Original research
A 10% fee means you borrow $11,111.11 to get $10,000
Key finding
The lender removes the fee before sending your money. You still owe the full loan balance. At a 10% deducted fee, 90 cents of each borrowed dollar reaches you. To put $10,000 in your account, the loan must start at $11,111.11.
This 17-program sample is not the whole market and cannot predict your offer. CC BY 4.0 covers Rung-owned work, with third-party material excluded. This working report is public. Publisher review and third-party source clearance remain pending; no completed reviewer approval is claimed.
- $1,111.11 goes to the fee before the cash arrives.
- Interest starts from the full $11,111.11 balance.
- A published $10,000 loan limit cannot cover this $10,000 cash need at a 10% deducted fee.
- This math covers the fee, not the interest or total repayment.
Work backward before you compare offers
If you need $10,000 for a bill or payoff, the loan must deliver $10,000 after the fee. Do not start with the amount shown at the top of the offer.
The same $10,000 need can produce a different loan balance
Each row starts with the same goal: $10,000 in your account. A larger deducted fee means a larger loan and more dollars removed before funding.
Scroll across to see all columns.
| Program | Fee used | Loan balance | Fee removed | Fits published range? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prosper | 9.99% | $11,109.88 | $1,109.88 | Yes |
| Oportun | 10% | $11,111.11 | $1,111.11 | No — above ceiling |
| Upstart | 8.15% | $10,887.32 | $887.32 | Yes |
| Happen Bank | 8% | $10,869.57 | $869.57 | Yes |
| SoFi | 7% | $10,752.69 | $752.69 | Yes |
| OneMain Financial | Unresolved | Not calculated | Not calculated | Treatment varies by state |
| Upgrade | 9.99% | $11,109.88 | $1,109.88 | Yes |
| Best Egg | 9.99% | $11,109.88 | $1,109.88 | Yes |
| Avant | 9.99% | $11,109.88 | $1,109.88 | Yes |
| LendingPoint | 10% | $11,111.11 | $1,111.11 | Yes |
| Discover | 0% | $10,000 | $0 | Yes |
| Wells Fargo | 0% | $10,000 | $0 | Yes |
| U.S. Bank | 0% | $10,000 | $0 | Yes |
| PNC | 0% | $10,000 | $0 | Yes |
| Citi | 0% | $10,000 | $0 | Yes |
| Alliant Credit Union | 0% | $10,000 | $0 | Yes |
| PenFed Credit Union | 0% | $10,000 | $0 | We could not confirm this |
A smaller fee can still cost more overall
These examples use fixed inputs. They are not offers or estimates of the fee you will receive.
Keep the fee treatment with the example
Rung Research. (2026). The loan amount is not always the cash you receive: Personal Loan Funded Cost Index (Collection 3; personal-loan-funded-cost@2026-09-05.collection.3). Rung Financial. https://rungfinancial.com/research/personal-loan-fee-and-proceeds-ledger/
Check the next part of your offer
Use this math only when the fee comes out of your cash.
If the fee is added to the balance or charged another way, follow the cash movement shown in the agreement.