Mortgage lender · Chicago, IL · LEI 549300LI5KT42YX5L588

FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union review: approval odds, rates and grade (2025)

FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union earns a C, in line with the typical performance of small mortgage lenders. It turned down 11.9% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 41st percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 0.72 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 19th percentile on pricing. Compared against 1,883 small mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

518Applications2025
76.3%Originatedof applications
11.9%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
6.99%Median ratenational 6.63%
$65MLoan volume9 states

FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union at a glance, 2025

Every figure is from the lender's own HMDA filing. "vs national" compares with all lenders combined.

10.8%Denial rate (all applications)-7.17 pts vs national
11.9%Denial rate (decided applications)-10.68 pts vs national
76.3%Origination rate+18.22 pts vs national
9.3%Withdrawn by applicant
0.0%Closed for incompleteness
6.99%Median interest rate+0.37 pts vs national
0.72Median rate spread (pts over APOR)+0.46 pts vs national
$125,000Median loan amount
$3,096Median total loan costs
$110kMedian applicant income
80%Median loan-to-value
0High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the C grade breaks down

Each component is a percentile rank among 1,883 small mortgage lenders. Higher is better. Components the lender does not report are left out and the weights redistributed.

Approval oddsdecision denial rate, weight 45%

41st11.9% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

19th0.72 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

61st9.3%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

30th2.48% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
20234773359.6%11.6%7.04%$43M
202453232414.9%18.9%7.24%$41M
202551839510.8%11.9%6.99%$65M

What FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union lends

Applications by purpose and loan type in 2025, with the denial rate for each. A lender's mix explains a lot of its headline rate: HELOCs and FHA loans are denied far more often than conventional purchase loans.

By loan purpose

Home purchase 285 55% · 2.5% denied
Refinance 16 3% · 0.0% denied
Cash-out refinance 60 12% · 16.7% denied
Home improvement 74 14% · 23.0% denied
Other / HELOC 83 16% · 26.5% denied

By loan type

Conventional 518 100% · 10.8% denied

Also: 0 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 0 manufactured homes, 32 investment properties.

Why FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 56 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Debt-to-income ratio 23 41%
Credit history 16 29%
Other 10 18%
Collateral 6 11%
Employment history 1 2%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union

Decision denial rate by applicant profile. Groups with fewer than 20 applications are omitted.

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k472719.1%
$50k – $100k17614011.7%
$100k – $150k15511910.9%
$150k – $250k1088012.5%
Over $250k30276.9%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under 2523170.0%
25–34103896.1%
35–441238912.3%
45–541088117.8%
55–64815917.3%
65–7456446.0%
Over 74241615.8%

Where FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union lends

9 states and 30 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
Illinois50238310.8%6.99%#124
Wisconsin770.0%7.13%#544

Frequently asked questions

FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union denied 11.9% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 41st percentile of small mortgage lenders.

The most common reason FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 41.1% of its denials. Lenders report up to four reasons per denial to the CFPB; the full breakdown is on this page.

The median interest rate on loans FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union originated in 2025 was 6.99%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.72 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 55% of its applications were for home purchases, 15% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 30% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 100% conventional, 0% FHA, 0% VA.

Every figure on this page comes from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) Loan/Application Register published by the CFPB, which lenders are required by federal law to file. We add the grade and the comparisons; we do not add facts.

About this data. HMDA data is published once a year by the CFPB. The current release covers applications acted on in calendar year 2025. Figures describe applications the lender acted on, including loans it later sold. Interest rates and costs are medians on originated loans only; some depository institutions are exempt from reporting pricing fields, which is why a few cells read "—". MortgageGrades is not affiliated with FIRST NORTHERN Credit Union. Data sources · Methodology