Shop for deals as rates rise: Mortgage lenders with the best rates this week, Dec. 15-21, 2025

Core Insights - The top three mortgage lenders with the lowest rates are Navy Federal Credit Union, Citi Mortgage, and PenFed Credit Union, as per a survey by Yahoo Finance [1][3] - Mortgage rates have slightly increased despite a recent Federal Reserve rate cut, with the top five lenders including major banks and credit unions [3] - A significant difference of 0.91 percentage points in APR exists between the top lender, Navy Federal, and the bottom lender, Third Federal, highlighting the importance of comparing rates [4] Mortgage Rate Trends - The mortgage lenders with the best rates for the week of December 15-21, 2025, are ranked based on their annual percentage rates (APR) for 30-year fixed-rate conventional loans [2] - The survey indicates that Better and Truist are competing for the fifth position among lenders, with Better leading this week [3] Shopping for Mortgage Rates - Borrowers can save up to $44,000 over the life of a 30-year loan by shopping around for mortgage rates [7] - The APR is emphasized as the most important figure for borrowers, as it includes both the interest rate and lender fees, providing a clearer picture of borrowing costs [8] Discount Points - Lenders may offer mortgage discount points to lower interest rates, which are prepaid fees that can reduce the rate by approximately 0.25% per point [10][11] - Borrowers have the option to decline discount points, which will result in a higher interest rate [11] Methodology - The methodology for determining the lowest mortgage rates involves sorting lenders by APR, which accounts for both interest rates and lender fees, including points [13]