Last updated: July 15, 2026
This methodology describes how NexaLoan evaluates U.S. personal-loan products and builds lender comparisons. It is designed for public-source research. NexaLoan does not claim to have applied for, received, or personally tested a loan unless a page separately documents that process.
Minimum Data Required
A lender is eligible for a scored comparison only when we can verify a minimum data set from current public sources:
- APR range and whether the range includes discounts
- Origination fee or other upfront lender fee
- Minimum and maximum loan amount
- Available repayment terms
- Prequalification and hard-credit-inquiry timing
- Funding-time claim and important conditions
- State availability and material borrower restrictions
- Prepayment policy, late-fee disclosure, and customer-support route
- Date each material term was checked
If the minimum data cannot be verified, the lender is not assigned a score. Missing information is never assumed to be favorable.
Primary Source Hierarchy
- Official lender rate, fee, eligibility, disclosure, and support pages
- Loan agreement samples, terms, state-specific disclosures, and licensing records
- NMLS Consumer Access and state regulator records when relevant
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Reserve, and other federal sources
- Credible secondary research only when a primary source is unavailable or additional context is needed
Marketing language is not treated as proof. A claim such as “same-day funding,” “no fees,” or “rates as low as” must be presented with its conditions and checked date.
100-Point Scoring Framework
| Category | Weight | What we evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Cost and total repayment | 30 | APR range, origination fee, late fee, prepayment policy, discount conditions, and representative total-cost examples |
| Eligibility and transparency | 20 | Published qualification guidance, income and document expectations, state limits, cosigner or joint options, and clarity of disclosures |
| Terms and flexibility | 15 | Loan amounts, term range, payment-date options, hardship information, and permitted uses |
| Application and credit impact | 15 | Soft-pull prequalification, timing of hard inquiry, application steps, document process, and funding conditions |
| Consumer protection and support | 10 | Licensing visibility, complaint and dispute routes, contact options, security disclosures, and absence of misleading approval claims |
| Availability and accessibility | 10 | Geographic availability, membership barriers, channel access, and whether material exclusions are clearly stated |
The total is the weighted sum of the six categories. A page that displays a score must also show the data checked date, the material inputs, and any important limitation that could change borrower fit.
How Category Scores Are Assigned
Each category is scored against the same documented checklist for every lender in that comparison. More borrower-friendly terms can receive more points, but transparency also matters. For example, an attractive advertised minimum APR does not offset an unclear origination-fee range or missing state restrictions.
We do not add points because a lender advertises with NexaLoan, offers an affiliate commission, is a recognizable brand, or provides marketing material. We also do not subtract points merely because a lender declines an affiliate relationship.
Borrower Fit Is Separate from Rank
A higher overall score does not mean a lender is best for every person. Credit profile, income documentation, loan amount, state, membership eligibility, desired term, fee tolerance, and debt-to-income pressure can change the best fit. Reviews should explain who may benefit, who may not qualify, and when a non-loan alternative may be safer.
Comparisons Without Scores
Some pages are more useful as factual, unranked comparisons. We use an unranked table when data is incomplete, products solve different problems, a score would hide an important tradeoff, or the available public evidence is not sufficient for a defensible ranking.
Rates, Fees, and Examples
Displayed rates are not offers to the reader. APR and payment examples must state the loan amount, APR, term, assumed fees, and whether the example is illustrative. We do not present an advertised minimum rate as typical approval. Calculator results are estimates and should link to their assumptions.
Complaints and Reputation Signals
Public complaints can identify recurring issues, but raw complaint counts can be misleading because lender size and reporting periods differ. Complaint information is used as a qualitative risk signal unless the data supports a fair, normalized comparison. Anonymous reviews are not treated as verified borrower outcomes.
Update and Audit Rules
- Time-sensitive lender terms are rechecked before a review is materially updated.
- A changed year alone does not qualify as an update.
- If a lender changes a material term, the article and its checked date should be updated.
- If the data no longer supports a score, the score is removed until verification is complete.
- Material errors are handled under the Corrections Policy.
Editorial and Commercial Separation
Advertising and future affiliate compensation do not change the scoring formula. Paid placement must be labeled and cannot be presented as an editorial winner. See the Advertising Disclosure and Editorial Policy.
Questions About a Score
To request the source for a material term or report a scoring error, email nexaloan@loan12.com with the page URL, lender name, disputed field, and supporting source.