What credit score do I need to get a loan?

We do not publish a minimum. Underwriting reviews bank-verified income and cash flow alongside credit-risk data from a consumer reporting agency, so there is no single number that decides the outcome. Anyone quoting you a guaranteed cutoff is guessing.

How long does the whole process take?

The application, identity verification, and bank connection are done in one sitting. Automated underwriting runs immediately. A human underwriter reviews the approval, and funds then move by ACH — typically arriving 1–2 business days after you e-sign.

Does applying affect my credit?

Applying involves obtaining a consumer report about you. We cannot tell you how any particular inquiry will affect your score, and we will not guess.

Can I apply with a co-signer?

No. StrideFi loans are single-borrower, and there is no co-signer or joint application option.

What if I am self-employed?

Self-employed applicants are eligible. Income still has to be verifiable in the bank account you connect, so deposits that reflect your earnings matter more than how those earnings are classified.

How to get a loan in Florida

This page is the process, not a pitch: what you need before you start, what underwriting looks at, what each step actually does, and what happens if we say no.

Check your eligibility

What you need before you start

Florida residency. We are licensed under the Florida Consumer Finance Act and lend only to Florida residents.
A government-issued photo ID. Identity verification involves a scan of the ID and a selfie. This is a federal and state requirement for a licensed lender, not a preference.
A bank account you can connect. We link it through Plaid for read-only verification of identity, balance and income, and it is the account funds are sent to. Manual bank statements are not an alternative.
Verifiable income. Income has to be visible in the connected account. Cash income that never lands in a bank account cannot be verified and therefore cannot be counted.
A need between $2,000 and $10,000. Outside that range we are not the right lender.

What underwriting actually reviews

Four things, in this order: that you are who you say you are, that the application shows no fraud signals, that you are not on a sanctions list, and then whether the loan is affordable and the credit risk is acceptable.

The affordability test is set against the monthly payment, not the amount you asked for. We compare the payment we would quote against modelled net monthly income from your connected account. That is why requesting a longer term, or a smaller amount, can turn a decline into an approval — and why a large request with a thin income record is the most common reason an application does not clear.

We also review credit-risk data from a consumer reporting agency. There is no published minimum score, because the score is one input among the verified cash-flow figures rather than a gate on its own.

Every approval is then reviewed by a person before any money moves. That is a deliberate step, and it is the reason we cannot promise instant funding.

What happens if we decline

You get a written adverse action notice stating the principal reasons for the decision, as the Equal Credit Opportunity Act requires. If the decision used information from a consumer report, the notice says so and tells you how to get a free copy of that report from the agency that supplied it, and how to dispute anything inaccurate in it.

Sometimes the answer is not a decline but a smaller loan. If the amount you asked for does not clear our affordability test but a smaller one inside the range would, we route the file to a person with that smaller figure attached rather than declining it.

What it costs

Representative 12-month payment examples
Loan amount	APR	Term	Monthly payment	Finance charge	Total of payments
$2,000	35.99%	12 mo	$200.91	$410.92	$2,410.92
$5,000	31.99%	12 mo	$492.34	$908.08	$5,908.08
$10,000	28.99%	12 mo	$969.91	$1,638.92	$11,638.92

Representative examples only, not an offer of credit. Each row assumes a 12-month term, on-time payments, and the APR StrideFi currently quotes at that amount; your APR, term, and payment depend on underwriting. Interest accrues daily on the unpaid principal balance, so paying early reduces the finance charge below the figure shown, and paying late increases it. There is no prepayment penalty.

Frequently asked questions

What credit score do I need to get a loan?: We do not publish a minimum. Underwriting reviews bank-verified income and cash flow alongside credit-risk data from a consumer reporting agency, so there is no single number that decides the outcome. Anyone quoting you a guaranteed cutoff is guessing.
How long does the whole process take?: The application, identity verification, and bank connection are done in one sitting. Automated underwriting runs immediately. A human underwriter reviews the approval, and funds then move by ACH — typically arriving 1–2 business days after you e-sign.
Does applying affect my credit?: Applying involves obtaining a consumer report about you. We cannot tell you how any particular inquiry will affect your score, and we will not guess.
Can I apply with a co-signer?: No. StrideFi loans are single-borrower, and there is no co-signer or joint application option.
What if I am self-employed?: Self-employed applicants are eligible. Income still has to be verifiable in the bank account you connect, so deposits that reflect your earnings matter more than how those earnings are classified.

StrideFi is an online lender — we have no branch locations. Loans made by Stride Financial LLC under the Florida Consumer Finance Act (Chapter 516) to Florida residents statewide. Amounts from $2,000 to $10,000; APR 28.99%–35.99%; terms up to 12months; no prepayment penalty. Approval, loan amount, APR, and term depend on underwriting, including identity, income, and bank-account verification — not every applicant qualifies, and applying is not a guarantee of credit. Funding times depend on your bank's ACH processing.