Best VA loan lenders of June 2026

Active service members or veterans seeking the best rates on mortgages have unique options with VA loans.

These are zero-down payment mortgages — guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — with lower-than-average rates and no private mortgage insurance required. This type of loan also has flexible credit score requirements.

We reviewed more than 25 lenders offering VA loans and selected the top in a variety of categories to help you find the best option. For more on how we made our picks, see our methodology.

Who's this for? For the best customer experience, go with Veterans United. It earned an A+ from the Better Business Bureau and ranked among the top lenders on J.D. Power's 2025 Mortgage Origination Study, which reviews steps such as application filing and the closing process.

Standout benefits: Veterans United provides free credit counseling if you need to boost your score before applying, which can, in turn, help you get a better mortgage rate and loan terms.

Who's this for? Start with this lender if you're looking for the lowest rates. While VA loan rates are lower than those for conventional mortgages, Navy Federal's rates are consistently below the industry average.

Standout benefits: Navy Federal's Military Choice loan is another zero-down mortgage option that allows sellers to contribute up to 6% of the home's value toward closing costs. For a one-time $250 fee, borrowers can lower their rate without refinancing.

Who's this for? Online lender Rocket Mortgage combines stellar customer service ratings with an easy-to-use website and app. It also offers partially remote closings, so if you want to maximize the time spent on your couch while applying for a mortgage, this is the lender for you.

Standout benefits: If you buy your home through Rocket Homes, you may be eligible for 1.25% back as closing credit, up to $10,000.

Who's this for? If your main priority is to pay the least amount up front, consider PenFed Credit Union. It doesn't charge origination fees on VA loans, which can amount to up to 1% of your total mortgage.

Standout benefits: If you buy your home through Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty, you may be eligible for a closing credit of up to $1,500.

Who's this for? Tired of getting beat out by all-cash offers? Make one of your own. New American Funding's NAF Cash program allows VA loan borrowers to make all-cash offers, a significant advantage in competitive markets. To do this, NAF buys the home on your behalf and then sells it to you at cost (plus a transaction fee of 1.5% to 3.5%). 

Standout benefits: NAF accepts credit scores as low as 500 for VA loans. Qualified borrowers can refinance to a lower rate within five years and pay no lender fees or just a $500 home appraisal.

Who's this for? If you prefer to do your banking in person, Chase Bank has more than 4,700 U.S. branches, more than any other brick-and-mortar bank. It routinely earns high marks for customer satisfaction from J.D. Power's surveys.

Standout benefits: Chase offers a $2,000 closing credit for eligible VA loans. It also guarantees on-time closings for qualified borrowers in as little as three weeks, or you could get $5,000.

Who's this for? Guild Mortgage is our top pick for people with less-than-perfect credit who are looking to get a VA loan. Guild accepts borrowers with a 540 credit score, well below the typical 620 score that most VA lenders require.

Standout benefits: If you have a thin or nonexistent credit history, Guild also considers non-traditional credit sources, such as rent and utility payments.

Who's this for? Looking to buy a high-value property? USAA approves VA loans for up to $3 million, with no down payment required for loans under $1.5 million.

Standout benefits: USAA doesn't charge origination fees on VA loans, including refinancing with an Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL), the VA mortgage refinancing option.

Who's this for? First Federal is a great choice for a veteran homebuyer looking to beef up their down payment. Eligible buyers can receive up to $10,000 in down payment assistance on a conventional, FHA or VA loan through a myriad of down payment programs.

Standout benefits: First Federal Bank claims its manual writing process can help approve borrowers with less-than-perfect credit.

VA loans help active and former service members buy homes with no down payments, lower rates and less restrictive credit requirements. These mortgages are guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and are issued by private lenders.

It can be used to purchase or build a primary residence, to refinance an existing mortgage or to pay for renovations.

Closing costs are cheaper than with conventional loans and there is no prepayment penalty. Instead of mortgage insurance, VA loans require a funding fee — which can be as much as up to 3.3% of the mortgage.

U.S. military personnel, veterans, reservists, National Guard members and some surviving military spouses may qualify for VA loans.

Active-duty service members must have served for at least 90 continuous days. Eligibility for the National Guard, Reserves and veterans varies. You will likely also need a statement of service signed by your commanding officer. All current requirements are on the VA website.

If you are no longer in active service, you will need to furnish a copy of your discharge paperwork. All applicants will need a Certificate of Eligibility to confirm they meet the VA loan service requirements.

While the VA doesn't have specific credit score or debt-to-income ratio requirements for VA loans, lenders typically require a 620 credit score and a DTI of 41% or less.

Other requirements include:

• The home must serve as your primary residence
• It must pass a Department of Veterans Affairs appraisal
• You must have two years of consistent employment

Follow these steps to get started applying for a VA loan

• Determine your eligibility: See if you meet the requirements for a VA loan.
• Obtain a certificate of eligibility: You can get one through the VA eBenefits web portal, by mailing your regional VA loan center or from a VA-approved lender.
• Find a lender who offers VA loans: While many private lenders issue VA loans, not all do.
• Complete the loan application: Your lender will guide you through the application process and help you gather the necessary documents.
• Wait for approval: After you submit your application, your lender will review it to see if you meet their credit and income requirements. You will also need to have a Department of Veterans Affairs appraisal to determine the property's value.

VA loan borrowers must pay a funding fee. This fee depends on two key factors: whether this is your first VA loan and the size of your down payment. Here's what these fees will look like.

• Down payments of less than 5%: The funding fee is 2.15% for first-time VA loan borrowers. If you've taken out a VA loan before, it's 3.3%.
• Down payments of 5% to 10%: The funding fee is 1.50% in all cases.
• Down payments 10% or more: The funding fee is 1.25% in all cases.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed financial decisions. Every mortgage review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of home loan products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

To determine the best lenders for VA loans, we analyzed dozens of U.S. mortgage providers, including online lenders and brick-and-mortar banks and credit unions. 

When ranking the best VA mortgages, we focused on the following features:

• VA lending history: Not every mortgage lender provides VA loans. We considered each lender's VA loan volume in recent years.
• Closing timeline: The lenders on our list offer closing timelines that range from as soon as two weeks after the home purchase agreement is signed to as long as 45 days after it is signed.
• Flexible minimum and maximum loan amounts/terms: Each mortgage lender provides a variety of financing options that you can customize based on your monthly budget and how long you need to pay back your loan.
• Streamlined application process: We considered whether lenders offered a convenient, fast online application process and/or an in-person procedure at local branches. 
• Customer service: Every mortgage lender on our list provides customer service via telephone, email or secure online messaging. We also opted for lenders with an online resource hub or advice center to help you educate yourself about the personal loan process and your finances.

After reviewing the above features, we sorted our recommendations by best for customer service, best for low rates, best for borrowers without a credit score, best for no origination fees, best for VA jumbo loans, best for speedy closing, best for in-person experience, best for flexible mortgage terms and best for online experience.

We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.