Lighstream

• APR: 4.98% to 20.49% 
• Loan amount: $5,000 to $100,000
• Loan terms: 24 to 84 months
• Time to receive funds: As early as same day
• Prequalification: No 
• Origination fee: No
• Co-signer option: No, only joint applicants
• Debt consolidation for student loans: No

LightStream is an online lender under SunTrust Bank that offers some of the lowest rates for debt consolidation loans. Its low rates, high loan limits and long loan terms make it a great option for borrowers with excellent credit. Lightstream also eliminates fee pitfalls by not charging origination or prepayment fees -- but to lock in its lowest rates, you'll want to enroll in AutoPay, which will earn you a 0.5% discount. 

A caveat is that LightStream doesn't offer prequalification, which often lets you view possible loan rates before the lender runs a hard credit check. To find out what rate you qualify for with LightStream, the lender will conduct a hard pull on your credit, which could cause a temporary dip in your credit score. 

Rocket Loans

• APR: 5.97% to 29.99%
• Loan amount: $2,000 to $45,000
• Loan terms: 36 and 60 month terms
• Time to receive funds: As early as same day
• Prequalification: Yes
• Origination Fee: 1% to 6%
• Co-signer option: No
• Debt consolidation for student loans: No

Rocket Loans is a great option for those seeking same-day funding. It offers prequalification, flexible loan amounts and terms, and boasts zero prepayment penalties. However, it does charge an origination fee of 1% to 6% for each loan. Furthermore, in order to access the best rates, you'll need to sign up for Autopay. 

SoFi

• APR: 5.74% to 21.28%*
• Loan amount: $5,000 to $100,000
• Loan terms: 36 to 84 months
• Time to receive funds: 1 business day after accepting loan
• Prequalification: Yes
• Origination fee: No
• Co-signer option: Yes
• Debt consolidation for student loans: Yes

Social Financing, or SoFi, offers debt consolidation at a low rate without origination, late or prepayment fees. It also offers a 0.25% autopay discount. It's notable for its special benefits, such as unemployment protection and free financial advising. 

SoFi also offers great rates on private student loan debt consolidation (private student loan refinancing), at 2.49% for fixed-rate refinancing and 1.74% for variable-rate refinancing. It holds several promotions and guaranteed rate matches on student loan refinancing, including a $20 promotion on checking your rate on a SoFi student or personal loan refinance.

*At 3 p.m. ET on March 24 this rate will be raised to 6.99% for one week through April 1 as a pricing test. 

Happy Money

• APR: 5.99% and 24.99%
• Loan amount: $5,000 to $40,000
• Loan terms: 24 to 60 months
• Time to receive funds: 2 to 5 business days
• Prequalification: Yes
• Origination fee: 0% to 5%
• Co-signer option: No
• Debt consolidation for student loans: No

The Payoff Loan by Happy Money is designed specifically for borrowers to pay off credit card debt. It focuses heavily on financial wellness, offering you access to tools to help track your credit score and build or rebuild your credit. Those with lower credit scores may also qualify, since Happy Money only requires a minimum credit score of 550 to take out a loan. On the downside, Happy Money does change an origination fee between 0% to 5% and its loans aren't offered in Massachusetts or Nevada. 

Upstart

• APR: 5.22% to 35.99%
• Loan amount: $1,000 to $5,000
• Loan terms: 36 and 60 month terms
• Time to receive funds: 1 business day after accepting loan
• Prequalification: Yes
• Origination fee: 0% to 8%
• Co-signer option: No
• Debt consolidation for student loans: No

Upstart describes itself as an artificial intelligence lending platform designed to offer higher approval rates and improve consumers' access to credit. While it does use your credit score to gauge eligibility, it also considers alternative factors, such as job history, to determine if you qualify. While you may be accepted even if you have insufficient credit history or no credit score, proof of a regular source of income is a requirement. It also does not charge prepayment penalties. 

However, Upstart does charge relatively high origination fees, as well as late payment fees and $10 for every requested paper copy of your loan agreement. West Virginia or Iowa residents are also not eligible for Upstart loans. 

Will a debt consolidation loan save me money?

A debt consolidation loan may save you money. You may pay less interest if you are approved for a lower rate than your existing debt. For example, if you have $2,500 in total debt with a combined APR of 20% and a combined monthly payment of $125, you'll pay $566 in interest over about two years. But if you were to take out a debt consolidation loan with an 11% APR and a two-year repayment term, the new monthly payment would be $116.50, and you would save $329 in interest.

Keep in mind that access to lower rates is heavily dependent upon a high credit score. 

How does student loan debt consolidation work?

Student loan debt consolidation is similar to other types of debt consolidation -- borrowers can combine multiple student loans into one for new terms and a potentially lower interest rate.

However, student loan debt consolidation differs depending on whether you have federal loans or private loans. If you have federal loans, consolidation can only occur through the Direct Loan program, for a new rate of the weighted average of all your loans, rounded to the nearest eighth. 

You cannot consolidate private student loans. However, you can refinance your loans (both private and federal) into one brand-new loan. Keep in mind that debt consolidation is a loan combination, while refinancing is simply changing the terms on a debt obligation.

What is prequalification?

Many lenders offer the option to prequalify, which allows you to view your payment plan and see what your potential interest rates and monthly payments would look like. Prequalification requires a soft credit pull, allowing lenders to view a limited portion of your credit history. Keep in mind that a soft credit pull will not impact your credit score. 

What's an origination fee?

An origination fee is an upfront, one-time fee for processing your loan. It may also be called the administrative or processing fee. 

What is a co-signer, and how does it differ from a joint applicant?

If you don't have a longstanding credit history, you may need someone with good or excellent credit to co-sign your loan. A co-signer takes on loan responsibility, serving as a guarantor, and are required to make loan payments if you're unable to. Keep in mind that your loan repayment history will affect their credit score. With a joint applicant, both applicants are held equally responsible for paying the loan back. The co-applicant has more rights and responsibilities than a co-signer.