Best Home Equity Loan and HELOC Lenders (April 2026): Honest Roundup
Ten lenders reviewed with honest tradeoffs: the Figure origination fee gotcha, the Aven HELOC-Visa gimmick, and why Bethpage is genuinely no-cost.
Last verified: April 2026
Disclosure: We may receive referral fees from some lenders on this page via Impact Radius. Our ranking and commentary are independent. We include lenders with honest tradeoffs even when those tradeoffs reduce affiliate revenue. Rates and fees verified April 2026 from lender disclosures; verify directly before applying.
1. Figure
HELOC6.25%
starting APR
Origination
4.99% on first draw
Closing Costs
None beyond origination
LTV Cap
85%
Min Score
640
Loan Range
$15k-$400k
Annual Fee
$0
Close Time
5 days
Best For
Speed, digital-first borrowers, primary residence
Pros
- ✓Fastest digital close in market (5 days)
- ✓Competitive starting APR
- ✓Full online process, no branch needed
Cons
- ✗4.99% origination fee is significant on large first draws
- ✗Origination kills the math on small-draw use cases
2. Aven
HELOC (Visa card)6.99%
starting APR
Origination
4.9% first draw
Closing Costs
None beyond first-draw fee
LTV Cap
85%
Min Score
640
Loan Range
$5k-$250k
Annual Fee
$0
Close Time
3-5 days
Best For
Flexibility, smaller amounts, borrowers comfortable with card-based draws
Pros
- ✓Lowest Rate Guarantee (beats competitors by $250)
- ✓Visa card interface = very flexible draw method
- ✓Fast digital close
Cons
- ✗HELOC-as-credit-card can encourage overspending
- ✗4.9% first-draw fee
- ✗Unusual product structure
3. SoFi
HEL + HELOC~7.25%
starting APR
Origination
None
Closing Costs
No lender fees
LTV Cap
90%
Min Score
680
Loan Range
Up to $500k
Annual Fee
$0
Close Time
2-6 weeks
Best For
High-LTV borrowers, existing SoFi members, up to $500k needs
Pros
- ✓Highest LTV in roundup (90% CLTV)
- ✓No lender fees (significant savings)
- ✓Both HEL and HELOC available
Cons
- ✗Rate not the lowest
- ✗Longer close time than digital specialists
4. Rocket Mortgage
HEL~7.50%
starting APR
Origination
Varies
Closing Costs
Standard
LTV Cap
85%
Min Score
680
Loan Range
Up to $500k
Annual Fee
$0
Close Time
2-4 weeks
Best For
Larger HELs ($75k+), borrowers who value brand comfort
Pros
- ✓Strong brand trust
- ✓Large loan amounts available
- ✓Well-known digital application process
Cons
- ✗No HELOC in most states
- ✗Rate not the lowest in class
5. Discover
HEL~7.99%
starting APR
Origination
None
Closing Costs
None
LTV Cap
89%
Min Score
620
Loan Range
$35k-$300k
Annual Fee
$0
Close Time
4-6 weeks
Best For
No-closing-cost HEL, fair-credit borrowers, simplicity seekers
Pros
- ✓Genuinely no closing costs on HEL (not a trick)
- ✓Lower minimum credit score (620)
- ✓No HELOC product means simpler decision
Cons
- ✗No HELOC product
- ✗Rate higher than some competitors
- ✗Longer close time
6. Bethpage / FourLeaf
HELOC5.99% intro (12 months)
starting APR
Origination
None
Closing Costs
None on lines up to $500k
LTV Cap
80%
Min Score
660
Loan Range
$10k-$1M
Annual Fee
$0
Close Time
3-6 weeks
Best For
No-cost HELOC, large lines, rate-conscious borrowers in the intro period
Pros
- ✓Genuinely no closing costs (not a fee swap)
- ✓Competitive intro rate
- ✓Large lines available
Cons
- ✗Membership required ($5 deposit)
- ✗Rate resets to prime + margin after 12-month intro
- ✗LTV cap lower than some (80%)
7. PenFed
HELOC~7.50%
starting APR
Origination
None
Closing Costs
Varies
LTV Cap
85%
Min Score
700
Loan Range
$25k-$1M
Annual Fee
$99
Close Time
3-6 weeks
Best For
Large lines, military/federal employees, borrowers who want a 20-year repayment
Pros
- ✓Very large lines available (up to $1M)
- ✓Military and government employee discounts
- ✓Long repayment period (20 years)
Cons
- ✗$99 annual fee even on undrawn lines
- ✗Membership required
- ✗Higher credit score minimum
8. Third Federal
HELOC~7.25%
starting APR
Origination
None
Closing Costs
None
LTV Cap
80%
Min Score
680
Loan Range
$10k-$200k
Annual Fee
$0
Close Time
4-8 weeks
Best For
Rate shoppers in served states, no-fee priority
Pros
- ✓Rate-match guarantee (beats any verified lower rate)
- ✓No fees at all
- ✓Straightforward product
Cons
- ✗Limited geography (OH, FL, CA, NC, VA, PA)
- ✗Lower loan cap ($200k)
- ✗Longer close time
9. Bank of America
HELOC~7.99%
starting APR
Origination
None
Closing Costs
None
LTV Cap
85%
Min Score
720
Loan Range
$25k-$1M
Annual Fee
$0
Close Time
4-8 weeks
Best For
Existing Bank of America Preferred Rewards customers
Pros
- ✓Preferred Rewards discount (0.25-0.375% rate reduction for depositors)
- ✓Fixed-rate conversion option
- ✓No annual fee
Cons
- ✗Higher rate without relationship discount
- ✗Higher minimum score (720)
- ✗Relationship benefit only for existing BofA customers
10. Lower
HELOC~7.50%
starting APR
Origination
Charged
Closing Costs
Standard
LTV Cap
85%
Min Score
680
Loan Range
$25k-$350k
Annual Fee
$0
Close Time
2-4 weeks
Best For
Digital close with fixed-rate conversion option
Pros
- ✓Digital close with faster timeline
- ✓Fixed-rate conversion option
- ✓Responsive application process
Cons
- ✗Origination fee applies
- ✗Rate not the lowest
- ✗Smaller lender with less track record
Quick Filter: Best For Each Need
| Need | Top Picks |
|---|---|
| Lowest upfront cost | Bethpage, Discover, Bank of America |
| Fastest close (under 1 week) | Aven, Figure |
| Largest loan ($300k+) | SoFi, PenFed, Rocket, BofA |
| Lowest credit score (620-639) | Discover (620), SoFi, Figure/Aven (640) |
| Best fixed HEL (not HELOC) | SoFi, Discover, Rocket |
| Best HELOC overall | Bethpage (no cost), Third Federal (rate match) |
| Relationship discount | Bank of America (Preferred Rewards) |
| Rate-match guarantee | Third Federal |
Red Flags to Avoid
- !Lenders requiring upfront payment before closing (outside appraisal fee)
- !Rate quotes of 'as low as X%' without stating the qualifying criteria
- !Lenders refusing to provide fee disclosures in writing before you apply
- !Same-day pressure to sign -- legitimate lenders do not pressure decisions