Mortgage lender · Montgomery, AL · LEI 549300B8JSCK4ZNVX087

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

MAX Credit Union earns a C, in line with the typical performance of home-equity (HELOC) lenders. It turned down 27.0% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 44th percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 0.18 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 48th percentile on pricing. Compared against 412 home-equity (HELOC) lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

1.2kApplications2025
59.2%Originatedof applications
27.0%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
4.50%Median ratenational 6.63%
$85MLoan volume13 states

MAX Credit Union at a glance, 2025

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

22.0%Denial rate (all applications)+3.99 pts vs national
27.0%Denial rate (decided applications)+4.44 pts vs national
59.2%Origination rate+1.12 pts vs national
16.7%Withdrawn by applicant
2.0%Closed for incompleteness
4.50%Median interest rate-2.13 pts vs national
0.18Median rate spread (pts over APOR)-0.07 pts vs national
$55,000Median loan amount
$4,545Median total loan costs
$89kMedian applicant income
67%Median loan-to-value
0High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the C grade breaks down

Each component is a percentile rank among 412 home-equity (HELOC) lenders. Higher is better. Components the lender does not report are left out and the weights redistributed.

Approval oddsdecision denial rate, weight 45%

44th27.0% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

48th0.18 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

19th18.7%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

2nd8.26% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
202323016914.8%16.8%6.75%$43M
20241,07276326.7%27.2%4.50%$90M
20251,19770822.0%27.0%4.50%$85M

What MAX 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 154 13% · 6.5% denied
Refinance 43 4% · 16.3% denied
Cash-out refinance 545 46% · 24.4% denied
Home improvement 455 38% · 24.8% denied

By loan type

Conventional 1,192 100% · 22.0% denied
FHA 5 0% · 20.0% denied

Also: 1,003 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 1 manufactured homes, 51 investment properties.

Why MAX Credit Union denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 263 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Debt-to-income ratio 129 49%
Credit history 102 39%
Collateral 21 8%
Unverifiable information 6 2%
Employment history 5 2%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at MAX Credit Union

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

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k2329647.0%
$50k – $100k41524228.0%
$100k – $150k28719816.8%
$150k – $250k17111122.9%
Over $250k714217.7%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
25–341085826.6%
35–4417710327.0%
45–5426316027.9%
55–6427117227.1%
65–7425014225.5%
Over 741015331.7%

Where MAX Credit Union lends

13 states and 58 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
Alabama1,17970322.1%4.50%#44

Frequently asked questions

MAX Credit Union denied 27.0% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 44th percentile of home-equity (HELOC) lenders.

The most common reason MAX Credit Union gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 49.0% 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 MAX Credit Union originated in 2025 was 4.50%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.18 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 13% of its applications were for home purchases, 49% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 38% 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 MAX Credit Union. Data sources · Methodology