How we rank HELOC lenders
King of HELOC ranks the HELOC lenders it features by scoring each one on measurable, disclosed criteria — rate competitiveness, total fees, draw and repayment flexibility, maximum CLTV, minimum credit score, geographic and product availability, funding speed, and customer experience. Every figure comes from public lender disclosures or reputable third-party reviewers, is dated with an "as of," and is never invented. We are a marketing and lender-matching service that may be paid when a homeowner is matched; that compensation can affect which partners appear and in what order, but it never changes our editorial standards or the math we show.
New here? See About King of HELOC for who we are and how matching works, or our editorial policy for the full content standard.
Why we publish this methodology
HELOC decisions are consequential — a home equity line of credit is a variable-rate product secured by your home. So we think you deserve to know exactly how we decide which lenders we feature and in what order. This page is our published methodology. It explains what we score, where the numbers come from, and — just as important — how we are paid and where that does and does not influence what you see.
The dimensions we score
We evaluate each featured HELOC lender on the same set of measurable dimensions. No single factor decides a ranking; we weigh them together against what matters most for the homeowner's goal.
- Rate competitiveness. The APR and the margin a lender adds over the prime rate, since most HELOCs are variable and priced as prime plus a margin.
- Total fees. Closing costs, plus any annual fee, inactivity fee, or early-closure (prepayment) fee — the full cost of the line, not just the headline rate.
- Draw & repayment flexibility. Length of the draw period, repayment terms, interest-only options, and any fixed-rate conversion features.
- Maximum CLTV. The highest combined loan-to-value a lender allows, which determines how much equity you can actually access.
- Minimum credit score. The credit profile a lender requires, which affects who can realistically qualify.
- Geographic & product availability. Which states and property types a lender serves, and whether the product you need is offered there.
- Funding speed. Typical time from application to funded line.
- Customer experience. Application process, transparency, support quality, and reputation drawn from reputable third-party reviewers.
Where our data comes from
Every figure we score is sourced. We rely on public lender disclosures — rate sheets, fee schedules, and product pages — and on reputable third-party reviewers. Each rate and rating carries an "as of" date so you can judge how current it is. We do not invent numbers: we never publish a rate, rating, or testimonial we cannot trace back to a source. Where the home-equity market moves, we update the figures and the dates rather than letting them go stale. All rates shown elsewhere on this site are illustrative examples for education, not an offer to lend.
How compensation affects rankings — and how it doesn't
King of HELOC is a marketing and lead-generation service, not a lender. When a homeowner chooses to move forward, we may be compensated by the third-party lenders or brokers we connect them with. In plain terms: that compensation can affect which partners we feature and the order in which they appear.
Here is what compensation does not do. It does not change the criteria above, the scores we assign, or the math we publish. A lender cannot buy a better rate figure, a higher CLTV, or a stronger rating — those come from disclosed data, not from what a partner pays us. And it does not increase the rate a lender offers you. Our editorial standards and the figures we show stay the same whether or not a lender pays us.
Who reviews this
Our methodology and HELOC guides are reviewed by Angelo Orru Neto, CFP® professional. Rate figures are sourced and dated, tax and legal questions are deferred to qualified professionals, and we update content as the home-equity market changes. See our editorial policy for the full standard, and the disclosure in the footer of every page for how we are paid.
Frequently asked questions
How does King of HELOC rank lenders?
We score each featured HELOC lender on eight disclosed dimensions: rate competitiveness (APR and the margin over prime), total fees, draw and repayment flexibility, maximum combined loan-to-value (CLTV), minimum credit score, geographic and product availability, funding speed, and customer experience. Scores are built from public lender disclosures and reputable third-party reviewers, dated with an "as of," and updated as the market moves.
How does King of HELOC make money?
King of HELOC is a marketing and lead-generation service, not a lender. When a homeowner chooses to move forward, we may be compensated by the third-party lenders or brokers we match them with. That compensation can affect which partners we feature and the order they appear in, but it never changes the scoring criteria, the underlying math, or the rate a lender offers you.
Are the ratings paid for?
No. A lender cannot buy a higher score. Our dimension scores are derived from disclosed, verifiable data — rates, fees, terms, CLTV, and availability — not from how much a partner pays us. Compensation can influence placement and which lenders we feature, and we disclose that plainly, but it does not alter the ratings or the figures we publish.
Where do the rates and figures come from?
Figures come from public lender disclosures (rate sheets, fee schedules, product pages) and reputable third-party reviewers. Each rate or rating carries an "as of" date so you can see how current it is. We never publish a rate, rating, or testimonial we cannot back up to a source.
How often is the ranking updated?
We review featured lenders and their figures on an ongoing basis and refresh them as rates, fees, and terms change in the home-equity market. Our methodology and content are reviewed by Angelo Orru Neto, CFP® professional, and every published figure is sourced and dated rather than left to go stale.