The 7% mortgage owns the lowest-rate lender leaderboard. The tax assistant weekly survey ranks lenders by the lowest annual percentage rate (APR), which includes lender fees. Read on to see the 10 lenders with the lowest rates this week.

Mortgage lenders with the best rates: September 28, 2026

Here are the 10 mortgage lenders with the best interest rates this week, as determined by our survey of the lowest mortgage rates on 30-year, fixed-rate conventional loans. The following numbers are each lender’s annual percentage rate (APR).

1. Navy Federal Credit Union: 7.062%
2. PenFed Credit Union: 7.066%
3. Citi Mortgage: 7.103%
4. Better: 7.133%
5. Truist: 7.182%
6. Chase Home Lending: 7.189%
7. Wells Fargo: 7.516%
8. Fifth Third Bank: 7.517%
9. Rate: 7.534%
10.  PNC Bank: 7.559%

Higher fees don’t mean lower rates

Mortgage lenders have repriced to the 7% mark with the bond market pressing rates to move even higher.

Of the 16 national lenders surveyed on September 28, Citizens Bank, Bank of America, and Rocket Mortgage did not rank among the top 10 lenders sorted by annual percentage rates. Flagstar Bank, Third Federal, and U.S. Bank once again failed to report new rates at the time of our survey.

Which brings up a good point: Lenders unwilling to show current rates may be enticing potential borrowers with outdated data. Be sure you check the fine print to see if an appealing mortgage rate is actually from months ago.

An APR difference of 0.616 percentage point separated the top lender, Navy Federal, from the bottom-ranked Rocket Mortgage. That’s further proof that shopping multiple lenders can lead to significant savings. (However, Navy Federal Credit Union only accepts members with a military connection.)

Important note: Sample mortgage rates use generic data

These are sample mortgage rates found on lender websites and are based on generic assumptions. Lenders advertise 30-year mortgage rates based on varying credit scores, down payments, and other credit qualifications. Even where you live affects your mortgage rate.

Your rate will be based on your particular credit profile.

If a mortgage lender required additional borrower information to provide a sample rate, we supplied a median home value and credit score, with a 20% down payment based on a home located in the Midwest.

How to shop for mortgage rates

The key to securing the lowest mortgage rate is shopping around, which could save borrowers up to an average of $44,000 over the life of a 30-year loan, according to a Realtor.com analysis.

Focus on the APR

We’re also looking for details that you will want to consider. Often, borrowers focus on the offered interest rate, as that’s what lenders typically highlight. However, the mortgage annual percentage rate, or APR, is the most important number. 

APR includes both the interest rate and lender fees (for example, the mortgage origination fee), so it is the most accurate measure of your annual borrowing costs.

Discount points are an option

Lenders often include mortgage discount points to lower the interest rate they offer. That’s where things can get confusing. 

First off, discount points are prepaid interest — an up-front fee paid at closing that reduces your interest rate. Although lenders often include discount points in their advertised rates online, buying points is optional. 

Each point represents 1% of your loan amount and generally lowers your interest rate by about 0.25%. For example, one point on a $400,000 mortgage would cost $4,000 and reduce a 6.75% home loan to 6.50%. 

Just remember: no matter what the lender puts in an advertised rate or a loan offer, when you get a Loan Estimate and see discount points under the lender fees section, you can say “no” and have them removed. But your rate will be higher.

How mortgage rates are determined

Simplify your mortgage rate shopping process

If possible, when shopping with three or more lenders, have each of them provide a quote for a mortgage rate with zero discount points. Then, focus on the APR for an accurate side-by-side comparison of rates and fees.

How we determined the mortgage lenders with the lowest rates

See the table below to understand the tax assistant methodology for determining which mortgage lenders have the best rates this week. Remember, we are sorting by APR, which includes both the interest rates and mortgage lender fees, including points.

Mortgage lenders ranked by APR: September 28, 2026

Rank	Lender	Advertised 30-yearfixed rate	APR	Points/notes
1	Navy Federal	6.875%	7.062%	0.875 point
2	PenFed Credit Union	6.875%	7.066%	1.125 points and 1% origination fee
3	Citi Mortgage	7.0%	7.103%	0.625 point
4	Better Mortgage	6.875%	7.133%	2.15 points
5	Truist Bank	6.990%	7.182%	0.774 point
6	Chase Home Loans	6.990%	7.189%	1.980 points
7	Wells Fargo	7.375%	7.516%	0.750 point
8	Fifth Third Bank	7.375%	7.517%	0.125 point
9	Rate	7.150%	7.534%	1.111 points
10	PNC Bank	7.375%	7.559%	0.898 point
11	Citizens Bank	7.500%	7.594%	0.375 point
12	Bank of America	7.500%	7.653%	0.655 point
13	Rocket Mortgage	7.375%	7.678%	1.875 points
14	Flagstar Bank	N/A	N/A	N/A
15	Third Federal	N/A	N/A	N/A
16	U.S. Bank	N/A	N/A	N/A

Some advertised rates required no additional information. When asked for details, we used the U.S median home sales price of $410,800, a 20% down payment ($82,200; $328,600 loan), the current median FICO credit score of 715, and the ZIP code for Indianapolis, IN (46077)