Safe Rate Rankings
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!
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Lenders often score differently for different loan products. Get tailored rankings by selecting your product type.
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Some consumers only want to work with a credit union, bank, or focused mortgage company. See our rankings here!
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| Rank | Lender | Overall | Pricing | Pull Through | Place | Avg Fees | Rate Spread | # of Loans | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | NJ LENDERS CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | Exceptional | $1,430Fees | 0.006%Above | 798 | |
2 | OceanFirst Bank, National Association BankDirect | Exceptional | Exceptional | Exceptional | Strong | $1,485Credit | 0.486%Below | 58 | |
3 | Provident Bank BankDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Sound | Exceptional | $1,122Credit | 0.432%Below | 199 | |
4 | Kearny Bank BankDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $1,008Fees | 0.269%Below | 118 | |
5 | UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale | Strong | Sound* | Exceptional | Exceptional | $2,742Fees | 0.133%Above | 1,177 | |
6 | Valley National Bank BankDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $1,126Fees | 0.434%Below | 124 | |
7 | Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association BankDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Strong | Strong | $293Fees | 0.499%Below | 107 | |
8 | Bank of America, National Association BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | $964Fees | 0.321%Below | 262 | |
9 | Columbia Bank BankDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Sound | Strong | $368Fees | 0.289%Below | 67 | |
10 | U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | $218Fees | 0.132%Below | 237 | |
11 | ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Acceptable* | Exceptional | Exceptional | $4,513Fees | 0.187%Above | 1,338 | |
12 | Citibank, National Association BankDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Sound | Strong | $168Fees | 0.326%Below | 165 | |
13 | NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Sound | Strong | $247Fees | 0.545%Below | 79 | |
14 | AMERICAN FEDERAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Sound | Strong | $52Fees | 0.259%Below | 117 | |
15 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | $1,424Fees | 0.080%Below | 110 | |
16 | GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Strong | Exceptional | $2,334Fees | 0.089%Above | 1,050 | |
17 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Sound* | Strong | Exceptional | $2,360Fees | 0.026%Above | 586 | |
18 | LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Sound* | Strong | Exceptional | $2,064Fees | 0.147%Above | 422 | |
19 | Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Sound | Exceptional | $1,283Fees | 0.140%Below | 401 | |
20 | Citizens Bank, National Association BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | $202Credit | 0.104%Below | 178 | |
21 | PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES, L.P. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale | Strong | Exceptional* | Sound | Strong | $1,033Fees | 0.021%Below | 120 | |
22 | NBKC BANK BankDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Sound | Sound | $837Fees | 0.347%Below | 41 | |
23 | PINNACLE MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Exceptional | Sound | Strong | $1,404Fees | 0.003%Above | 56 | |
24 | FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Sound* | Strong | Strong | $2,196Fees | 0.211%Above | 224 | |
25 | PNC Bank, National Association BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | $1,175Fees | 0.020%Below | 96 | |
26 | CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Strong | Exceptional | $3,204Fees | 0.370%Above | 1,335 | |
27 | MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | $4,352Fees | 0.409%Above | 304 | |
28 | PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Sound* | Strong | Strong | $1,254Fees | 0.144%Above | 231 | |
29 | Advisors Mortgage Group, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Exceptional | Strong | $3,005Fees | 0.162%Above | 88 | |
30 | MLD MORTGAGE INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Sound | Exceptional | Strong | $1,930Fees | 0.038%Below | 59 | |
31 | HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION BankDirect | Strong | Strong | Strong | Sound | $283Fees | 0.232%Below | 46 | |
32 | CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | $3,514Fees | 0.289%Above | 234 | |
33 | KEYSTONE FUNDING, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale | Strong | Sound* | Exceptional | Sound | $2,867Fees | 0.325%Above | 44 | |
34 | Nations Lending Corporation Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | $3,748Fees | 0.542%Above | 66 | |
35 | United Nations Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect | Strong | Strong | Sound | Sound | $37Credit | 0.537%Below | 39 | |
36 | AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD MORTGAGE ACCEPTANCE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Mediocre | Strong | Exceptional | $3,106Fees | 0.477%Above | 406 | |
37 | Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Acceptable* | Strong | Exceptional | $3,693Fees | 0.541%Above | 338 | |
38 | TD Bank, National Association BankDirect | Strong | Sound | Sound | Strong | $481Fees | 0.126%Above | 222 | |
39 | EMBRACE HOME LOANS, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Strong | Strong | $2,525Fees | 0.297%Above | 206 | |
40 | FIRST COLONY MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Sound* | Exceptional | Sound | $2,505Fees | 0.489%Above | 49 | |
41 | ARK-LA-TEX FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Strong | Sound* | Exceptional | Sound | $1,092Fees | 0.373%Above | 39 | |
42 | GUARANTEED RATE AFFINITY, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Strong | Acceptable | Strong | Exceptional | $2,487Fees | 0.202%Above | 377 | |
43 | ABSOLUTE HOME MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Mediocre | Strong | Exceptional | $4,451Fees | 0.452%Above | 364 | |
44 | FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Acceptable | Exceptional | Strong | $4,094Fees | 0.324%Above | 140 | |
45 | Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Acceptable | Strong | Strong | $1,993Fees | 0.334%Above | 82 | |
46 | THE LOAN STORE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale | Sound | Acceptable* | Strong | Strong | $1,837Fees | 0.356%Above | 71 | |
47 | BOND STREET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Acceptable | Sound | Strong | $2,492Fees | 0.339%Above | 144 | |
48 | UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Sound | Acceptable* | Exceptional | Strong | $3,231Fees | 0.448%Above | 141 | |
49 | MILLENIUM HOME MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect | Sound | Acceptable | Strong | Strong | $3,434Fees | 0.104%Above | 109 | |
50 | NORWICH COMMERCIAL GROUP, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale | Sound | Sound* | Strong | Strong | $3,559Fees | 0.495%Above | 93 |
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 Newark, NJ), 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.
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.
Based on 2024 HMDA data, 176 lenders originated a combined 17,560 loans in Newark, NJ. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.
Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Newark, NJ is 0.28%. Lenders in Safe Rate's top rankings consistently price below this median, meaning borrowers typically pay less interest over the life of their loan.
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.
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.
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 Newark, NJ's rankings, all three institution types are evaluated on the same HMDA performance metrics.
Our rankings use a weighted average of scores across equally-weighted categories to evaluate lenders on a linear, raw performance scale.
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.