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, employment history, and loan purpose. 

Personal line of credit: key features

Here’s a closer look at what you should know about PLOCs.

Purpose

A personal line of credit could be used for various purposes, such as:

  • Home improvements 

  • Medical bills 

  • Debt consolidation 

  • Overdraft protection

  • As a buffer against unexpected expenses while you’re still building your emergency fund

The most attractive feature of a personal line of credit may be that you don't have to borrow your full credit limit all at once if you don’t want to. Instead, you could borrow it as needed. For example, if you've decided to improve your home and landscaping but don't want to rush into decisions, you can take your time. A PLOC could be a good option if you’re not sure how much money you’ll need, or if you know you won’t need it all at once. 

Interest rates

Personal lines of credit usually have a variable interest rate. That means the rate could go up or down from time to time. Generally speaking, PLOC interest rates tend to be about the same or a little higher than personal loan rates, and lower than credit card rates.

Requirements

You don’t have to own anything of value that you could borrow against to apply for a PLOC. Because a personal line of credit is unsecured, no collateral is required.

Fees

Depending on the lender, you may need to pay an origination fee, annual fee, and/or transaction fees. You might also pay a transaction fee each time you access funds. 

PERSONAL LOANS

Consolidate debt with a personal(ized) loan

Simplify your life—consolidate your debts into one fixed monthly payment.

Personal Line of Credit FAQs

During your draw period (the period you're allowed to borrow from your credit line), if your PLOC has one, you'll typically need to make minimum payments or interest-only payments. Once the draw period ends, the regular repayment period begins. During the regular repayment period, you'll make equal monthly payments, calculated to pay off your balance by the end of the loan term. If you don't make payments on time, your lender could charge a late fee. Late payments could also be reported to the credit bureaus, potentially hurting your credit score. 

Some PLOCs don't have a maturity date, which means you could use the account indefinitely.


Yes, unless your lender specifically says that you can't. In fact, some lenders will even send payment to your creditors for you if you're getting a personal loan or personal line of credit for debt consolidation. With a personal loan through Achieve, if you let the lender directly pay your creditors, you might be eligible for an interest rate discount. 

The minimum credit score required for a personal loan or line of credit will depend on the lender. Just keep in mind that a higher credit score could help you unlock lower interest rates for a personal line of credit or a loan.

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Personal loans are available through our affiliate Achieve Personal Loans (NMLS ID #227977), originated by Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, Equal Housing Lender. Loan applications are subject to credit review, underwriting criteria, and approval. Loans are not available in all states and available loan terms/fees may vary by state. Loan amounts range from $5,000 to $50,000. For loans $35,000+ must have a minimum 660 credit score. APRs range from 8.99% to 29.99% and include applicable origination fees that vary from 1.99% to 8.99%. Repayment periods range from 24 to 60 months. Example loan: four-year $20,000 loan with an origination fee of 8.99%, a rate of 15.49%, and corresponding APR of 20.77%, would have an estimated monthly payment of $561.60 and a total cost of $26,966.26. To qualify for a 8.99% APR loan, a borrower will need excellent credit, a loan amount less than $12,000.00, and a term of 24 months. Adding a co-borrower with sufficient income; using at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the loan proceeds to pay off qualifying existing debt directly; or showing proof of sufficient retirement savings, could help you also qualify for lower rates. Loan Consultants for Achieve Personal Loans are available Monday-Friday 6 AM to 8 PM AZ time, and Saturday-Sunday 7 AM to 5 PM AZ time.

Home Equity loans are available through our affiliate Achieve Loans (NMLS ID #1810501). Equal Housing Opportunity. Offers may vary and all loan requests are subject to eligibility requirements, application review, loan amount, loan term, income verification, and lender approval. Product terms are subject to change at any time. Offers are a line of credit. Loans are not available to residents of all states and available loan terms/fees may vary by state where offered. Line amounts are between $15,000 and $300,000 and are assigned based on product type, debt-to-income ratio and combined loan-to-value ratio. 10, 15, 20, and 30-year terms available. Minimum 600 credit score applies for debt consolidation requests (20 and 30 year terms require a minimum credit score of 640), minimum 700 applies for cash out requests. Other terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Fixed rate APRs range from 6.74% - 14.75% and are assigned based on underwriting requirements and offer APRs assume automatic payment enrollment which may provide a discount (autopay enrollment is not a condition of loan approval). All terms have a 5-year draw period with the remaining term being a no draw period. Payments are fully amortized during each period and determined on the outstanding principal balance each month. Closing fees range from $750 to $6,685, depending on line amount and state law requirements and typically include origination (3.5% of line amount) and underwriting ($725) fees if allowed by law. Property must be owner-occupied. Combined loan-to-value ratio may not exceed 80% (20 and 30 year debt consolidation requests may not exceed 75%), including the new loan request. Property insurance is required and flood insurance may be required if the subject property is located in a flood zone. You must pledge your home as collateral. Loan funding time is dependent on full application and documentation submission, average funding time is 11 business days for 2025, including rescission. Monthly/yearly savings claim is based on average monthly debt savings from originated loans for Q4 2024. Monthly/yearly savings varies based on each loan situation and can be more or less than $800/$10,000. Requirements to obtain 6.74% APR include: debt to income ratio <=15%; cumulative loan to value <= 50%, including new request; loan amount between $15,000 and $150,000; term of 10 years; FICO of 800+; and automatic payment enrollment. Contact Achieve Loans for further details

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