The Farmers & Merchants Bank at a glance, 2025
Every figure is from the lender's own HMDA filing. "vs national" compares with all lenders combined.
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%
31st14.9% deniedPricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%
2nd1.95 ptsProcesswithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%
55th10.5%Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%
58th1.73% of loanTrend, 2023–2025
| Year | Applications | Originated | Denial rate | Decision denial | Median rate | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 486 | 341 | 15.4% | 16.5% | 8.00% | $72M |
| 2024 | 459 | 326 | 16.1% | 16.9% | 8.75% | $81M |
| 2025 | 465 | 329 | 13.3% | 14.9% | 7.75% | $69M |
What The Farmers & Merchants Bank 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
By loan type
Also: 0 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 63 manufactured homes, 149 investment properties.
Why The Farmers & Merchants Bank denies applications
Primary reason reported for each of the 62 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.
Who gets approved at The Farmers & Merchants Bank
Decision denial rate by applicant profile. Groups with fewer than 20 applications are omitted.
| Applicant income | Applications | Originated | Decision denial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 102 | 54 | 35.1% |
| $50k – $100k | 133 | 97 | 14.3% |
| $100k – $150k | 77 | 56 | 8.6% |
| $150k – $250k | 42 | 29 | 5.7% |
| Over $250k | 27 | 21 | 4.6% |
| Applicant age | Applications | Originated | Decision denial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | 31 | 16 | 26.1% |
| 25–34 | 70 | 44 | 18.0% |
| 35–44 | 83 | 53 | 17.6% |
| 45–54 | 71 | 47 | 22.4% |
| 55–64 | 74 | 55 | 13.4% |
| 65–74 | 43 | 33 | 8.3% |
| Over 74 | 22 | 15 | 20.0% |
Where The Farmers & Merchants Bank lends
4 states and 32 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.
| State | Applications | Originated | Denial rate | Median rate | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 461 | 327 | 13.2% | 7.79% | #57 |
Frequently asked questions
The Farmers & Merchants Bank denied 14.9% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 31st percentile of small mortgage lenders.
The most common reason The Farmers & Merchants Bank gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 43.5% 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 The Farmers & Merchants Bank originated in 2025 was 7.75%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 1.95 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.
In 2025, 50% of its applications were for home purchases, 36% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 14% 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.