Best Home Equity Loans & Today’s Best Rates (2026)

American homeowners are sitting on substantial equity, with the average mortgage-holding homeowner holding approximately $299,000 as of Q3 2025, according to Cotality. And with home equity loan rates falling to their lowest levels since 2023, now may be an ideal time to tap into that wealth. Lenders are competing aggressively for borrowers, offering competitive rates often without closing costs or origination fees.

With so many lenders competing for your business, borrowers are in an ideal position to find a competitive fixed rate on a home equity loan — and in many cases, you may not have to pay closing costs or origination fees.

Compare today’s home equity loan rates

Use our tool to get personalized estimated rates from top lenders based on your location and financial details. Select Home Equity Loan, enter your ZIP code, credit score and information about your current home to see your personalized rates.

Best home equity loans

• Best for military members: Veterans United
• Best for comparing multiple lenders: LendingTree
• Best for low rates: Regions Bank
• Best for flexible lending requirements: U.S. Bank
• Best for faster funding: Spring EQ

Max LTV	APR range	Min. Credit Score	Annual Fee
Best for military members
Veterans United	Up to 90% of home equity	Determined by U.S. Bank (see U.S. Bank section above for current rates)	660	N/A	See ratesView details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Veterans United Home Loans is the nation's largest VA purchase lender, specializing exclusively in serving active-duty service members, veterans and surviving spouses. While Veterans United doesn't directly originate home equity loans or HELOCs, it connects customers to U.S. Bank for these products and directly offers VA Cash-Out Refinance loans. We chose Veterans United for military members because if you already work with them for a VA loan, they'll seamlessly connect you to U.S. Bank for home equity needs while providing the personalized, military-focused guidance they're known for. They'll help determine whether a home equity loan, HELOC or VA Cash-Out Refinance is best for your situation. Pros & cons Pros #1 VA lender with 24/7 customer service for military members Seamless connection to U.S. Bank for home equity products Directly offers VA Cash-Out Refinance (up to 90% of home equity) Free credit counseling through Lighthouse Program Cons Does not directly originate home equity loans or HELOCs Must work through U.S. Bank partnership for traditional home equity products Rates and terms determined by U.S. Bank, not Veterans United
Best for comparing multiple lenders
LendingTree	80%	Starting at 6.49%	620	Varies by lender	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it LendingTree is an online loan marketplace that partners with a range of home loan lenders across the US. Fill out the application, and if you qualify, LendingTree matches you with lenders willing to work with your credit score and loan preferences. We chose LendingTree for its network of over 300 lenders, ensuring you'll get a variety of offers suited to your financing needs. LendingTree claims you may get a lower rate since lenders are competing for your business. But with your information out to such a wide pool, you may receive a large number of emails and phone calls, even after you've made your selection. Pros & cons Pros Receive multiple offers with a single application May get a lower rate due to lender competition Alerts you on better deals Access to over 300 lenders nationwide No fees to use the marketplace Cons May get a high volume of calls, emails and spam No guarantee you're getting the lowest rate Shares your personal information with partners Must provide contact details to see specific rates
Best for low rates
Regions Bank	89%	Home equity loans: 6.75% to 13.00% HELOC: 3.99% intro for 6 months, then 7.50% to 14.375% variable	640	N/A	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it We chose this Midwest- and Southeast-based lender because it doesn't charge closing costs on its home equity loans and offers competitive fixed rates starting as low as 6.75% APR, lower than what many other lenders are currently charging. With Regions, you can borrow between $10,000 and $250,000 for 10, 15 and 20 years with no prepayment penalty. The bank also offers a unique "Loan-in-a-Line" feature for HELOC borrowers, allowing you to convert portions of your variable-rate HELOC to fixed rates up to 10 times. Pros & cons Pros 0.25% autopay discount and relationship rate discounts available No closing costs or origination fees Offers both home equity loans and HELOCs Cons Only available in 15 states Maximum borrowing limit is $250,000 for home equity loans Must close at a branch location
Best for flexible lending requirements
U.S. Bank	80	As low as 7.15% (varies by location and credit profile)	660	$75	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it We chose U.S. Bank because it considers the borrower's full credit history rather than their FICO score only when underwriting loans. It offers higher borrowing amounts than many lenders — up to $750,000 in most states ($1 million in California) — and provides both home equity loans and HELOCs with no closing costs. U.S. Bank's greater flexibility in lending requirements could be helpful if you're rebuilding your credit, and it offers rate discounts for customers who set up autopay from a U.S. Bank checking or savings account. Pros & cons Pros High borrowing limits (up to $750,000, $1 million in CA) No closing costs on home equity loans or HELOCs 0.50% rate discount for autopay from U.S. Bank account Option to convert HELOC balance to fixed rate Available in most states (48 states) Cons Early closure fee (up to $500) if you close HELOC within 30 months $75 annual HELOC fee (waived for Platinum Checking Package customers) 80% maximum LTV (lower than some competitors) Not available in Delaware, South Carolina, or Texas
Best for faster funding
Spring EQ	90%	Not stated online	640	N/A	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it If you're looking for a lender that has technology to make it easier and faster to get a home equity loan, Spring EQ gets high marks from customers for its reduced paperwork application process. The lender offers home equity loans up to $500,000 and lends to eligible borrowers at a combined LTV of up to 90% — higher than many other lenders — with repayment terms ranging from 10 to 30 years. Pros & cons Pros Get prequalified online with no hard credit check Digital application process may speed up loan processing High LTV ratio up to 90% Buy points to lower your rate Term lengths from 10 or 30 years Cons Rates aren't the most competitive Online payments may not be available in all cases Not available in Alaska or New York Fees can vary and aren't fully disclosed up front

