Can I get a personal loan if my credit score is below 600?
By Fidelis Solutions · Published May 21, 2026
Can I get a personal loan if my credit score is below 600?
Yes. A credit score below 600 does not disqualify you from financing. Fidelis Lending evaluates verified income, employment stability, and cash flow alongside bureau data. These criteria reflect repayment capacity more accurately than a three-digit score alone. A bank's automated decline is a policy threshold — not a verdict on your financial character or your ability to repay.
How this works
A FICO score below 600 triggers an automatic decline at most traditional banks. That threshold is an algorithmic policy, not a comprehensive assessment of borrower risk. The Fair Credit Reporting Act [15 USC §1681 et seq.] explicitly permits lenders to use alternative data sources beyond traditional bureau scores. Bank transaction history, consistent payment patterns, and verified income are all lawful inputs in a credit decision.
Federal Reserve SR Letter 13-19 on Third-Party Relationships authorizes financial institutions to develop non-traditional underwriting criteria specifically designed to serve borrowers excluded by conventional scoring models. Regulatory permission exists for lenders willing to exercise professional judgment. Fidelis Lending applies that permission on every application file.
Fidelis Lending pairs algorithmic risk evaluation with human underwriting review. That combination surfaces repayment capacity that automated bank decisions routinely miss. An applicant with a 575 score and 24 months of stable employment, consistent rent payments, and rising direct-deposit income presents a fundamentally different risk profile than a 575 score attached to irregular cash flow. Traditional scoring treats both applicants identically. Fidelis Lending does not.
Applicants declined by traditional banks retain full access to competitive lending markets. A bank's automated decision closes one door. Fidelis Lending reviews the income, employment, and cash-flow factors that the bank's system never considered — because a number that looks backward should not be the only factor determining whether a borrower can move forward.
Start your application at https://www.fidelis.solutions/intake. Fidelis Lending reviews the factors your bank's system never considered.
Sources
- [15 USC §1681 et seq.] — Fair Credit Reporting Act: authorizes lenders to use alternative data sources beyond traditional bureau scores in credit decisions.
- Federal Reserve SR Letter 13-19 on Third-Party Relationships — authorizes financial institutions to develop non-traditional underwriting criteria for borrowers excluded by conventional scoring models.
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