Mortgage rates declined this week for many lenders, according to a Yahoo Finance survey. Six of the top ten home loan providers are now offering annual percentage rates in the sub-6% range.
The survey, which ranks lenders by APR including fees, was conducted on January 12, 2026. It focused on 30-year fixed-rate conventional loans.
Navy Federal Credit Union posted the lowest APR at 5.488%. PenFed Credit Union followed at 5.584%, and Citi Mortgage came in at 5.594%. Chase Home Loans, Better, and Rate also made the top six, all with APRs under 6%.
Wells Fargo, Truist, Bank of America, and U.S. Bank rounded out the top ten list, with APRs ranging from 6.035% to 6.159%.
Two credit unions, Navy Federal and PenFed, are advertising 30-year fixed-rate mortgages below 5.5%. Their APRs, which include fees, remain near or just below that threshold.
Competition intensified as Bank of America and Wells Fargo entered the top ten this week. They displaced Citizens Bank and Fifth Third Bank from the leaderboard.
Sixteen lenders were surveyed. Citizens Bank, Flagstar Bank, PNC, Fifth Third, Rocket Mortgage, and Third Federal did not rank in the top ten based on APRs.
The APR difference between the top lender, Navy Federal, and the bottom-ranked Third Federal was 1.311 percentage points.
The sample mortgage rates are based on generic data from lender websites. They assume varying credit scores, down payments, and other qualifications. Location also affects rates.
For this survey, median home values and credit scores were used where lenders required additional borrower information. A 20% down payment on a Midwest home was assumed.
Lenders often include mortgage discount points in advertised rates. These are prepaid interest fees that lower the interest rate. Each point typically costs 1% of the loan amount and reduces the rate by about 0.25%.
Borrowers can decline discount points, though this results in a higher rate. The survey advises comparing APRs with zero points for accurate rate shopping.
Some lenders are promoting special discounts. Citi Mortgage was offering $500 off closing costs on January 12. Chase Home Loans had earlier introduced limited-time interest rate discounts.