Best Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) Lenders of October 2026
Advertising Disclosures
Loading Disclosures…
| Best for | User ratings | Maximum loan amount | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | High loan amounts |
(645)
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
| $1 million | |
 | Bad credit HELOCs | User reviews coming soon | $700,000 (with poor credit) | |
 | Quick closing |
(1455)
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
| $750,000 | |
 | Low closing costs and fees |
(18)
Ratings and reviews are from real consumers who have used the lending partner’s services.
| Not specified | |
 | High-LTV HELOCs | User reviews coming soon | $500,000 | |
 | Fixed-rate HELOCs | User reviews coming soon | Not specified |
Read more about how we chose our best HELOC lenders.
Best HELOC lender for high loan amounts
Flagstar Bank
- Draw period:
- 10 years
- Repayment period:
- 20 years
- Maximum loan amount:
- $1 million
- Average total loan costs (all loan types):
- $7,702
- Homeowners who set up auto payments from a Flagstar deposit account may qualify for a 0.25-point rate discount on a HELOC
- Typically gets HELOC funds to approved borrowers within three weeks
- Only has branches in nine states
- Has a 680 credit score minimum
- Comes with an ongoing $75 annual fee
You’ll have the best chance of qualifying for a loan with Flagstar if you have a 77% loan-to-value (LTV) ratio or better, according to nationwide data from 2024. That year, about 45% of approved borrowers had a debt-to-income (DTI) ratio below 40%.
Use LendingTree’s DTI calculator to find your debt-to-income ratio.
LendingTree experts chose Flagstar as the best HELOC lender for large loans because the bank offers HELOCs ranging from $10,000 to $1 million.
Borrowers even have the flexibility to secure their HELOC loan with a primary or secondary residence — many other lenders only allow HELOCs on primary residences.
Just keep in mind their maximum LTV ratio — which determines how much equity you’ll be able to borrow from your home — is still 85%, even with a higher loan amount.
Flagstar Bank services online home loans in all 50 states, but only offers in-person service in 9 states.
Read LendingTree’s full Flagstar Bank review to help decide if this lender is right for you.
Best HELOC lender for bad credit
Achieve
- Draw period
- Five years
- Repayment period
- 10, 15, 20 and 30 years
- Min. credit score
- 600
- Average total loan costs (all loan types)
- Not specified
- Fast access to funds (as little as 5 days)
- Offers variable-rate and fixed-rate HELOC loans
- Strong customer service ratings
- Only services 30 states
- Offers a limited number home loan products
- Loan costs are more expensive than other lenders
You’ll have the best chance of qualifying for a HELOC with Achieve if you have an average loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 67.1% or better, according to nationwide data from 2024. That year, more than half (63.6%) had a debt-to-income (DTI) ratio below 40%.
Use LendingTree’s DTI calculator to find your debt-to-income ratio.
LendingTree experts chose Achieve as the best HELOC lender for bad credit because it has the lowest credit score minimum of all the lenders reviewed, requiring only a 600 score to access up to $700,000 using a fixed- or variable-rate HELOC.
Achieve doesn’t offer traditional home equity loans, but its fixed-rate HELOC option is a similar alternative that still enables borrowers to repay and reuse the funds during the draw period.
Achieve is also a good choice for those who want to close quickly, as they advertise the ability to get your funds to you within five to seven days of approval.
Achieve offers home equity products in 30 states, not including: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Read LendingTree’s full Achieve Mortgage review to see if this lender is a good fit for you.
See LendingTree’s full list of the best HELOC lenders for bad credit.
Best HELOC lender for fast closing
Rate
- Draw period
- Not specified
- Repayment period
- Up to 20 years
- Max. loan amount
- $750,000
- Average total loan costs (all loan types)
- $7,574
- Fixed- and variable-rate options
- Multiple loan term options
- Physical locations in every state except Vermont
- HELOC rates not shown on its website
- Doesn’t disclose the minimum credit requirement
- Doesn’t offer HELOCs for loan amounts less than $20,000
You’ll have the best chance of qualifying for a loan with Rate if you have a 82% LTV ratio or better, according to nationwide data from 2024. That year, about 44% of approved borrowers had a debt-to-income (DTI) ratio below 40%.
