Our Methodology

How we score

Every lender, bank, and provider on CompareBankLoans is scored against a fixed rubric. Scores aren't opinion — they're weighted aggregations of observable, comparable data points: APR ranges, fee transparency, funding speed, product breadth, customer-experience signals, and regulatory standing.

Rate competitiveness (30%)

We weight rate competitiveness highest. For each lender we record the disclosed APR range, normalize for credit-tier eligibility, and compare against the field median. Lenders within the lowest-25th percentile in their category earn full marks; the rest scale linearly to median.

Fee transparency (20%)

Whether the lender publishes origination, prepayment, late, and other fees clearly — and matches them in the actual loan estimate. Penalty for surprise fees or non-disclosure during pre-qualification.

Funding speed (15%)

Median days from accepted offer to funded loan. For mortgages, days to close. For HELOCs, days to first available draw. Time to fund disclosed in the lender's own marketing is verified against documented borrower experiences.

Approval flexibility (15%)

Range of credit profiles served. Lenders that serve only 720+ borrowers score differently than ones that work across the credit spectrum. Both are valid positioning — but we surface the floor so borrowers can self-select.

Customer experience (10%)

Customer-service availability (hours, channels), online application experience, clarity of disclosures, and self-service tooling. Verified borrower reviews from independent sources factor in.

Regulatory standing (10%)

NMLS licensing, BBB rating, CFPB complaint history. Major enforcement actions or unresolved CFPB complaints disqualify a lender from any "Best of" list, regardless of other criteria.

How often this updates

Quarterly. APR ranges are refreshed monthly from lender disclosures. The underlying weighting hasn't changed since launch and changes only with explicit editorial approval and version-controlled documentation.