Does Chase Do Personal Loans: What Most People Get Wrong

Does Chase Do Personal Loans: What Most People Get Wrong

You’re standing in a Chase branch, or maybe just scrolling through their app, and you’re looking for that one specific button. The one that says "Apply for a Personal Loan." You look. You refresh. You dig into the "Loans" menu.

Still nothing.

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Honestly, it’s a bit of a shocker. We are talking about the biggest bank in the United States. They handle trillions of dollars. They’ll finance your suburban dream home, your shiny new electric SUV, and even a private jet if you’ve got the receipts. But when it comes to a standard, "I need ten grand to fix my roof" personal loan?

The short answer is: No, Chase does not do personal loans. At least, not in the way you’re thinking. If you want to walk in with no prior relationship and walk out with a $15,000 unsecured check for debt consolidation or a wedding, you’re out of luck. They exited that specific market years ago. It basically didn’t fit their high-scale business model anymore.

The My Chase Loan Loophole

Wait. Don't close the tab just yet.

While a "Personal Loan" department doesn't exist, Chase has a sneaky alternative that functions almost exactly like one. It's called My Chase Loan.

Here’s the catch: You have to already own a Chase credit card.

I’ve seen people get frustrated by this, but if you’re already in the Chase ecosystem (like with a Sapphire or Freedom card), you might actually have a "loan" waiting for you right now. Essentially, Chase lets you borrow against your existing credit limit.

Let's say you have a $20,000 limit on your Sapphire Preferred and you've only used $2,000 of it. Chase might offer to "loan" you $5,000 of that remaining $18,000. They deposit the cash directly into your checking account. You pay it back over a fixed term—usually 6 to 24 months—at a much lower interest rate than your card’s standard APR.

No credit check. No new application. No ding to your score for an inquiry. It's fast. Like, "money in your account by tomorrow" fast.

Why the big banks bailed

Chase isn't alone in this. Capital One and Bank of America have largely stepped away from the traditional personal loan game too. Why? Because online lenders like SoFi, Upstart, and Marcus by Goldman Sachs absolutely ate their lunch.

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Those tech-heavy companies built algorithms that could approve a loan in thirty seconds. For a giant like JPMorgan Chase, the overhead of managing millions of small, unsecured $5,000 loans just wasn't as profitable as, say, a $500,000 mortgage or a massive corporate credit line.

Real Alternatives If You Aren't a Chase Member

If you don't have a Chase card, or your credit limit is too low to bother with, you need a Plan B.

Since it's 2026, the landscape has shifted a bit. Interest rates aren't what they were in 2020, and lenders are a bit pickier. If you have "Good to Excellent" credit (think 720 or higher), your first stop should be Wells Fargo or U.S. Bank. They are among the few "Big National Banks" that still offer traditional personal loans to the general public.

  • Wells Fargo: They’ll go up to $100,000 if your income supports it.
  • Credit Unions: Honestly, these are often better. Navy Federal or Pentagon Federal (PenFed) usually beat the big banks on interest rates by 1-2%.
  • Online Lenders: If you need the money today, LightStream or SoFi are still the kings of speed.

The "Secret" Wealth Management Route

Now, there is one very specific way to get a "personal" loan from Chase, but it’s not for everyone. If you are a J.P. Morgan Wealth Management client, things change.

If you have a massive portfolio of stocks and bonds sitting with them, they will happily give you a Securities-Based Line of Credit (SBLOC). This isn't a personal loan in the traditional sense; it’s a loan where your investments are the collateral.

You get the cash. You don't have to sell your stocks (so you avoid capital gains taxes). But—and this is a huge "but"—if the stock market crashes, Chase can issue a "maintenance call." They might force you to sell your stocks at the bottom of the market to pay back the loan.

It’s a high-stakes move for the wealthy, not a solution for someone trying to pay off a 24% interest credit card.

What You Should Actually Do

If you’re staring at a "No" from Chase, don't take it personally. It’s just their business strategy.

First, open the Chase mobile app. Look for the "Credit Journey" or "Managed Accounts" section. If you see a notification for My Chase Loan or Chase Pay Over Time, check the rate. If that rate is under 12%, and you're trying to consolidate debt, it’s a solid win.

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If that’s not an option, head to a site like LendingTree or Credible.

Do not—I repeat, do not—apply for five different loans individually. That will tank your credit score with five "Hard Inquiries." Use a pre-qualification tool that uses a "Soft Pull." This lets you see your real interest rate without the credit score penalty.

Actionable Next Steps

  1. Check your Chase App: Look specifically for the "My Chase Loan" offer in the credit card menu.
  2. Verify your Credit Score: If you're below 680, a traditional bank loan is unlikely; look toward credit unions or "Fair Credit" lenders like Upgrade.
  3. Compare the APR: A "My Chase Loan" might have an APR of 9-14%, whereas a standard credit card is likely 22-29%. If the loan rate is lower, it's a math-based "yes."
  4. Gather Documents: If you go with an alternative like Wells Fargo, have your last two W-2s and pay stubs ready. Banks in 2026 are asking for more income verification than they did two years ago.

Chase is great for a lot of things, but they've left the personal lending door wide open for competitors. If you aren't already "in" with them via a credit card, save yourself the trip to the branch and look elsewhere.