Enjoy a low intro rate for the first six months, but watch out for potential annual fees.
This nationwide credit union offers home equity lines of credit from $25,000 up to $1 million with generally low APRs. They also help cover the majority of your closing costs, but watch out for fees and early closing penalties.
0.99% intro rate for six months, then 3.75% to 8%; up to 18% for fixed-rate
Repayment terms
Draw: 10 years Repayment: 20 years
Loan limits
$25,000 to $1 million
State availability
Available in all states
Our take on PenFed’s HELOC
PenFed requires a membership to use its products — but requirements are loose and its HELOC could be worth the extra step.
The PenFed HELOC offers competitive interest rates and a wide range of borrowing limits reaching up to $1 million. This sets up a nice product for customers looking to borrow a lot of money. But if you want to avoid added costs, an appraisal fee and the potential for annual fees, you may want to look into other options.
PenFed HELOC pros and cons
Pros
Competitive APR range. Doesn’t exceed 18% if you switch to a fixed-rate option.
Fixed-rate option. Lock in up to three separate fixed-rate advances at any one time (minimum of $10,000 each and no more than two per calendar year).
Help with closing costs. PenFed covers the majority of HELOC-related closing costs.
Wide borrowing limits. Depending on your eligibility, borrow from $25,000 all the way up to $1 million.
Nationwide coverage. PenFed offers loan and home equity products in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Cons
Early closure penalty. You’re on the hook for reimbursing PenFed the closing costs if you close your HELOC within 36 months.
Potential annual fee. Pay a $99 annual fee unless you’ve paid $99 in interest in the past 12 months.
No online application. Call or visit a branch to discuss your loan or home equity options.
Higher credit requirement. A 660 minimum credit score is higher than what you’d typically see from other HELOCs.
Apply to find out eligibility requirements
Other than stating you may need a minimum credit score of 660, PenFed doesn’t list its eligibility requirements. This is a common practice for many banks and credit unions. Note that you have to be a member of PenFed to apply for any of its products.
The site also mentions having a favorable debt-to-income ratio (DTI) and a combined loan-to-value ratio (CLTV) of 90% or below on owner-occupied properties, or 80% in Texas.
PenFed members receive a variety of benefits and discounts, including:
Auto insurance and rental car discounts
Tax service discounts
Home insurance and alarm security discounts
Online education discounts
Dental benefits
Fees are slightly higher than some competitors
PenFed covers the majority of closing costs, but you could be on the hook for a $99 annual fee if you haven’t already paid that amount in interest in the past 12 months. And if you pay off your HELOC within 36 months, you’re required to reimburse PenFed for the full amount of the closing costs.
PenFed charges these fees for its HELOC:
Returned check: $30
Over credit limit (per month): $20
Lien release processing: $20
Late charge: 5% of the past due amount, minimum $20
PenFed reviews are mixed
BBB rating
A+
Trustpilot rating
Excellent
Customer reviews verified as of
05 May 2022
And that’s standard for a large credit union.
PenFed isn’t accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), but it has an A+ BBB rating. The BBB recorded 455 closed customer complaints in the past three years and customers rate PenFed with 1.18 out of 5 stars — though not all reviews are referencing home equity products.
Over at TrustPilot, PenFed has a 4.6 out of 5 “excellent” rating with over 800 reviews. Customers are generally happy with the services provided, though some relate hit or miss customer service experiences.
How to get a HELOC with PenFed
PenFed doesn’t offer an online application for its HELOC. But you’re able to start the application process by submitting a call-back request online with some of your personal information. PenFed will then call you to discuss the process and requirements.
Reach PenFed at 800-970-7766 if you’d rather skip straight to the phone call. Availability is weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
Required documents
Have these documents and information ready when applying for a PenFed HELOC:
Proof of income, such as paystubs
One year of W2s
Two months of your most recent bank account statements
Mortgage statements for all owned properties
Two years of tax returns for self-employment income
Your current debts, including car payments, credit cards and alimony
Your debt-to-income ratio
Other home loans from PenFed
PenFed also offers these additional loan options:
Conventional
FHA
Jumbo
Refinance
VA
Alternative to PenFed HELOC
Finder's pick for fast HELOC funding
Speedy prequalification, minimal fees and a wide range of terms with this HELOC lender.
Compare interest rates for home equity loans, HELOCs and cash-out refinancing
Use our tool to get personalized estimated rates from top lenders based on your location and financial details. Select whether you’re looking for a Home Equity Loan, HELOC or Cash-Out Refinance.
If you selected a home equity loan or HELOC, enter your ZIP code, credit score and information about your current home to see your personalized rates.
In the Cash-Out Refinance tab, select Refinance and enter your ZIP code, credit score and other property details to see what you might qualify for.
PenFed Credit Union is not currently available on Finder
Have you considered Figure?
Speedy prequalification, minimal fees and a wide range of loans and terms with this HELOC lender.
Heather Petty is a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in home and personal loans. After falling victim to a disreputable mortgage broker when buying her first home, she’s on a mission to help readers avoid similar experiences when managing their own finances. A self-proclaimed word nerd, her writing and analysis has been featured on MSN, Credit.com and MediaFeed, among other top media. Heather previously worked as a technical writer and editor for the casino systems industry and is an internationally published young adult mystery author. She earned a BA in English with a minor in journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Advertiser Disclosure
finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which finder.com receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.