Upstart Borrower Story: How Marcus Reunited His Family with a Personal Loan

By Upstart Content Team | Updated January 2, 2026
reading time 3 min read
Close-up of a man in a home office with a teal beanie talking about a personal loan through Upstart

*Images are not actual customers, but their stories are real.

Key takeaways:

  • Marcus was on a strict budget but wanted to ensure his family could be together for the holidays while also looking for ways to save money.
  • He researched online lenders to determine the right fit for his financial needs and found out about Upstart in a TV commercial. 
  • Through Upstart, Marcus reunited his family for the holidays with a personal loan and refinanced his car loan to save money on his monthly payment.

It’s been said that when you don’t have your family, you don’t have anything. It’s a sentiment that rings true for Marcus, a Colorado resident and Upstart customer. 

A family man at heart, Marcus is a full-time caretaker for his twin brother who is living with a disability. For most of the year, the brothers are apart from Marcus’ nieces who reside in a different state. This reality becomes especially tough during the holidays—a time when families gather to create memories and spend quality time together. Unfortunately, with the cost of flights skyrocketing, it also makes for one of the most expensive travel seasons of the year. 

Marcus was on a tight budget, so coming up with the money to pay for his nieces’ plane tickets felt impossible. However, he was determined to not let another holiday go by without having his entire family together in Colorado. So he decided to take out a personal loan through Upstart. 

The many uses of a personal loan

One major benefit of a personal loan is that you can use it for just about anything, from funding weddings to home repairs. 

Financing the cost of plane tickets with a personal loan may seem out of the ordinary, but people buy plane tickets with credit cards all the time. With Marcus’ strict budget, a personal loan made sense because the interest rate was more reasonable than a credit card payment for his financial situation. 

Many times, credit cards have higher interest rates than personal loans. If travelers use credit cards and don’t pay it off right away, they’ll have to face the cost of the flights plus variable interest.  

An affordable loan that made sense with Marcus’ budget

Marcus first learned of Upstart through a TV commercial. He was already familiar with online lenders, as he had previously applied—but was disheartened to receive a high-interest rate that didn’t fit his budget. It was a deal-breaker for Marcus, who needed a personal loan with a lower interest rate and monthly payment he was comfortable with. 

After seeing Upstart’s commercial, Marcus went on Upstart’s website to find out what rate he was preapproved for. Checking your rate doesn’t affect your credit, as it’s not considered a hard pull. Marcus filled out the quick and easy online form and in minutes, he was pre-approved for a rate that worked for him. 

He was thrilled, recalling, “Upstart not only gave me what I needed, but made it affordable for me.”  

A holiday to celebrate and remember

Upstart renewed Marcus’ sense of confidence and peace of mind about taking on debt while being mindful of his budget. Now that Marcus had a plan in place to pay for his nieces’ plane tickets, he felt the joy and excitement set in while letting go of the stress—an unexpected benefit. 

He knew exactly how long it would take him to repay the loan, which is something any Upstart customer can do by logging in to their account. Marcus could see exactly how many payments were left and if he wanted to, could increase the monthly amount to pay the loan off faster. Upstart doesn’t charge a penalty fee if customers choose to pay the loan off before the term is over. 

Ultimately, Marcus was relieved to know that he could trust Upstart and pay his loan off without complicated costs and hidden fees. 

Marcus also refinanced his car through Upstart

Like many Americans, Marcus’ financial situation took an unexpected turn after he had purchased a house. Shortly after buying his home, he lost his job. So once again, Marcus turned to Upstart to save money on his monthly expenses by refinancing his car. 

When you refinance a car loan, you’re essentially taking out a new loan to pay off the original loan. In this case, Marcus’ loan through Upstart gave him a lower interest rate than his previous one, allowing him to pocket the difference each month. 

Just like he had experienced with the personal loan, he felt that the entire process was seamless and quick. Once he was approved, Marcus could log into his Upstart account to see exactly how much he owed and how long it would take him to reach his last payment. This kind of transparency offered Marcus more control over his finances. 

*Auto loan refinancing through Upstart is no longer avaliable. If you are looking to lower your car payment, a personal loan through Upstart may help.

Customers who participate in testimonials are compensated for their time.

*This content is general in nature and provided for informational purposes only. This content is not specific to Upstart, except where explicitly stated. This content may contain references to products and services offered through Upstart’s credit marketplace. Upstart is not a financial advisor and does not offer financial planning services.

upstart logo

About the Author

Upstart Content Team

The Upstart Content Team develops educational content grounded in research and real-world financial experiences. By breaking down complex topics into clear, actionable insights, the team helps readers navigate important decisions—so they can feel confident in the money moments that matter.

More resources you may be interested in

Upstart Borrower Story: How Holly Paid Off $9.9k in Credit Card Debt
Upstart Borrower Story: How Ahmed Dug Himself Out of Debt
Upstart Borrower Story: Saul Uses Personal Loan to Consolidate Debt and Ease Stress

See if Upstart is right for you

Check your rate lock Won't affect your credit score¹

Upstart Network, Inc. (NMLS #936133) is not a lender. All loans on its marketplace are made by regulated financial institutions.

