Best Egg

Best Egg is a direct-to-consumer online lending platform that originates personal loans and provides related financial health tools for US consumers. Its core product is an unsecured personal loan of $2,000–$50,000 with fixed monthly payments and terms of 36 to 60 months, commonly used for debt consolidation, large purchases and unexpected expenses. The company also offers secured products, including a homeowner-preferred loan that uses home fixtures such as cabinets and vanities as collateral in exchange for lower rates (advertised average APR savings of 20%), and a vehicle equity loan of $5,000–$100,000 secured by a lien against the borrower's car, with terms of 24 to 84 months. Loans are made by partner banks Cross River Bank and Column N.A., both FDIC members, rather than by Best Egg itself.

Applicants can check rates online using a soft credit inquiry that does not affect their credit score, with a hard inquiry only if a loan is accepted; funds can be deposited within one to three business days after verification. A mobile app lets customers make payments, view balances and credit scores, receive account alerts and apply for additional loans; it has surpassed 100,000 downloads on Google Play and is published by Best Egg Technologies, LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. The company positions itself as a "financial confidence platform" that uses real-time customer insights and data engineering to serve people with limited savings, and publishes financial literacy and personal-loan educational content. Beyond loans, its offering has been described as extending to a credit card, a flexible rent program and financial health tools.

Founding story

Marlette Funding was started in 2013 by former Juniper Bank executives, among them Jeffrey Meiler, to simplify borrowing through an all-online platform whose proprietary algorithm could identify creditworthy applicants overlooked by traditional lenders. The Best Egg consumer brand followed in 2014, named to evoke the idea of a "nest egg" and financial security.

Business model

Best Egg operates a digital origination platform for consumer credit. Loans are issued by partner banks (Cross River Bank and Column N.A.) and carry origination fees deducted from loan proceeds, alongside interest charged over fixed terms; the mobile app also carries advertising. The company markets directly to consumers online and services accounts through its own digital channels and support organization.

Interest income and origination fees on personal loans (APRs of 6.99%–35.99% with origination fees of 0.99%–9.99% for unsecured loans; APRs of 10.49%–35.99% with fees of 4.49%–8.99% for vehicle equity loans), earned in conjunction with the bank partners that make the loans.

Traction

More than $40 billion in cumulative personal loan originations since 2013, over two million customers served, and $7 billion originated in the year before the acquisition closed. The mobile app has over 100,000 Google Play downloads, and the company holds an "A" BBB rating and a 4.6 Trustpilot score across about 12,000 reviews. Reported team size is 501–1,000 employees.

Latest developments

Barclays US Consumer Bank completed its $800 million acquisition of Best Egg effective May 1, 2026, six months after announcing the deal in October 2025. Barclays management framed the purchase as expanding its US personal lending capabilities and building a more diversified, digitally focused consumer bank; Best Egg CEO Paul Ricci said the company would continue operating and pursuing growth within Barclays. The Best Egg mobile app continues to receive updates, with a release noted in July 2026.