Safe Rate Rankings

Best Bank Mortgage Lenders in Birmingham

Updated June 4, 2026

Rankings are a starting point, not a verdict. Safe Rate recommends speaking with 2-3 lenders to find the right fit for your home loan!

⚖️ The 4 PsRankings are calculated based on observed lender differences on closed loans across Pricing, Pull-through, Product, and Place.

🛡️ No Pay to PlayLenders cannot buy their way to the top. Rankings are 100% earned.

📊 HMDA 2024Built using publicly available originated loan data from the federal government.

🎯 Peer BenchmarkedPerformance is normalized and benchmarked against peer institutions.

Market

Total Lenders134

Total Loans13,445

Median Rate Spread0.34%

Birmingham Market Insights

Trustmark National Bank is Safe Rate's top-ranked bank in Birmingham, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Birmingham, Synovus Bank and Servisfirst Bank scores highest on pricing while Trustmark National Bank and Servisfirst Bank leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Birmingham

By Loan Product

FHA Loans Conventional Loans VA Loans Jumbo Loans USDA Loans

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Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	Trustmark National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	$1,431Fees	0.216%Above	335
2	FirstBank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,176Fees	0.254%Above	346
3	SouthState Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$2,208Fees	0.203%Above	394
4	Cadence Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$2,224Fees	0.160%Above	339
5	SouthPoint Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$2,393Fees	0.206%Above	289
6	ServisFirst Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	$1,703Fees	0.122%Above	84
7	Renasant Bank BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,786Fees	0.264%Above	295
8	First Federal Bank, A FSB BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,407Fees	0.048%Above	187
9	Regions Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$1,692Fees	0.314%Above	708
10	Synovus Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$2,077Fees	0.235%Above	174
11	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,424Fees	0.075%Above	61
12	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$2,137Fees	0.072%Above	126
13	Ameris Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	$2,061Fees	0.153%Above	107
14	PNC Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$58Credit	0.136%Above	52
15	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,519Fees	0.091%Above	94
16	First Horizon Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,871Fees	0.132%Above	84
17	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$2,347Fees	0.243%Above	68
18	Plains Commerce Bank BankWholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$1,992Fees	0.362%Above	67
19	USAA Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$2,187Fees	0.099%Below	53
20	Bank of England BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,865Fees	0.350%Above	51
21	River Bank & Trust BankDirect	Acceptable	Mediocre	Sound	Strong	$2,880Fees	0.659%Above	32
22	The Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Acceptable	Mediocre	Sound	Sound	$2,349Fees	0.530%Above	29
23	First National Bank of America BankWholesale	Acceptable	Mediocre*	Sound	Strong	—	—	50

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Birmingham, AL?+

Safe Rate ranks lenders using the 4 Ps framework, derived entirely from HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) data: Pricing (how competitively a lender prices loans vs. the market benchmark), Pullthrough (how effectively a lender closes applications), Place (the lender's depth of expertise in Birmingham, AL), and Product (performance on specific loan types). Each lender receives a composite Safe Rate Score from 0–100. No lender pays to appear in the rankings.

What is the Safe Rate Score?+

The Safe Rate Score is a 0–100 composite index measuring a lender's performance across Pricing, Pullthrough, Place, and Product. Scores of 80 or above earn Champion status; scores of 60–79 earn Superstar status. All scores are calculated from verified HMDA data — no lender can pay to improve their position.

How many mortgage lenders are active in Birmingham, AL?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 134 lenders originated a combined 13,445 loans in Birmingham, AL. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Birmingham, AL?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Birmingham, AL is 0.34%. Lenders in Safe Rate's top rankings consistently price below this median, meaning borrowers typically pay less interest over the life of their loan.

What is HMDA data and why does Safe Rate use it?+

HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) is a federal law requiring every mortgage lender to disclose every loan application annually — including rates, amounts, approvals, and denials. Safe Rate uses HMDA because it is government-verified, covers all lenders equally, and cannot be gamed. It is the most objective foundation available for lender rankings.

Does Safe Rate accept payment from lenders to appear in rankings?+

No. Safe Rate rankings are strictly data-driven. No lender can pay to appear in or improve their position in Safe Rate's rankings. The only factor that determines a lender's rank is their verified HMDA performance data.

What is the difference between a bank, credit union, and independent mortgage company?+

Banks and credit unions offer mortgages alongside checking, savings, and other products. Independent Mortgage Companies (IMCs) focus exclusively on originating loans and often offer more product variety and speed. In Birmingham, AL's rankings, all three institution types are evaluated on the same HMDA performance metrics.

How We Rank Lenders

Our rankings use a weighted average of scores across equally-weighted categories to evaluate lenders on a linear, raw performance scale.

Our Point System (Max 30 Points)

Pricing

Rate and fee competitiveness (33%)

Pull Through

Reliability in closing loans (33%)

Place

Local market expertise (33%)

Data Integrity & Updates

Data is updated quarterly based on the latest HMDA filings and proprietary SafeRate analysis. All metrics are calculated using standardized methodologies to ensure fair comparison across lenders.

⚖️ Licensing & Disclosures

Lender rankings and market statistics are created by Dylan Hall, licensed mortgage loan officer (NMLS #1658740). Safe Rate is a mortgage technology platform; mortgage lending services are provided by PartnerOwn LLC dba Safe Rate Mortgage, a licensed mortgage broker and lender (NMLS #1590949). Safe Rate Mortgage is a lending partner of some of the lenders ranked on this page, and Safe Rate Inc. has software or service customers on this list; however, all rankings are calculated using objective, public Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) datasets, completely independent of any corporate partnerships, client relationships, or compensation.