Safe Rate Rankings

Best Bank Mortgage Lenders in Louisville/Jefferson County

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.
Total Lenders133
Total Loans17,420
Median Rate Spread0.34%
Louisville/Jefferson County Market Insights
  • Stock Yards Bank Trust is Safe Rate's top-ranked bank in Louisville/Jefferson County, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
  • There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Louisville/Jefferson County, Old National Bank and First Harrison Bank scores highest on pricing while Magnolia Bank Incorporated and First Financial Bank Oh leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.

Explore Rankings by Type

Shopping for a mortgage? Click the heart icon to save lenders to My Home and make comparison painless.

RankLenderOverallPricingPull ThroughPlaceAvg FeesRate Spread# of LoansAction
1
Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
$946Fees
0.160%Above
566
2
First Harrison Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
$1,071Fees
0.089%Above
180
3
U.S. Bank National Association
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Strong
$1,285Fees
0.442%Above
336
4
Republic Bank & Trust Company
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Sound
Exceptional
$1,142Fees
0.208%Above
370
5
Old National Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Exceptional
Strong
Strong
$673Fees
0.276%Below
70
6
Truist Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Strong
$3,705Credit
0.350%Above
199
7
Magnolia Bank, Incorporated
BankDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Acceptable*
Exceptional
Exceptional
$1,851Fees
0.309%Above
487
8
PNC Bank, National Association
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Strong
$55Credit
0.198%Above
228
9
Northpointe Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Exceptional
$3,110Fees
0.328%Above
700
10
First Financial Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Exceptional
$1,715Fees
0.365%Above
406
11
Fifth Third Bank, National Association
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Exceptional
$1,337Fees
0.263%Above
290
12
SOUTH CENTRAL BANK, INC.
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Strong
$1,136Fees
0.056%Above
59
13
Bank of America, National Association
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Sound
$1,496Fees
0.152%Below
44
14
JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association
BankDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Sound*
Strong
Exceptional
$1,794Fees
0.238%Above
404
15
The Huntington National Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Strong
Sound
$123Fees
0.342%Above
49
16
German American Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Sound
Strong
$802Fees
0.218%Above
92
17
WesBanco Bank, Inc.
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Strong
$1,888Fees
0.140%Above
57
18
Guardian Savings Bank
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Strong
$884Fees
0.174%Above
48
19
Flagstar Bank, N.A.
BankDirect & Wholesale
Strong
Acceptable*
Strong
Strong
$2,082Fees
0.384%Above
146
20
Traditional Bank, Inc.
BankDirect
Strong
Sound
Strong
Strong
$1,017Fees
0.218%Above
68
21
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association
BankDirect
Strong
Strong
Sound
Sound
$2,559Fees
0.132%Above
64
22
Plains Commerce Bank
BankWholesale
Sound
Acceptable*
Strong
Strong
$2,839Fees
0.347%Above
80
23
First Savings Bank
BankDirect
Sound
Acceptable
Sound
Strong
$677Fees
0.289%Above
90
24
USAA Federal Savings Bank
BankDirect
Sound
Sound
Sound
Strong
$1,832Fees
0.120%Below
70

Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY?+

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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY), 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 133 lenders originated a combined 17,420 loans in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY'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)

10
Pricing
Rate and fee competitiveness (33%)
10
Pull Through
Reliability in closing loans (33%)
10
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.