Safe Rate Rankings

Best Conventional Mortgage Bank Lenders in Wisconsin

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 Lenders270

Total Loans65,281

Median Rate Spread0.31%

Wisconsin Market Insights

Johnson Bank is Safe Rate's top-ranked Conventional bank in Wisconsin, leading on pricing, pullthrough, Conventional product expertise, and local knowledge.
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Wisconsin, Associated Bank National Association and Horicon Bank scores highest on Conventional pricing while Bank First and Johnson Bank leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Wisconsin

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Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Product	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	Johnson Bank BankDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$509Fees	0.035%Above	1,674
2	Associated Bank, National Association BankDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$534Fees	0.047%Below	2,002
3	Bank First, N.A. BankDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	$242Fees	0.002%Above	655
4	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$486Fees	0.170%Above	1,404
5	Nicolet National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	$982Fees	0.291%Above	931
6	Old National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,095Fees	0.029%Below	330
7	Bank Five Nine BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,040Fees	0.200%Above	1,027
8	The Huntington National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,197Fees	0.373%Above	378
9	National Exchange Bank and Trust BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	$111Fees	0.032%Above	281
10	Horicon Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	Strong	$209Fees	0.006%Below	196
11	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,004Fees	0.228%Above	903
12	The Bank of New Glarus BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$567Fees	0.306%Above	319
13	Barrington Bank & Trust Company, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$1,733Fees	0.196%Above	1,160
14	Bell Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,730Fees	0.308%Above	767
15	Peoples State Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	Strong	$459Fees	0.023%Below	169
16	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$1,948Fees	0.153%Above	521
17	The Park Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	Strong	$361Fees	0.072%Below	170
18	Lake Ridge Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	Strong	$475Fees	0.039%Above	240
19	Waukesha State Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$337Fees	0.151%Above	374
20	The Equitable Bank, S.S.B. BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	Strong	$662Fees	0.014%Above	221
21	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,633Fees	0.404%Above	383
22	First Federal Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$815Fees	0.098%Above	225
23	BMO Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$412Fees	0.300%Above	378
24	The First National Bank and Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,165Fees	0.376%Above	136
25	Forward Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$770Fees	0.177%Above	203
26	Ixonia Bank BankDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,614Fees	0.578%Above	699
27	Great Midwest Bank, S.S.B. BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Sound	Exceptional	$556Fees	0.193%Above	317
28	Home State Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,693Fees	0.351%Above	216
29	NexBank BankWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,761Fees	0.329%Above	191
30	CIBM Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Strong	$976Fees	0.358%Above	153
31	Bankers' Bank BankWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Sound	Sound	Strong	$1,445Fees	0.174%Above	163
32	Bank of England BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Sound	Strong	$2,064Fees	0.468%Above	352
33	Royal Bank BankDirect	Sound	Strong	Sound	Sound	Strong	$1,244Fees	0.118%Above	154
34	North Shore Bank BankDirect	Sound	Strong	Sound	Sound	Strong	$719Fees	0.255%Above	151
35	USAA Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	$1,674Fees	0.194%Below	200
36	Tri City National Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$1,155Fees	0.214%Above	140

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Wisconsin?+

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 Wisconsin), 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 Wisconsin?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 270 lenders originated a combined 65,281 loans in Wisconsin. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin'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 40 Points)

Pricing

Rate and fee competitiveness (25%)

Pull Through

Reliability in closing loans (25%)

Product

Specialization in the loan type (25%)

Place

Local market expertise (25%)

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.