TROY, Mich.— In the face a turbulent economic market, a new survey has found customer satisfaction with personal loans is largely flat, a scenario that raises “questions,” says J.D. Power.
According to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Consumer Lending Satisfaction Study, “this stagnant performance highlights the industry’s failure to move beyond basic transactions to address the unique and changing needs of today’s personal loan customers—many of whom have seen their financial health deteriorate considerably during the past year.”
Not Hitting the Mark
“The primary purpose of a consumer loan is to be a financial management tool, to help solve challenges customers are having with revolving credit card debt or unforeseen expenses,” Bruce Gehrke, senior director of wealth and lending intelligence at J.D. Power, said in a statement. “So, when we see that customer satisfaction with these products is stagnating at a time when the financial health of the average customer is declining sharply, it raises questions about whether or not consumer loans are really hitting the mark for what customers need right now.”
Key Findings
According to J.D. Power, some of the key findings in the 2025 survey include:
Satisfaction Flat as Financial Health Deteriorates
“Overall customer satisfaction with personal loans is 704 (on a 1,000-point scale), up two points from the 2024 study,” J.D. Power stated. “ Meanwhile, just 25% of personal loan customers are classified as financially healthy this year, down from 27% in 2024 and 33% in 2023. During that same period, the percentage of customers identified as financially vulnerable has increased to 47%, up from 45% in 2024 and 40% in 2023.”
Data Security is Critical for Delivering High Satisfaction
On average, overall customer trust scores 203 points higher when personal loan customers perceive that their lender has a secure lending process that protects their personal information, according to J.D. Power.
Proactive Fee Communication Reduces Problems
Of personal loan customers who experienced a problem, 28% cited an unexpected fee, making it the most commonly cited problem, J.D. Power reported.
“When fee information is disclosed after the loan approval, the incidence of unexpected fees surges to 43%,” J.D. Power reported. “Similarly, overall satisfaction scores are highest (753) when fees are disclosed prior to an application and lowest (701) when they are disclosed after approval.
J.D. Power explained it measures the financial health of any consumer as a metric combining their spending/savings ratio, creditworthiness, and safety net items like insurance coverage. Consumers are placed on a continuum from healthy to vulnerable
Study Rankings
In the J.D. Power study:
- American Express ranks highest among personal loan lenders in overall customer satisfaction for a third consecutive year, with a score of 768. Citi (751) ranks second and Discover (734) ranks third.