Mortgage lenders with the best rates this week, January 5, 2026

Core Insights - The top five mortgage lenders have seen little change in rates, remaining mostly in the sub-6% range, with any modifications being incrementally higher [1] - Navy Federal leads the survey with an offered interest rate of 5.5% and an APR of 5.614%, unchanged from the previous week [3][4] - A significant difference of 1.185 percentage points exists between the top lender, Navy Federal, and the lowest-ranked lender, Third Federal [4] Mortgage Rates Overview - The best mortgage rates for 30-year fixed-rate conventional loans were surveyed, with Navy Federal offering the lowest rate [2][3] - Other major lenders like Wells Fargo, Bank of America, PNC, Flagstar Bank, Rocket Mortgage, and Third Federal did not make the top 10 based on APR [3] Importance of APR - The APR is emphasized as the most important measure of annual borrowing costs, as it includes both the interest rate and lender fees [8] - Borrowers are advised to focus on APR rather than just the offered interest rate, which lenders often highlight [8] Shopping for Mortgage Rates - Shopping around for mortgage rates can save borrowers an average of $44,000 over the life of a 30-year loan [7] - It is recommended to obtain quotes from multiple lenders with zero discount points for accurate comparisons [13] Discount Points and Special Offers - Discount points can lower the offered interest rate but are optional and represent prepaid interest [9][10] - Lenders are increasingly offering special discounts on interest rates and fees, with examples like Citi Mortgage providing $500 off closing costs [11]