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Named as one of Fast Company’s most innovative companies of 2016, Earnest deploys a merit-based consumer lending policy that — depending on credit score, income, and employment history – offers some of the lowest student loan refinance interest rates in the industry. The San Francisco-based company claims its use of technology reduces its overhead costs and enables it to offer lower rates. According to its website, Earnest does not offer variable rates in some states and is still working for approval in Nevada, Alabama, and Kentucky.

Like other lenders on this list, SouthEast Bank’s Education Loan Finance appears consistently on recent lists of top student loan refinance lenders. According to U.S. News & World Report, ELFI has no maximum loan amount, is available for all types of student loans, in some cases will approve loans from borrowers with up to 50% debt-to-income ratio, and has a top rating form the U.S. Better Business Bureau. But those who consider ELFI would need a relatively strong credit score of at least 680 and must borrow at least $15,000.

A quick and simple online application process is rapidly becoming the standard in the mortgage lending industry. Chicago-based Guaranteed Rate, founded in 2000, was named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best online mortgage refinance lenders for 2018. The magazine cited its low annual percentage rates on 15- and 30-year fixed-rate loans for qualified applicants with as little as 2.25% equity in their existing mortgages. J.D. Power has given Guaranteed Rate 5 out of 5 stars for customer satisfaction.

J.G. Wentworth, a Pennsylvania-based financial services company, has dealt with financial troubles in recent years. Despite problems linked to the housing crisis of 2007, which put the company through two Chapter 11 bankruptcies, the 28-year-old lender has consistently received positive customer reviews. The company currently holds a customer rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars at the personal finance website Bankrate and a 9.8 out of 10 at consumer product review site Consumer Advocate.

Founded in 2013, this San Francisco-based company is responding to the increasing demand by consumers for a simpler online mortgage lending process. Lenda provides several rate quotes and no-fee application process. Homeowners begin the process by entering basic information, including credit score, details about their current mortgage, and the value of their homes, and Lenda’s algorithms automatically deliver a menu of refinance options. Lenda is currently available only in a dozen states, including California, Texas, and Florida.

LendingTree is a popular and positively reviewed online one-stop lending exchange that includes mortgage refinance options. The 23-year-old North Carolina company provides financial tools and an online interface allowing users to easily compare rates of mortgage products. The company’s website then submits requests for loan information from numerous financial institutions nationwide based on one online form completed by the applicant. The offered products can then be compared to similar products offered at other sites such as Bankrate.

Named one of the top general lending fintech firms of 2018 by private company tracker CB Insights, LendKey claims to leverage its technology and relationship with more than 300 credit unions and community banks to offer fixed or variable rate refinancing loans with five- to 20-year terms. Borrowers can review a list of multiple lenders and use co-signers (who are released after 12 consecutive monthly payments) and take out loans from $5,000 to $300,000. LendKey’s fixed and variable rates can be at the high end (as much as 8.97% on a fixed loan) depending on an applicant’s credit worthiness.

Detroit-based Quicken Loans is a lender of conventional and variable rate mortgages that is known for its wide variety of products and positive customer service ratings. Its Rocket Mortgage website founded in late 2015 touts a streamlined online application process that can approve or reject borrowers in minutes rather than days. The site also provides registered users with customizable real-time rates. Quicken Loans claims that its scale and market penetration allow it to provide one of the most accurate online cost calculators.

Online lender SoFi is one of the few lenders focusing strictly on student loan refinancing and as such offers many refinancing options with rates currently starting at 2.47% for a variable rate loan and 3.9% for a fixed rate. It also offers terms of five, seven, 10, 15, and 20 years. SoFi covers all types of student loans offered by schools and institutions that participate in federal Title IV student aid, such as federally funded aid like Pell Grants. Drawbacks include undisclosed qualifying criteria, no cosigner release policy, and discharge of debt because of death or disability is determined on a case by case basis.

Named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best student loan consolidation lenders for 2019, Cleveland-based Splash Financial gets high marks for offering some of the lowest APRs for those seeking to refinance or consolidate their student loan debt on terms starting at five years and extending to as long as 20 years. Eligible applicants currently can get rates as low as 3.14% variable APR and 3.75% on a fixed rate loan. Loans can range from $7,500 to $350,000 with a minimum annual income requirement of $42,000.