Affiliate disclosure.
How LendingsTree makes money, and how that doesn't influence which lenders show up in your offers.
Transparency about how a comparison marketplace makes money is required by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and by basic ethics. Here's the full picture.
How we earn revenue
LendingsTree operates as a loan comparison marketplace. We earn referral compensation when:
- A consumer fills out our comparison form
- We match the consumer with one or more lender partners in our network
- The consumer completes an application or funds a loan with one of those lenders
Compensation varies by lender, loan type, loan amount, and consumer credit profile. The amounts are negotiated separately with each lender partner.
What this means for you (the consumer)
You are not charged anything for using LendingsTree. Comparison and matching is free. The lender compensates us; you don't.
The fact that we earn from lenders does create an obvious question: does that bias the offers shown to you? Here's what we do to address that:
1. Offers are ordered by match quality, not compensation
Our matching algorithm uses lender-specific underwriting criteria (credit tier, loan type, state, income, employment) to determine which lenders are most likely to actually offer you good terms. The lender paying us the most is not automatically shown first.
2. Editorial content is independent of revenue
Our blog articles, FAQ, comparison guides, and lender mentions in editorial content are not paid placements. We don't accept money for positive coverage. When we mention a specific lender by name in an article (e.g., "OneMain Financial serves the 580-649 credit tier"), that mention is editorial, not sponsored. See our Editorial Standards.
3. We tell you who shows up and why
If a lender in our network refuses to make an offer based on your profile, we don't manufacture one. Up to 5 lenders are shown when they actually match your criteria.
What we don't do
- We do not sell your personal information to lenders outside our partner network. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
- We do not charge upfront fees, application fees, or "matching" fees to consumers.
- We do not make credit decisions, underwrite loans, or service loans. Every credit decision is made by the lender, not by us.
- We do not guarantee loan approval. Any guarantee of approval (anywhere on the internet) is a red flag.
Lender partners
LendingsTree maintains relationships with 500+ lender partners across personal loans, debt consolidation, mortgage and refinance, home equity (HELOC and home equity loans), auto loans and auto refinance, and small business loans. The specific partners shown to you depend on the loan type you're comparing, your state, your credit profile, and other underwriting criteria each lender uses.
FTC reference: This disclosure is provided in compliance with FTC .com Disclosures and 16 CFR Part 255 (Endorsement Guides).
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