Safe Rate Rankings

Best Mortgage Lenders in St. Louis

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 Lenders175

Total Loans34,993

Median Rate Spread0.31%

St. Louis Market Insights

Fcb Banks is Safe Rate's top-ranked lender in St. Louis, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
Top-ranked by institution type in St. Louis: Bank: Fcb Banks (#1). Credit union: Scott Credit Union (#4). Mortgage company: Flat Branch Mortgage (#5).
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In St. Louis, Associated Bank National Association and Fcb Banks scores highest on pricing while Flat Branch Mortgage and United Community Bank Il leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #13 in St. Louis, 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 St. Louis: Rocket Mortgage (#20) and Guild Mortgage Company (#30), both outside Safe Rate's top 10. Independent lenders and specialists tend to score higher on our composite scorecard.

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.

★ St. Louis Exclusive Offer ★

Get a personalized quote from Safe Rate Mortgage (NMLS #1590949). Competitive rates, easy process, and a personal touch.

Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	FCB Banks BankDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$714Fees	0.085%Below	642
2	Stifel Bank and Trust BankDirect	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$267Fees	0.063%Below	1,013
3	Midwest BankCentre BankDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$669Fees	0.009%Above	388
4	SCOTT CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$674Fees	0.061%Above	458
5	FLAT BRANCH MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	$1,224Fees	0.392%Above	1,380
6	Carrollton Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$828Fees	0.169%Above	589
7	VICTORY MORTGAGE, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$658Fees	0.143%Above	164
8	Associated Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$217Fees	0.146%Above	139
9	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$552Fees	0.186%Above	783
10	United Community Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$155Fees	0.176%Above	137
11	Bank of Springfield BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	$788Fees	0.296%Above	131
12	First State Bank of St. Charles, Missouri BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,306Fees	0.165%Above	646
13	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$1,198Fees	0.313%Above	1,857
14	GERSHMAN INVESTMENT CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$1,367Fees	0.555%Above	709
15	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,282Fees	0.037%Below	331
16	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$348Fees	0.438%Below	272
17	U S WIDE FINANCIAL LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$372Credit	0.175%Below	112
18	First Mid Bank & Trust, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$826Fees	0.145%Above	124
19	Busey Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	$861Fees	0.350%Above	139
20	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,559Fees	0.446%Above	1,941
21	United Bank of Union BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$910Fees	0.366%Below	107
22	Great Southern Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$874Fees	0.196%Above	79
23	DELMAR FINANCIAL COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$1,369Fees	0.341%Above	1,006
24	JLB CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,484Fees	0.354%Above	411
25	First Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,098Fees	0.237%Above	255
26	NBKC BANK BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$191Fees	0.203%Below	99
27	The Central Trust Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$889Fees	0.305%Above	632
28	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$362Fees	0.261%Above	226
29	First National Bank of Waterloo BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$505Fees	0.160%Below	98
30	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,118Fees	0.519%Above	2,800
31	DAS Acquisition Company, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$1,824Fees	0.649%Above	1,731
32	Sullivan Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$588Fees	0.134%Above	104
33	TOGETHER CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	$803Fees	0.033%Above	363
34	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$1,566Fees	0.187%Above	432
35	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$1,999Fees	0.806%Above	338
36	ARK-LA-TEX FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	$1,047Fees	0.532%Above	167
37	VANTAGE Credit Union Credit UnionWholesale	Strong	Strong*	Sound	Strong	$1,094Fees	0.112%Above	116
38	PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES, L.P. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Exceptional*	Sound	Sound	$1,254Fees	0.077%Above	76
39	Nations Lending Corporation Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,272Fees	0.604%Above	207
40	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$3,088Fees	0.381%Above	175
41	PNC Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$630Fees	0.206%Above	93
42	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$1,738Fees	0.533%Above	923
43	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$1,997Fees	0.052%Below	220
44	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$1,987Fees	0.135%Above	159
45	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,010Fees	0.567%Above	470
46	Regions Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$1,290Fees	0.421%Above	443
47	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,071Fees	0.520%Above	344
48	Paramount Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Sound	Exceptional	$1,558Fees	0.303%Above	243
49	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$1,389Fees	0.358%Above	155
50	ACCESS CAPITAL FUNDING, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	—	Sound	Strong	$1,319Credit	1.095%Above	142

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in St. Louis, MO?+

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 St. Louis, MO), 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 St. Louis, MO?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 175 lenders originated a combined 34,993 loans in St. Louis, MO. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in St. Louis, MO?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in St. Louis, MO is 0.31%. 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 St. Louis, MO'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.