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How Our Loan Matching Works
A transparent, step-by-step walkthrough of exactly what happens when you submit a request through our free marketplace.
There Are Never Any Upfront Fees
Using the River Valley Loans matching platform is completely free — at every step. We do not charge application fees, membership fees, or any fee of any kind to submit a loan request or explore the options returned. Any fees associated with a loan are charged by the individual lender, disclosed in full in their loan agreement, and are never collected by River Valley Loans.
Submitting Your Secure Request
The process begins on our homepage, where you are presented with a brief three-step questionnaire. You will be asked to select your desired funding amount from a range of $500 to $5,000, enter your ZIP code so we can filter lenders available in your area, and provide your email address so that participating lenders can follow up with you regarding any offers.
All information you submit is transmitted using 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption, the same security standard used by major banks and financial institutions. We collect only the minimum information necessary to facilitate the matching process. We do not ask for your Social Security Number, bank account details, or income documentation at this stage.
Submitting your request is entirely free of charge. There are no application fees, no subscription costs, and no financial obligation of any kind to complete or submit the form. You are simply signaling your interest so that lenders in our network can evaluate whether they have a suitable product for your situation.
Automated Lender Selection Filter
Once you submit your request, our matching system automatically filters the information you provided against the eligibility criteria of the lenders in our network. This matching process considers factors such as the requested funding amount, your geographic location (state availability), and any parameters the individual lender has configured for their products.
It is important to understand that River Valley Loans does not perform a credit check at this stage, and the matching process itself does not affect your credit score. Credit inquiries — including any potential hard pulls — are conducted solely by the individual lender if and when you choose to proceed with their offer.
A successful match does not guarantee a loan offer, and a loan offer does not guarantee funding. Each lender in our network makes independent underwriting decisions based on their own criteria, which may include your credit history, income, and other financial factors assessed during their own application process.
Reviewing and Finalizing Offers
If the matching process identifies a lender whose criteria align with your request, you will be redirected or connected to that lender's platform to review their specific loan offer. At this point, all interaction is directly between you and the lender — River Valley Loans is no longer part of the transaction.
Before accepting any offer, you should carefully review the complete loan agreement, including the Annual Percentage Rate (APR), total cost of credit, repayment schedule, origination fees, prepayment penalties (if any), and all other terms and conditions. APRs in our network typically range from 4.99% to 35.99%, and repayment terms range from 61 days to 72 months.
You are never obligated to accept any offer. If the terms do not suit your needs, you may decline without penalty. If you do not receive a match, you remain free to explore other financial resources or return to submit a revised request in the future.
Representative Financial Example
Requested Amount: $2,500
Loan Term: 12 months
Representative APR: 35.99%
Monthly Payment: $251.18
Total Repayable: $3,014.16
Total Cost of Credit: $514.16
Representative Example: If you request $2,500 with a 12-month repayment term, a representative APR of 35.99% will apply. Actual rates vary. APRs in our network: 4.99%–35.99%. Terms: 61 days–72 months. Amounts: $500–$5,000.
No obligation. No upfront fees. All credit types welcome to request.