All mortgage lending is conducted by Upstart Mortgage, LLC dba Upstart Home Lending. (NMLS #2443873). Equal Housing Opportunity.

  1. Checking your rate won’t affect your credit score: When you check your rate, we check your credit report. This initial (soft) inquiry will not affect your credit score. If you accept your rate and proceed with your application, we do another (hard) credit inquiry that will impact your credit score. If you take out a loan, repayment information may be reported to the credit bureaus.
  2. Upstart’s model considers education: Neither Upstart nor its lending partners have a minimum educational attainment requirement in order to be eligible for a loan.
  3. 41% more approvals and 33% lower rates than a traditional model: As of publication in April 2026, and based on a comparison between the Upstart model and a hypothetical traditional model using Upstart data from Jan – Dec 2025. For more information on the methodology behind this study, please see Upstart’s Annual Access to Credit results here.
  4. Unsecured Loans: While most loans through Upstart are unsecured, certain lenders may place a lien on other accounts you hold with the same institution. There may be an option to secure your personal loan through Upstart with your vehicle, which will require a lien to be placed on the vehicle. It is important to review your promissory note for these details before accepting your loan.
  5. Loan amounts from $1,000 -$75,000: Your loan amount will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will qualify for the full amount. Minimum loan amounts vary by state: GA ($3,100), HI ($1,500), MA ($7,000). Maximum loan amounts may vary by state.
  6. Closing and funding timeline: In April 2026, 10% of funded HELOCs achieved a closing timeline of 2 days or less and a funding timeline of 7 days or less. This timeline assumes consumers close with our remote online notary, provide supporting documentation promptly, and ensure the information provided is accurate and consistent with our verification process. Delays, discrepancies, and other unforeseen factors may impact the closing timeline. MBA’s 2025 Home Lending Study reports an average industry closing time of 37 days.
  7. APRs from 6.2% – 35.99%, with 3 or 5 year terms: The full range of available rates varies by state. The lowest rates are only available to the most qualified applicants. A representative example of payment terms for an unsecured Personal Loan is as follows: a borrower receives a loan of $10,000 for a term of 60 months, with an interest rate of 17.50% and a 7.25% origination fee of $725, for an APR of 21.23%. In this example, the borrower will receive $9275 and will make 60 monthly payments of $252. APR is calculated based on 5-year rates offered in March 2026. There is no downpayment and no prepayment penalty. Your APR will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will be approved.
  8. Instant deposits: To receive instant funding, your bank account must support instant transfers. If your account does not support instant transfers, funds will be available to you depending on your bank’s transaction processing time and policies.
  9. Always On Commitment: We are committed to maintaining your credit limit as long as you continue to meet program eligibility and account requirements. To ensure the safety and security of all our members, we reserve the right to adjust or close lines in specific circumstances, including account default or late payments, suspected fraud, violation of our terms of service (including abusive behavior), or when necessitated by legal or regulatory requirements.
  10. Cash Line draws: You may request a draw at any time. Only one draw may be outstanding at a time; after it is fully repaid, you may request another.
  11. HELOC APRs as low as 6.52%: Terms shown here are subject to change without notice. APRs for initial advances range from 6.52% to 18.00% based on rates offered as of April 2026. The lowest rate is only available to consumers willing to become a member of a credit union and to those who meet a minimum FICO score of 780, CLTV under 70%, and DTI under 45%. Your actual rate will depend on many factors such as your credit history, combined loan-to-value ratio (CLTV), line amount, loan term, lien position, and property state. Origination fee to open an account is between 0% and 4.99% of the approved credit limit. The Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”) is variable and based on the Prime Rate as published in the Wall Street Journal “Money Rates” table plus or minus a margin. Your APR will never be less than 3.99% or greater than 18.00%. Property insurance is required.
  12. No annual fee, prepayment penalty, or fees to redraw: Terms shown here are subject to change without notice. Origination fee to open an account is between 0% and 4.99% of the approved credit limit. The Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”) is variable and based on the Prime Rate as published in the Wall Street Journal “Money Rates” table plus or minus a margin. Your APR will never be less than 3.99% or greater than 18.00%. Property insurance is required.
  13. 2,500+ Variables:As of 3/31/2026. “Variables,” often also referred to as “features,” refers to raw variables and combined variables considered in our AI models. A “raw” variable is a non-combined, conceptually distinct unit of data, such as “applicant-reported savings.” A “combined” variable is data that has been transformed, combined, or otherwise engineered from a raw variable or set of raw variables, such as “applicant-reported savings” divided by “loan amount.
  14. Fully automated loans: In Q2 2026. Percentage of Loans Fully Automated, which is defined as the total number of loans in a given period originated end-to-end (from initial rate request to final funding for personal loans and small dollar loans, and from initial rate request to signing of the loan agreement for auto loans) with no human involvement required by the Company divided by the Transaction Volume, Number of Loans in the same period.