Mortgage lenders go head-to-head: See who has the best rates this week, Dec. 8-14, 2025

Core Insights - The top three mortgage lenders with the best rates are Navy Federal Credit Union, Citi Mortgage, and PenFed Credit Union, with slight changes in ranking this week [1] - The consistency in the rankings of mortgage lenders indicates a stable market, with major players like Citi and Chase remaining in the top five alongside credit unions [3] - A significant difference of 1.185 percentage points in APR exists between the top lender and the bottom, highlighting the importance of comparing rates among multiple lenders [4] Mortgage Lender Rankings - The top ten mortgage lenders as of December 8, 2025, include Navy Federal, Citi, PenFed, and Truist, with Citizens Bank making a notable rise into the top ten [2][4] - Wells Fargo, Flagstar Bank, Fifth Third Bank, PNC, Rocket Mortgage, and Third Federal did not make the top ten based on APR [4] Shopping for Mortgage Rates - Borrowers can save up to $44,000 over the life of a 30-year loan by shopping around for the best mortgage rates [7] - Promotional rates are becoming more common, with lenders like Chase Home Lending offering limited-time rate reductions [8] Importance of APR - The APR is a crucial metric as it encompasses both the interest rate and lender fees, providing a more accurate measure of borrowing costs [10] - Borrowers are advised to focus on APR rather than just the interest rate when comparing mortgage offers [10] Discount Points - Lenders may offer discount points to lower interest rates, which are prepaid interest fees that can reduce the overall rate [11][12] - Each point typically costs 1% of the loan amount and can lower the interest rate by approximately 0.25% [12] Simplifying the Process - When comparing rates, borrowers should request quotes with zero discount points from multiple lenders to facilitate an accurate comparison of APRs [13]