Safe Rate Rankings

Best Mortgage Lenders in Montana

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 Lenders90

Total Loans9,910

Median Rate Spread0.17%

Montana Market Insights

United Wholesale Mortgage is Safe Rate's top-ranked lender in Montana, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
Top-ranked by institution type in Montana: Bank: Us Bank National Association (#2). Credit union: Navy Federal Credit Union (#5). Mortgage company: United Wholesale Mortgage (#1).
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Montana, Morgan Stanley Private Bank National Association and Navy Federal Credit Union scores highest on 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 #1 in Montana, 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 Montana: Rocket Mortgage (#6) and Stockman Bank of Monta (#3).

Explore Rankings by Type

By Loan Product

Lenders often score differently for different loan products. Get tailored rankings by selecting your product type.

FHA Loans Conventional Loans VA Loans Jumbo Loans USDA Loans

By Institution Type

Some consumers only want to work with a credit union, bank, or focused mortgage company. See our rankings here!

Banks Credit Unions Mortgage Companies

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

Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,936Fees	0.056%Above	821
2	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,118Fees	0.075%Above	216
3	Stockman Bank of Montana BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,463Fees	0.052%Above	1,017
4	Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	$496Fees	0.472%Below	33
5	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$946Fees	0.549%Below	64
6	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,224Fees	0.290%Above	696
7	VALLEY FINANCIAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$3,373Fees	0.677%Below	100
8	NBKC BANK BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$761Fees	0.086%Below	32
9	Opportunity Bank of Montana BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$3,381Fees	0.038%Above	496
10	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$1,787Fees	0.067%Above	30
11	GoPrime Mortgage, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	$5,367Fees	0.282%Above	73
12	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$3,449Fees	0.110%Above	389
13	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,778Fees	0.053%Below	120
14	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$3,829Fees	0.051%Below	112
15	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$2,438Fees	0.111%Above	109
16	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$4,459Fees	0.136%Above	92
17	Glacier Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Sound	Exceptional	$3,654Fees	0.126%Above	592
18	EVERGREEN MONEYSOURCE MORTGAGE COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,985Fees	0.260%Above	523
19	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$4,965Fees	0.144%Above	303
20	KIND LENDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$2,708Fees	0.287%Above	176
21	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$1,172Fees	0.495%Above	336
22	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,366Fees	0.316%Above	121
23	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$3,170Fees	0.272%Above	104
24	Altana Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	$1,749Fees	1.062%Below	60
25	Servion, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$3,142Fees	0.299%Above	48
26	ARK-LA-TEX FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Sound	$2,069Fees	0.141%Above	29
27	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$3,847Fees	0.404%Above	439
28	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,699Fees	0.234%Above	155
29	Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$1,925Fees	0.388%Above	86
30	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$2,505Fees	0.118%Above	65
31	PRIMELENDING, A PLAINSCAPITAL COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,055Fees	0.136%Above	111
32	MUTUAL OF OMAHA MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$962Fees	0.030%Below	72
33	LOWER, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$4,372Fees	0.192%Above	153
34	CORNERSTONE CAPITAL BANK, SSB BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$5,483Fees	0.445%Above	134
35	Plains Commerce Bank BankWholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$3,253Fees	0.156%Above	94
36	Barrington Bank & Trust Company, National Association BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$3,849Fees	0.275%Above	73
37	THE LOAN STORE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Sound	$2,484Fees	0.214%Above	34
38	UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Sound	$4,868Fees	0.400%Above	66
39	BILLINGS Credit UnionDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$3,741Fees	0.335%Below	47
40	BMO Bank National Association BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Sound	$984Fees	0.285%Above	23
41	USAA Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$1,855Fees	0.117%Below	77
42	MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$3,389Fees	0.668%Above	23
43	SOFI BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION BankDirect	Sound	Strong	Acceptable	Sound	$803Fees	0.070%Above	22
44	Synergy One Lending, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$4,152Fees	0.289%Above	82
45	NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Sound	Strong	$3,197Fees	0.142%Above	81
46	NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$3,664Fees	0.381%Above	74
47	Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Sound	$3,506Fees	0.384%Above	46
48	Montana Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Sound	—	Acceptable	Strong	$395Fees	0.044%Above	46
49	CHURCHILL MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Strong	Strong	$4,666Fees	0.289%Above	126
50	CLEARWATER Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Sound	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	$2,196Fees	0.263%Below	67

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Montana?+

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 Montana), 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 Montana?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 90 lenders originated a combined 9,910 loans in Montana. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Montana is 0.17%. 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 Montana'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.