No clean rule here: a credit union, bank, or broker can each be excellent or terrible depending on the loan officer and the pricing that channel offers. The move that actually protects you is shopping at least two, ideally three, lenders or channels and comparing four things: - The rate - The full terms and costs - The loan officer's expertise - How well they communicate A great rate with a loan officer who disappears at underwriting can cost you the deal, so service is part of the price. For context on why channel matters: a credit union or bank quotes only its own products, while our model shops nearly 100 investors on a single file. Different structures can produce very different pricing for the same borrower. Get real quotes in writing from a couple of sources, compare them line by line, and weigh who you actually trust to close on time.