Methodology
Every number on LendResearch comes from a public record or from our own calculation on public records. This page says what goes in, what a grade means, and how to challenge one.
Sources
| Record | Agency | What we use it for | Refresh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Mortgage Disclosure Act loan data (HMDA) | CFPB / FFIEC | Loan volume, approval and denial rates, loan mix, by lender, county and loan type | Annual, each new release |
| Consumer complaint database | CFPB | Complaints per 1,000 loans, by lender | Monthly |
| Bank and credit union filings | FDIC, NCUA | Institution identity, size, charter | Quarterly |
| State licensing files and NMLS | State regulators | Who is licensed, license type, status, locations | Monthly |
| Conforming loan limits | FHFA | County loan limits | Annual, each November |
| FHA mortgage limits, Fair Market Rents | HUD | County FHA limits, rents | Annual |
| House price index, mortgage rates | FHFA, Freddie Mac, FRED | Price and rate trends | Monthly / weekly |
| Home values and rents | Zillow Research | County and city value and rent trends | Monthly |
Every chart, table and score card on the site carries its source and an as-of date. We credit sources at the agency level. We never show third-party editorial, review-site scores or forum opinions.
Who gets a grade
Only lenders that file HMDA data are graded: banks, credit unions and non-bank mortgage companies. One grade per company. A county page shows that company's numbers in that county under the same grade. Brokers are never graded, because a loan a broker arranges is reported by the lender that funds it. Branches and individual loan officers are never graded. Brokers, private lenders and commercial lenders below the reporting threshold get a page built from state licensing records, labelled Licensed or Verified, without a letter.
What goes into a grade
A grade is our opinion of a lender's public record, computed the same way for every lender. The inputs, in plain terms:
- Approval record. How often applications are approved and denied, compared with other lenders in the same county and loan type, so a lender serving harder files is not punished for it.
- Volume and consistency. How much the lender actually closes in the loan types it lists, and whether that has held up year over year.
- Complaint ratio. CFPB complaints per 1,000 loans, compared with the county median. A single line, shown in context, never a feed of complaints.
- Licensing. A current license in good standing. A current revocation or suspension is shown. History is not.
We publish the inputs and the direction of each one. We do not publish the weights or the exact formula, which keeps grades from being gamed and keeps the entity matching across records proprietary. Grades run A to F. A grade changes only when the underlying records change, and each lender page shows the date of the data behind it.
Right of reply and corrections
Any lender can claim its page free of charge and post one public response under its grade. The response is shown with the firm's name and date and never changes the grade. Any visitor can request a correction on any page. Public-record numbers are never edited by hand: a dispute makes us re-pull the source, and if the source itself is wrong we show the lender's note beside the figure and point to the agency. Lender-supplied details such as programs, contacts and branches are marked as lender-provided. We acknowledge correction requests within two business days and resolve them within ten.
What a grade is not
A grade is not a recommendation, a rate quote or a promise that any lender will approve you. It is a reading of public records. Lenders are never charged for a grade and cannot pay to change one. Sponsored placements, when they exist, are labelled and never affect a grade.
Status
As of October 15, 2026, lender grades are in preparation. The first grades cover Florida lenders and will be followed by national scorecards for every HMDA filer. County loan limits are live now in the loan limit lookup. Get an email when the first grades publish.
Questions people ask
Who grades the lenders on LendResearch?
LendResearch, an independent research publisher, computes every grade from public records with the same method for every lender. Lenders cannot pay for a grade or to change one. The grades are reviewed by Kunal (KJ), a former licensed mortgage loan originator.
What data is a LendResearch lender grade based on?
Federal HMDA loan data (approval and denial rates, volume, loan mix), CFPB consumer complaints per 1,000 loans, FDIC and NCUA institution filings, and state licensing records. Each lender page shows the as-of date of the data behind it.
Are mortgage brokers graded?
No. Only lenders that file HMDA data are graded, one grade per company. Brokers, branches and individual loan officers are never graded, because a broker's loans are reported by the lender that funds them. Brokers get a page from state licensing records labelled Licensed or Verified.
Can a lender respond to its grade or correct its page?
Yes, free of charge. A claimed lender can post one public response under its grade, and anyone can request a correction on any page. Public-record figures are re-pulled from the source rather than edited by hand.