Use LendingTree’s DTI calculator to find your debt-to-income ratio.
LendingTree experts chose Rate as the best HELOC lender for fast closing because of Rate advertises a five-minute HELOC application process and funding within as few as five days.
That’s quite fast compared to the 14 to 42 days you could wait with a traditional HELOC lender.
If you’re looking for a speedy closing, Rate (previously Guaranteed Rate) offers a 100% digital application process and option to “FlashClose” — that is, sign all of your closing documents online.
Rate services home loans in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and even has in-person branches in almost every state.
Read LendingTree’s full Rate review to help decide if this lender is right for you.
See all of LendingTree’s top picks for lenders with the fastest HELOC closing times.
Best HELOC lender for low closing costs and fees
Bank of America
- Draw period
- 10 years
- Repayment period
- Not specified
- Max. loan amount
- Not specified
- Average total loan costs (all loan types)
- $5,011
- No closing costs, application fees or annual HELOC fees
- Existing Bank of America customers can get HELOC rate discounts
- Offers online, check-based and in-person pathways to access your HELOC funds
- Requires a 660 minimum credit score
- Lower loan approval rates for DTI ratios above 43% than other top HELOC lenders
- Doesn’t clearly explain its HELOC loan term options
You’ll have the best chance of qualifying for a loan with Bank of America if you have a 59% LTV ratio or better, according to nationwide data from 2024. That year, nearly half (49%) of approved borrowers had a debt-to-income (DTI) ratio below 40%.
Use LendingTree’s DTI calculator to find your debt-to-income ratio.
LendingTree chose Bank of America as the best HELOC lender for low closing costs and fees because they advertise HELOCs with no closing costs and do not charge application or annual fees on HELOCs.
Plus, if you ever want to switch your variable-rate balance to a fixed rate, you can do that without paying a fee as well.
Bank of America offers home loans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. And as a national bank, they offer customers the convenience of accessibility — regardless of where you live or any changes life throws your way, you’ll likely be able to access a branch.
Read LendingTree’s full Bank of America review to help decide if this lender is right for you.
Learn more about how much you could pay in HELOC closing costs.
Best HELOC lender for high-LTV loans
Navy Federal Credit Union
- Draw period
- 20 years
- Repayment period
- 20 years
- Max. loan amount
- $500,000
- Average total loan costs (all loan types)
- $3,165
- Allows CLTV ratios up to 95%A CLTV (combined loan-to-value) ratio is the percentage of your home’s value that’s secured by all the loans against it, including your mortgage and the HELOC you want. Lenders use it to see how much equity you still have available to borrow against.
- Doesn’t charge any closing costs
- Doesn’t charge any ongoing (annual) or inactivity fees
- Doesn’t fund HELOCs with loan amounts below $10,000
- Charges a higher rate for a HELOC with an interest-only option
- Doesn’t offer a fixed-rate HELOC option
LendingTree chose Navy Federal Credit Union as the best HELOC lender for high-LTV loans because they allow a maximum combined loan-to-value ratio (for primary and secondary residences) of 95%.
A CLTV (combined loan-to-value) ratio is the percentage of your home’s value that’s secured by all the loans against it, including your mortgage and the HELOC you want. Lenders use it to see how much equity you still have available to borrow against.
Navy Federal’s maximum is among the most generous LTV ratio limit of the HELOC lenders evaluated. And with a solid online experience and 24/7 customer support, Navy Federal could be your best bet if you are or are related to a current or former military member or defense contractor.
Navy Federal Credit Union serves active duty service members, veterans, members of the U.S. Department of Defense and their immediate families and household members in all 50 states.
Read LendingTree’s full Navy Federal review to help decide if this lender is right for you.
