Best mortgage lenders to know now, plus advice on buying and refinancing

MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money Best mortgage lenders to know now, plus advice on buying and refinancing We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Angelica Leicht Angelica Leicht Senior Editor, Managing Your Money Angelica Leicht is the senior editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com, where she writes and edits articles on a range of personal finance topics. Angelica previously held editing roles at The Simple Dollar, Interest, HousingWire and other financial publications. Read Full Bio Angelica Leicht Updated on: April 3, 2026 / 1:58 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Finding the right mortgage lender can be tricky, but doing so can also pay off, both literally and figuratively, especially over time. William_Potter/Getty Images The mortgage lender you choose can either cost or save you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your loan. Still, many borrowers spend more time researching a new home appliance than they do comparing the mortgage lenders available to them. In a market where elevated rates and stubborn home prices continue to squeeze affordability, though, that oversight can carry real consequences.Today's lending landscape is broader than many buyers realize, too. Traditional banks, credit unions and online-first platforms all compete for your business, and each operates differently. Banks may reward loyal customers with rate discounts, credit unions often pass savings directly to members and digital lenders typically leverage lower overhead to move faster through underwriting. The right fit, though, depends heavily on which terms and trade-offs align with your specific financial picture.To help you cut through the noise, we've identified the best mortgage lenders available right now, each standing out for a particular strength. We'll als...