The Golden 1 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 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%
13th37.7% deniedPricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%
22nd0.53 ptsProcesswithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%
54th11.9%Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%
54th3.00% of loanTrend, 2023–2025
| Year | Applications | Originated | Denial rate | Decision denial | Median rate | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 8,821 | 5,018 | 28.8% | 33.1% | 8.50% | $1.6B |
| 2024 | 8,299 | 4,443 | 33.7% | 38.1% | 9.25% | $1.4B |
| 2025 | 11,609 | 6,107 | 33.2% | 37.7% | 7.75% | $2.3B |
What The Golden 1 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: 8,265 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 87 manufactured homes, 588 investment properties.
Why The Golden 1 denies applications
Primary reason reported for each of the 3,858 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.
Who gets approved at The Golden 1
Decision denial rate by applicant profile. Groups with fewer than 20 applications are omitted.
| Applicant income | Applications | Originated | Decision denial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 667 | 159 | 72.0% |
| $50k – $100k | 2,572 | 1,160 | 46.3% |
| $100k – $150k | 2,639 | 1,438 | 36.1% |
| $150k – $250k | 2,985 | 1,709 | 33.4% |
| Over $250k | 2,542 | 1,497 | 27.2% |
| Applicant age | Applications | Originated | Decision denial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | 32 | 15 | 38.5% |
| 25–34 | 1,056 | 538 | 34.4% |
| 35–44 | 2,990 | 1,564 | 38.2% |
| 45–54 | 2,755 | 1,491 | 37.9% |
| 55–64 | 2,383 | 1,216 | 40.6% |
| 65–74 | 1,558 | 828 | 35.5% |
| Over 74 | 714 | 345 | 41.0% |
Where The Golden 1 lends
1 states and 56 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.
| State | Applications | Originated | Denial rate | Median rate | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 11,609 | 6,107 | 33.2% | 7.75% | #19 |
Frequently asked questions
The Golden 1 denied 37.7% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 13th percentile of home-equity (HELOC) lenders.
The most common reason The Golden 1 gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 39.1% 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 Golden 1 originated in 2025 was 7.75%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.53 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.
In 2025, 15% of its applications were for home purchases, 27% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 57% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 99% conventional, 1% 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.