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Safe Rate Rankings

Best Conventional Mortgage Lenders in La Crosse

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 5 PsRankings are calculated from observed lender differences on closed loans across Pricing, Pull-through, Product, and Place, plus Promptness when a lender has answered real shopper quote requests.
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.
Total Lenders31
Total Loans1,279
Median Rate Spread0.34%
La Crosse Market Insights
  • Altra Federal Credit Union is Safe Rate's top-ranked Conventional lender in La Crosse, leading on pricing, pullthrough, Conventional product expertise, and local knowledge.
  • There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In La Crosse, Associated Bank National Association and Us Bank National Association scores highest on Conventional pricing while Rocket Mortgage and United Wholesale Mortgage leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
  • United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #7 in La Crosse, serving as the platform behind many independent local brokers who live and work in the community. A local broker knows the neighborhoods, the local market, and is personally invested in your outcome. Real estate agents often prefer referring local brokers for their accessibility and responsiveness, qualities that matter when a deal is moving fast. Pricing and experience can vary by broker.
  • Popular names in La Crosse: Rocket Mortgage (#9) and Altra Federal Credit Union (#1).

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in La Crosse

Need rankings for a different loan product?

Shopping for a mortgage? Hit Get Quote on any lender to add it to My Home and request real quotes.

1
AFCU
ALTRA Federal Credit Union
Credit UnionDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$559Fees
2
ABN
Associated Bank
BankDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$811Fees
3
MBN
Merchants Bank
BankDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$1,140Fees
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$1,893Fees
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$1,096Fees
6
S
Servion
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$467Fees
7
UWM
United Wholesale Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesaleResponds to quote requests promptly
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,298Fees
8
WOCU
Westby Co-op Credit Union
Credit UnionDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$604Fees
9
RM
Rocket Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & WholesaleHasn't responded yet
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,408Fees
10
AFN
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$1,972Fees
11
UHM
Union Home Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,225Fees
12
CM
CrossCountry Mortgage
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,931Fees
13
FIM
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$3,184Fees
14
FCM
First Colony Mortgage Corporation
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,839Fees
15
BB
Bell Bank
BankDirect
Overall
Strong
Avg Fees
$2,670Fees
16
DA
DAS Acquisition Company
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$2,588Fees
17
GB
Granite Bank
BankDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$2,624Fees
18
CREF
Consumer Real Estate Finance Co.
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
19
WF
WNB Financial
BankDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$1,953Fees
20
EF
Everett Financial
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$3,996Fees
21
OCU
CO-OP Credit Union
Credit UnionDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$595Fees
22
RB
Royal Bank
BankDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$1,733Fees
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$743Fees
24
MCU
Marine Credit Union
Credit UnionDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$1,618Fees
25
1CCU
1st Community Credit Union
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$456Fees
26
CFF
Compeer Financial, Flca
Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect
Overall
Sound
Avg Fees
$1,921Fees
27
FCU
Firefighters Credit Union
Credit UnionDirect
Overall
Acceptable
Avg Fees
$755Fees

Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in La Crosse?+

Safe Rate ranks lenders using the 5 Ps framework. Four are derived 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 La Crosse), and Product (performance on specific loan types). The fifth, Promptness, is behavioral: it credits lenders who answer real shopper quote requests quickly. Each lender receives a composite Safe Rate Score from 0 to 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 La Crosse?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 31 lenders originated a combined 1,279 loans in La Crosse. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in La Crosse?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in La Crosse 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 La Crosse's rankings, all three institution types are evaluated on the same HMDA performance metrics.

How We Rank Lenders

Our rankings use an equal-weight average of scores across our core categories (Pricing, Product, Pull-Through, Place), with lender promptness blended in when a lender has responded to real shopper quote requests.

Our Point System (Max 40 Points)

10/ 40 pts
Pricing
Rate and fee competitiveness (25%)
10/ 40 pts
Pull Through
Reliability in closing loans (25%)
10/ 40 pts
Product
Specialization in the loan type (25%)
10/ 40 pts
Place
Local market expertise (25%)

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.