Mortgage lender · Bakersfield, CA · LEI 549300YHKDUKPJGRPK46

Safe 1 Credit Union review: approval odds, rates and grade (2025)

Safe 1 Credit Union earns a C, in line with the typical performance of small mortgage lenders. It turned down 12.3% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 40th percentile for approval odds. Compared against 1,883 small mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

391Applications2025
87.7%Originatedof applications
12.3%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
7.50%Median ratenational 6.63%
$36MLoan volume1 states

Safe 1 Credit Union at a glance, 2025

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

12.3%Denial rate (all applications)-5.70 pts vs national
12.3%Denial rate (decided applications)-10.31 pts vs national
87.7%Origination rate+29.69 pts vs national
0.0%Withdrawn by applicant
0.0%Closed for incompleteness
7.50%Median interest rate+0.88 pts vs national
Median rate spread (pts over APOR)
$75,000Median loan amount
$2,329Median total loan costs
$110kMedian applicant income
65%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%

40th12.3% denied

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

95th0.0%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

17th3.11% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
202346841311.8%11.8%7.25%$34M
202437431815.0%15.0%8.25%$24M
202539134312.3%12.3%7.50%$36M

What Safe 1 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 14 4% · 7.1% denied
Refinance 9 2% · 11.1% denied
Cash-out refinance 26 7% · 7.7% denied
Other / HELOC 342 87% · 12.9% denied

By loan type

Conventional 391 100% · 12.3% denied

Also: 5 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 0 manufactured homes, 0 investment properties.

Why Safe 1 Credit Union denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 48 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Other 21 44%
Incomplete application 17 35%
Debt-to-income ratio 9 19%
Credit history 1 2%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at Safe 1 Credit Union

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

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k282028.6%
$50k – $100k13912013.7%
$100k – $150k1271177.9%
$150k – $250k776811.7%
Over $250k201810.0%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
25–34312422.6%
35–44107988.4%
45–5411910214.3%
55–64685519.1%
65–7448472.1%

Where Safe 1 Credit Union lends

1 states and 4 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
California39134312.3%7.50%#290

Frequently asked questions

Safe 1 Credit Union denied 12.3% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 40th percentile of small mortgage lenders.

The most common reason Safe 1 Credit Union gave in 2025 was "other", cited on 43.8% 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 Safe 1 Credit Union originated in 2025 was 7.50%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.00 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 4% of its applications were for home purchases, 9% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 87% 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 Safe 1 Credit Union. Data sources · Methodology