Safe Rate Rankings

Best Bank Mortgage Lenders in Little Rock

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 Lenders85

Total Loans8,194

Median Rate Spread0.34%

Little Rock Market Insights

First Security Bank is Safe Rate's top-ranked bank in Little Rock, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Little Rock, Nbkc Bank and First Security Bank scores highest on pricing while Eagle Bank and Trust and Bank of America National Association leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Little Rock

By Loan Product

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Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	First Security Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,134Fees	0.195%Below	170
2	Eagle Bank and Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,276Fees	0.182%Above	445
3	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,014Fees	0.157%Above	89
4	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,126Fees	0.157%Below	67
5	Arvest Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$1,743Fees	0.321%Above	532
6	ENCORE BANK BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	$760Fees	0.240%Above	226
7	NBKC BANK BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$430Fees	0.101%Below	34
8	First Horizon Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$1,466Fees	0.120%Above	203
9	Chambers Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$2,157Fees	0.120%Below	95
10	Centennial Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Sound	Exceptional	$1,665Fees	0.296%Above	241
11	The First National Bank of Fort Smith BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,363Fees	0.120%Above	46
12	Simmons Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$1,720Fees	0.371%Above	174
13	Cadence Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,677Fees	0.211%Above	78
14	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$1,288Fees	0.122%Above	86
15	Bank of England BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$1,707Fees	0.308%Above	222
16	First Community Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$3,385Fees	0.190%Above	172
17	Regions Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,948Fees	0.343%Above	168
18	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$2,068Fees	0.188%Above	50
19	First Financial Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$1,163Fees	0.075%Below	25
20	USAA Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$1,391Fees	0.161%Below	76
21	CORNERSTONE CAPITAL BANK, SSB BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$4,463Fees	0.974%Above	55
22	Gateway First Bank BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Sound	$2,063Fees	0.452%Above	29
23	The Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Sound	Sound	$2,644Fees	0.379%Above	29
24	Bank OZK BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Mediocre	Sound	$2,101Fees	0.271%Above	24

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Little Rock?+

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 Little Rock), 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 Little Rock?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 85 lenders originated a combined 8,194 loans in Little Rock. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Little Rock?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Little Rock 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 Little Rock'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.