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Regions beats the competition when it comes to fees: It doesn’t charge any unless you’re taking out a home equity line of credit greater than $250,000. Plus, the bank offers some of the lowest rates we’ve seen for borrowers with excellent credit. Its main downside: a small geographical footprint with licenses to lend in just 15 states.
Formed in 1970 by the merger of three banks in Alabama, Regions now covers two regions of the country – the South (including Texas) and the Midwest – operates around 1,250 bank branches. Its parent, Regions Financial Corporation, trades publicly and is a member of the S&P 500 Index.
With Regions Bank, you can choose between two home equity products: a HELOC and a home equity loan.
The bank’s HELOC is a variable-rate line of credit in amounts of $10,000 to $500,000 over a 30-year term. Borrowers can draw from the account during the first 10 years, taking the remaining 20 years for repayment. The bank also offers a Loan-in-a-Line feature, which includes the option to convert up to 10 chunks of your outstanding variable-rate balance into a fixed-rate loan for 3, 5, 7, 10 or 15 years in most states.
The bank’s home equity loan is available for amounts starting at $10,000 up to $250,000. The bank offers repayment terms of 10, 15 or 20 years at a fixed rate.
Because of Regions’ appealing low rates and lack of major closing costs/fees, we gave the bank a 5 out of 5 for affordability.
Because of Regions’ diverse mix of home equity products and the bank’s relaxed loan and draw minimums, the bank scores 3.1 out of 5 for availability. The only real drag is the small geographical footprint.
While the ability to apply online, in a branch or over the phone deliver extra convenience for borrowers, Regions scores a solid 4 out of 5 for borrower experience. Lack of HELOC rate transparency pulls it down a point.
Whether you qualify for a Regions Bank HELOC or home equity loan depends on a few factors: your credit score, combined loan-to-value (CLTV) ratio, existing debt and the collateral used to secure the loan.
The bank requires that the collateral be a primary or secondary residence with a minimum of $10,000 in equity.
Additionally, the bank limits the CLTV ratio to up to 89 percent for a home equity loan and 80 percent for a HELOC. With HE Loans, the limits run from 85 percent to 89 percent on primary residences; 75 percent on second homes.
You can only apply for either of these products if your property is located in one of these states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana or Texas.
When you’re ready to apply for a Regions Bank home equity product, you can do so in a few ways: online, over the phone (1-888-IN-A-SNAP) or at a branch. The bank’s phone lines are open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT. The bank also has a 24/7 online chat feature that can answer basic questions and connect you with a representative. Note: You’ll need to visit a branch to close your loan or line of credit.
Bankrate insight
You can tap into your home equity — the difference between your home's worth and what you owe on your mortgage — with a home equity loan or a HELOC. With those funds, you can tackle a variety of expenses, like debt consolidation or home renovations.
However, before you dive in, it's important to figure out your loan-to-value ratio (LTV). Lenders use your LTV to determine how much of your equity stake you can actually borrow. (It’s typically 80 percent, although some lenders allow you to access as much as 90 or even 95 percent.) The amount of equity they’ll let you tap is one consideration when choosing a lender. Be it a retail bank, online lender or credit union, it may offer different home equity loan rates and terms, too. That’s why it’s important to shop around for the best deal.
Plenty of Regions current customers have headed online to voice complaints about their experience: The bank has a 1.4 out of 5 rating among more than 300 Trustpilot reviews and a 1.88 out of 5 on its Better Business Bureau profile. It’s worth noting, however, that most of these complaints appear to be related to the bank’s other banking products and accounts (in 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau hit Regions with $191 million of penalties for its overdraft fee practices). Food for thought, as Regions offers home equity borrowers discounts for auto-pay from a Regions account.
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Regions Bank
Bankrate score
4.0
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Interest rates, fees, loan terms, borrower requirements and customer service are some of the factors that make up Bankrate's score.
Customer score
1.0
Star ranking and total number reflects the lifetime customer reviews received while this lender has been an advertiser on Bankrate. To help serve you with relevant information, the customer reviews shown are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.
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Bankrate score
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Interest rates, fees, loan terms, borrower requirements and customer service are some of the factors that make up Bankrate's score.
Customer score
Star ranking and total number reflects the lifetime customer reviews received while this lender has been an advertiser on Bankrate. To help serve you with relevant information, the customer reviews shown are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.
|
Bankrate score
Bankrate scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Interest rates, fees, loan terms, borrower requirements and customer service are some of the factors that make up Bankrate's score.
Customer score
Star ranking and total number reflects the lifetime customer reviews received while this lender has been an advertiser on Bankrate. To help serve you with relevant information, the customer reviews shown are limited to only those that this advertiser has received during the past 12 months.
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Loan amount |
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$10,000-$500,000 for HELOC; $10,000-$250,000 for home equity loan |
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Min. credit score required |
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Undisclosed |
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Repayment terms |
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10-year draw period and 20-year repayment term for HELOCs; 10-20 years for home equity loans |
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Funds available in |
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20 days |
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Recent customer review |
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Customer review No reviews available yet. N/A |
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1.0
1 ratings
0% of customers would recommend this lender.