Safe Rate Rankings

Best Conventional Mortgage Bank Lenders in Nebraska

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 Lenders119

Total Loans20,913

Median Rate Spread0.25%

Nebraska Market Insights

West Gate Bank is Safe Rate's top-ranked Conventional bank in Nebraska, leading on pricing, pullthrough, Conventional product expertise, and local knowledge.
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Nebraska, Union Bank and Trust and Exchange Bank scores highest on Conventional pricing while West Gate Bank and Lincoln FSB of Nebraska leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Nebraska

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Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Product	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	WEST GATE BANK BankDirect & Wholesale	Exceptional	Exceptional*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$1,057Fees	0.034%Below	1,396
2	Pinnacle Bank BankDirect	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,193Fees	0.005%Below	1,087
3	Lincoln FSB of Nebraska BankDirect	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	$1,199Fees	0.021%Below	655
4	Union Bank and Trust Company BankDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,063Fees	0.071%Below	584
5	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$916Fees	0.184%Above	493
6	First National Bank of Omaha BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$1,248Fees	0.162%Above	1,207
7	Northwest Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Strong	$586Fees	0.085%Below	91
8	CORNHUSKER BANK BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$547Fees	0.086%Above	186
9	CHARTER WEST BANK BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,437Fees	0.313%Above	1,346
10	Exchange Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Strong	$822Fees	0.025%Above	73
11	Central Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	$3,299Fees	0.017%Above	43
12	Access Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$1,457Fees	0.124%Above	321
13	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$2,048Fees	0.018%Above	238
14	Arbor Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$874Fees	0.099%Above	195
15	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,950Fees	0.257%Above	98
16	First Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,517Fees	0.129%Above	228
17	Core Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$1,074Fees	0.125%Above	261
18	NBKC BANK BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Sound	Sound	$590Fees	0.247%Below	59
19	Citizens Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$1,321Fees	0.133%Above	59
20	Plains Commerce Bank BankWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,695Fees	0.471%Above	269
21	Central National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	Strong	$565Fees	0.263%Above	44
22	Gateway First Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,650Fees	0.243%Above	174
23	Security First Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Sound	Strong	$861Fees	0.165%Above	141
24	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,892Fees	0.408%Above	104
25	Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Grand Island BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,023Fees	0.252%Above	102
26	Frontier Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$801Fees	0.319%Above	167
27	Dayspring Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Acceptable	Sound	Strong	$1,378Fees	0.096%Above	125
28	BMO Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	Sound	$950Fees	0.375%Above	57
29	American National Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$1,552Fees	0.270%Above	155
30	DUNDEE BANK BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$2,758Fees	0.206%Above	126
31	USAA Federal Savings Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	$1,455Fees	0.205%Below	89
32	Adams Bank & Trust BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Sound	Sound	Strong	$1,438Fees	0.223%Above	93

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Nebraska?+

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 Nebraska), 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 Nebraska?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 119 lenders originated a combined 20,913 loans in Nebraska. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Nebraska is 0.25%. 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 Nebraska'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.