Best HELOC lender for fixed rates
Truist
- Draw period
- 10 years
- Repayment period
- Five to 30 years
- Max. loan amount
- Not specified
- Average total loan costs (all loan types)
- $5,795
- Offers fixed- and variable-rate HELOCs
- Offers significantly lower introductory rates for the first nine months
- Physical branches available in some states
- Charges a $50 annual fee for HELOCs in some states
- Also offers credit lines secured by investments, so you don’t have to put your home at risk to access funds
- Not available in all states
You’ll have the best chance of qualifying for a loan with Truist if you have a 61% LTV ratio or better, according to nationwide data from 2024. That year, about 23% of approved borrowers had a debt-to-income (DTI) ratio above 43%.
Use LendingTree’s DTI calculator to find your debt-to-income ratio.
LendingTree chose Truist as the best HELOC lender for fixed-rate HELOCs because they allow borrowers to lock in a fixed rate on up to five credit line draws at a time.
To take advantage of the fixed-rate option, Truist provides a variable-rate HELOC — but, you can lock up to five draws as long as they’re at least $5,000.
Keep in mind that this does require a $15 fixed option set up fee, but is a great way to keep your HELOC interest rate lower while you pay down your loan.
Truist lends to customers in every state but three: Alaska, Arizona and Hawaii.
Read LendingTree’s full Truist review to help decide if this lender is right for you.
Read more about how we chose our best HELOC lenders.
Standard HELOC requirements
Most HELOC lenders require borrowers meet the following criteria:
- Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio maximum: 43% to 50%
- Credit score minimum: 620 to 680
- Home equity minimum: 15%
For more details on how to qualify, visit LendingTree’s HELOC requirements page.
What is the best place to get a HELOC?
There’s no single best place to get a HELOC, but one option may be best for you.
- Banks may be best if you have strong credit and finances, want to go with a lender you already know or want to earn a discount for setting up autopay.
- Credit unions may make more sense if you’re already a member at one, or are on the hunt for more forgiving interest rates and fees.
- Online lenders can be a good option if you want a fast closing process or a 100% digital experience.
- Online marketplaces can be a good way to gather quotes from multiple lenders. When lenders compete for your business, you get to pick the best offer.
How to get banks to compete for your business with LendingTree
Shopping for a home equity loan shouldn’t mean filling out tons of applications. With one form, compare rates from our network of vetted home equity lenders.
1. Tell us what you need
Take two minutes to tell us about yourself, your home and when you need the money.
2. Shop your offers
If you qualify, we’ll send you offers from up to five lenders from the nation’s largest lender network.
3. Access your home equity
You’ll choose the lender that fits your budget and needs and send in a formal application. They’ll send you the money for your home equity loan if you’re approved.
Current HELOC rates
HELOC rates are lower than they were a year ago, and often offer a lower initial rate than a home equity loan.
How LendingTree chose the best HELOC lenders
We reviewed more than 40 lenders to determine our picks for the best HELOC lenders. LendingTree reviews and fact-checks our top lender picks annually by gathering loan program and requirement details directly from lenders and analyzing data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) government database.
We review several key factors: digital application availability and ease of use, product and lending information accessibility, in-person branch footprint and LendingTree’s expert star rating.
LendingTree best lender criteria
To be considered as a potential best lender pick by LendingTree experts, the lender must provide users with an online loan application experience that is relatively easy to follow and complete.
This means the lender must provide a user-friendly website and make their customer service contact information easy to find online.
To qualify for “best lender” consideration by LendingTree experts, the lender must provide users with an online experience that helps borrowers make sense of the mortgage lending process.
This means the lender must provide free online learning materials to help homebuyers understand the lender’s offered products, basic loan qualification requirements and high-level rates information.
Lenders must offer mortgages in at least 35 states across the U.S. to be considered a best lender pick. This allows a wider range of users to potentially choose the lender for their home loan, improving accessibility when customers need to contact the lender or get a rate quote.
For lenders to qualify for consideration as a best lender pick, they must have at least a four-star lender review rating from LendingTree experts. This rating indicates that the lender meets most, if not all, of the five criteria considered when assigning ratings. Here is the LendingTree star rating system for this year:
- Publishes rates online (+1 star)
- Offers standard mortgage products (+1 star)
- Includes detailed product info online (+1 star)
- Shares resources about mortgage lending (+1 star)
- Provides an online application (+1 star)