Mortgage lender · Durham, NC · LEI 549300W2VOHO3742H053

SELF-HELP Credit Union review: approval odds, rates and grade (2025)

SELF-HELP Credit Union earns a D, weaker than most small mortgage lenders. It turned down 20.1% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 19th percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 1.67 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 4th percentile on pricing. Compared against 1,883 small mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

202Applications2025
70.8%Originatedof applications
20.1%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
8.00%Median ratenational 6.63%
$32MLoan volume4 states

SELF-HELP Credit Union at a glance, 2025

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

18.3%Denial rate (all applications)+0.34 pts vs national
20.1%Denial rate (decided applications)-2.48 pts vs national
70.8%Origination rate+12.76 pts vs national
8.9%Withdrawn by applicant
0.0%Closed for incompleteness
8.00%Median interest rate+1.38 pts vs national
1.67Median rate spread (pts over APOR)+1.42 pts vs national
$220,000Median loan amount
Median total loan costs
$62kMedian applicant income
95%Median loan-to-value
0High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the D 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%

19th20.1% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

4th1.67 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

63rd8.9%

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
202314511416.6%17.3%8.38%$27M
202421515517.7%19.2%8.50%$36M
202520214318.3%20.1%8.00%$32M

What SELF-HELP 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 198 98% · 18.2% denied
Refinance 2 1% · 0.0% denied
Cash-out refinance 2 1% · 50.0% denied

By loan type

Conventional 202 100% · 18.3% denied

Also: 0 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 30 manufactured homes, 1 investment properties.

Why SELF-HELP Credit Union denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 37 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Collateral 18 49%
Debt-to-income ratio 7 19%
Insufficient cash 4 11%
Unverifiable information 4 11%
Employment history 2 5%
Other 1 3%
Credit history 1 3%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at SELF-HELP Credit Union

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

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k603832.8%
$50k – $100k1239314.3%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
25–34403313.2%
35–44815718.9%
45–54462925.0%

Where SELF-HELP Credit Union lends

4 states and 55 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
North Carolina15810918.4%8.00%#263
Florida393115.4%8.00%#641

Frequently asked questions

SELF-HELP Credit Union denied 20.1% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 19th percentile of small mortgage lenders.

The most common reason SELF-HELP Credit Union gave in 2025 was "collateral", cited on 48.6% 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 SELF-HELP Credit Union originated in 2025 was 8.00%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 1.67 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 98% of its applications were for home purchases, 2% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 0% 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 SELF-HELP Credit Union. Data sources · Methodology