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Methodology: How we choose the best home equity loan lenders

Finder’s lending experts analyze more than 25 home equity loan lenders to choose and update our top picks.

We weigh each lender across 10 key metrics:

• Origination fees
• Loan amounts For more, see our guide on home equity loan payment calculator. For more, see our guide on home equity loan tax deductible.
• Credit limits
• Minimum and maximum APR
• Discounts
• Closing costs
• Customer reviews
• Requirements
• Turnaround
• Regional footprint

We regularly update our best picks as home equity products change, disappear or emerge in the market and to reflect the most competitive products available.

How to get the best home equity rate

Your FICO score largely determines your interest rate, term length and the amount you can borrow.

Here are four tips for getting the best rate on your home equity loan:

1. Increase your credit score. The best home equity loan rates are available for borrowers with FICO scores of 740 and up and debt-to-income ratios of under 43%. The higher your credit score and the lower your DTI, the better the rate you can potentially get.
2. Choose a shorter loan term. Some lenders offer more competitive rates on short-term loans of around seven to 10 years.
3. Choose a higher loan amount. You can often get a better rate if you borrow a larger amount, but this only makes sense if you need it or you can pay the loan off early without penalty. If you’d prefer a revolving credit line or varying amounts, a HELOC may be more suitable.
4. Compare multiple lenders. Every lender has different offerings, and simply comparing loans could mean significant savings. Remember to add any closing costs and origination fees to your calculation, as these affect your APR.

4 more factors to consider

When choosing a home equity loan, consider factors beyond just the advertised interest rate. Here are four things to keep in mind:

• APR. The APR is the annualized interest rate you pay once all costs and fees are factored into a loan. If your loan has closing costs or origination fees, this pushes the APR up.
• Prepayment penalties. Ask if the loan carries any prepayment penalties in case you want to pay it off early and save on interest.
• Term length. The longer the repayment term you choose, the lower your monthly payment will be, but the more interest you’ll pay over the life of the loan.
• Relationship discounts. You can often get 0.25% or 0.50% off your rate if you set up autopay on your loan or open a checking account, but this doesn’t guarantee you’re getting the lowest rate.

Is a home equity loan the best option?

A home equity loan isn’t the only way to tap into your home’s equity. Here are some more options for accessing cash:

• Home equity line of credit (HELOC). This is a revolving home equity line of credit with a variable interest rate that you draw from for 10 years, making interest-only payments, and repay over 20 years. Compare top HELOC lenders.
• Cash-out refinance. A cash-out refinance mortgage replaces your current mortgage with one for a greater amount, so you can “cash out” the difference. Learn more about how cash-out refis work.
• Personal loan. Personal loans typically offer borrowing amounts from $500 to $100,000 and have no collateral requirements, but interest rates will likely be higher than for a home equity loan. Compare some of the best personal loans.

Bottom line

The home equity loan market is competitive, so shop around and compare multiple lenders to get the best deal on rates, closing costs and fees. But because you’re taking on more debt with this type of product, understand the risks and benefits of home equity loans. To learn more, see our guide to home equity loans.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Megan B. Shepherd

Editor, Loans & Insurance

Megan B. Shepherd is a personal finance expert and editor for loans and insurance at Finder. Her personal finance expertise has been featured on Forbes, Nasdaq, MediaFeed, Fox News, Time, Reviews.com, and carinsurance.com, adding invaluable information related to personal loans, financial strategies and smart borrowing tactics. Megan graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a BS in Business Administration with an entrepreneurial focus. She's worked as a certified financial adviser and has earned certificates of completion from A.D. Banker & Company. See full bio

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