Quick answer
Directionally yes, but not for your personal rate. Bankrate's national HELOC average is a weekly poll of large lenders that assumes a 700 FICO, 80% CLTV, and a $30,000 line on a primary residence. Borrowers with higher scores or more equity usually get lower quotes, and weaker profiles get higher ones, so a soft-pull quote on your actual profile is the only way to know your rate.
Update, September 26, 2026: the Fed raised rates 0.25% on September 16, and the prime rate is now 7.00% (it was 6.75% when this was written). Variable HELOC rates are about 0.25% higher than the figures below. What the increase means for HELOCs →
What Bankrate's number actually measures
Bankrate's national HELOC average (7.43% on July 15, 2026) is calculated weekly from a poll of the largest home-equity lenders. The methodology assumes:
- 700 FICO score
- 80% combined loan-to-value (CLTV)
- $30,000 credit line
- Primary residence
- Single-family detached home
- No promo/introductory rates
If your profile matches this exactly, Bankrate is remarkably accurate. If you're a 780 FICO borrower at 55% CLTV wanting a $150K line, your quote will be materially lower than Bankrate's average. If you're a 650 FICO borrower at 82% CLTV wanting $75K, your quote will be higher.
How different sources compare
| Source | July 2026 avg | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Bankrate | 7.43% | Weekly poll, 700 FICO, 80% CLTV, $30K line |
| Curinos | 7.23% | Weekly poll, 780+ FICO, ≤70% CLTV (best borrower) |
| Experian (Curinos) | 7.50% | Same as Curinos, different presentation |
| Money.com | 7.04% | Broader lender poll, wider range shown |
| LendingTree | 8.23% | Average of ACTUAL funded customer rates (broader credit mix) |
| NerdWallet | ~7.35% | Editorial average of major lender advertised rates |
| Forbes Advisor | ~7.40% | Similar methodology to Bankrate |
Notice the 1.19 percentage-point range between Money.com (7.04%) and LendingTree (8.23%). Both are "national averages" — but they're measuring different things.
Why Bankrate skews lower than LendingTree
Bankrate polls advertised rates for a specific well-qualified profile. LendingTree publishes actual customer averages — which include borrowers at 640 FICO, 82% CLTV, non-owner-occupied properties, etc. LendingTree's number is a more accurate reflection of what a randomly-selected HELOC borrower actually paid.
For most borrowers, the truth is somewhere in between:
- 780+ FICO, 60% CLTV, primary residence: probably close to Curinos (7.23%) or better
- 700 FICO, 80% CLTV, primary residence: probably close to Bankrate (7.43%)
- 640 FICO, 82% CLTV, second home: probably closer to LendingTree (8.23%)
How to interpret Bankrate for YOUR situation
Rough personal rate estimate:
- Start with Bankrate's national number (7.43% in July 2026)
- Adjust for FICO: subtract ~10 bps per 20 FICO above 700; add ~15-30 bps per 20 FICO below 700
- Adjust for CLTV: subtract ~15-25 bps per 10 CLTV below 80%; add ~25-50 bps per 5 CLTV above 80%
- Adjust for state: subtract ~15-50 bps if you're in Iowa/ND/SD/AL/AR/IN/KS/KY; add ~15-30 bps if you're in HI/AK/NY/NJ/CT
- Adjust for property type: add 75-150 bps for investment property; add 25-75 bps for second home
Example: 760 FICO, 65% CLTV, primary residence in California = 7.43% - 20 bps (FICO) - 25 bps (CLTV) - 10 bps (state) = ~6.88% projected. Actual quote from a lender should land within 15 bps of this estimate.
The only way to know your real rate
Get a soft-pull quote at your actual FICO, CLTV, and state. A soft pull doesn't affect your credit score. You don't have to apply with several lenders to compare: because we're both a lender and a broker, one application lets us price our own HELOC and fixed-rate home equity loan options against wholesale programs you can't apply for directly, and show you the lowest total cost side by side. Our program considers credit scores down to 600 with compensating factors.
This is the ONE thing all comparison sites (Bankrate, NerdWallet, Forbes, etc.) cannot do for you — because they're aggregators, not lenders. Only actual lenders can quote actual rates for actual profiles.
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