Mortgage lender · Oakdale, MN · LEI 549300ODTHTLPTSBD612

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

Novation Credit Union earns a C, in line with the typical performance of small mortgage lenders. It turned down 18.3% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 23rd percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 0.46 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 31st percentile on pricing. Compared against 1,883 small mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

149Applications2025
75.2%Originatedof applications
18.3%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
6.49%Median ratenational 6.63%
$8.6MLoan volume5 states

Novation Credit Union at a glance, 2025

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

16.8%Denial rate (all applications)-1.20 pts vs national
18.3%Denial rate (decided applications)-4.34 pts vs national
75.2%Origination rate+17.14 pts vs national
8.1%Withdrawn by applicant
0.0%Closed for incompleteness
6.49%Median interest rate-0.13 pts vs national
0.46Median rate spread (pts over APOR)+0.20 pts vs national
$55,000Median loan amount
$121Median total loan costs
$114kMedian applicant income
66%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%

23rd18.3% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

31st0.46 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

67th8.1%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

99th0.22% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
2023111975.4%5.8%6.49%$8.3M
20241671394.2%4.8%6.75%$13M
202514911216.8%18.3%6.49%$8.6M

What Novation 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 6 4% · 0.0% denied
Refinance 1 1% · 0.0% denied
Home improvement 62 42% · 14.5% denied
Other / HELOC 80 54% · 20.0% denied

By loan type

Conventional 149 100% · 16.8% denied

Also: 0 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 0 manufactured homes, 2 investment properties.

Why Novation Credit Union denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 25 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Other 13 52%
Debt-to-income ratio 6 24%
Credit history 5 20%
Employment history 1 4%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at Novation Credit Union

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

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
$50k – $100k493623.4%
$100k – $150k382616.1%
$150k – $250k383310.8%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
35–44312226.7%
45–54393410.5%
55–6438306.3%

Where Novation Credit Union lends

5 states and 26 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
Minnesota1299618.6%6.49%#177
Wisconsin15136.7%6.49%#446

Frequently asked questions

Novation Credit Union denied 18.3% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 23rd percentile of small mortgage lenders.

The most common reason Novation Credit Union gave in 2025 was "other", cited on 52.0% 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 Novation Credit Union originated in 2025 was 6.49%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.46 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 4% of its applications were for home purchases, 1% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 95% 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 Novation Credit Union. Data sources · Methodology