Mortgages
Best Mortgage Lenders for Refinancing
A refinance only makes sense when the math clears the closing costs. These are the lenders we rank highest for cutting your rate, your term, or pulling cash out without fee surprises.
Top matches
Rocket Mortgage
- ✓ONE+ lets eligible buyers put 1% down, with Rocket adding a 2% grant and no PMI
- ✓FHA loans with 3.5% down
- ✓Named best for first-time home buyers by NerdWallet for September 2026
- ✗ONE+ requires income at or below 80% of county median and a 620 FICO
Mortgage
- ✓Ranked the number one FHA lender by 2025 loan volume
- ✓DTI flexibility up to 50% for some applicants
- ✓Named best for FHA loans by NerdWallet for September 2026
CrossCountry Mortgage
- ✓Average time to close of 21 days, faster than most peers
- ✓620 minimum credit score, with some borrowers qualifying as low as 500
- ✓Down payment assistance through CCM Smart Start, up to $5,250 for income-qualified first-time buyers
- ✗Does not post rates online
Mortgage
- ✓Fully digital application, with a 620 minimum credit score on conventional and VA loans
- ✓Up to $10,000 in closing cost credit when you buy with a Better Real Estate partner agent
- ✓Named best for home equity loans by NerdWallet for September 2026
- ✗Advertises upfront pricing rather than a blanket no-fee promise; home equity products carry an origination fee up to $995
Mortgage
- ✓Closing cost credit of 0.25% of the loan amount, up to $750, for existing customers who set up autopay from a U.S. Bank checking account
- ✓Wide range of loan products; named best for manufactured home loans by NerdWallet for September 2026
- ✓Branch and online support
How we ranked these: We ranked every refinance-tagged lender in our database by our overall methodology score, which weighs rates and fees, process speed, and flexibility.
Last updated June 2026
Questions, answered
When is refinancing worth it?
The classic rule is a rate drop of at least half to three quarters of a point. The real test is the break-even: divide total closing costs by your monthly savings. If you will stay in the home longer than that number of months, the refinance pays for itself.
What does a refinance cost?
Typically 2% to 5% of the loan amount in closing costs. Flat-fee lenders can come in well under that. No-closing-cost refinances exist, but they bury the cost in a higher rate. That can still be the right call if you will not keep the loan long.
What is a cash-out refinance and when does it make sense?
You replace your mortgage with a larger one and take the difference in cash, usually up to 80% of the home's value. Among the cheapest ways to borrow large amounts, but it turns home equity into debt secured by your house. Use it for a real purpose like a renovation or paying off high-rate debt, not vacations.