What Are HELOC Rates Right Now? (Updated Monthly)
Key takeaways
- The prime rate is 7.00% from 17 September 2026 after the Fed raised its target to 3.75%-4.00%.
- National surveys put average HELOC rates around 7.5% to 8% in September 2026.
- Your rate = prime + a margin set by credit score, CLTV and DTI.
- Each 0.25-point prime move changes interest on $50,000 by about $10 a month.
What are HELOC rates right now? As of late September 2026, national surveys put the average HELOC rate at roughly 7.5% to 8% APR. The prime rate is 7.00% after the Federal Reserve's 16 September 2026 hike, and most lines are priced at prime plus a margin set by your credit score and equity.
Because nearly every home equity line of credit is variable, "today's rate" is really two numbers: the benchmark, which is the prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal, and the margin your lender adds. The benchmark moves when the Federal Reserve changes the federal funds target. The margin is fixed for the life of the line. This page shows both, dated, with a credit-tier table you can use to sanity-check a quote. We update it monthly.
What are HELOC rates right now? September 2026 snapshot
Different surveys measure different things (advertised rates, average offered APRs, or rates for a sample borrower), so they never match exactly. What matters is the range and the direction.
| Benchmark or survey | Figure | As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal funds target range | 3.75% – 4.00% | 16 Sept 2026 | Raised 0.25 point at the September FOMC meeting, the first hike since 2023 |
| Prime rate (WSJ) | 7.00% | From 17 Sept 2026 | Up from 6.75%; banks set prime at fed funds upper bound + 3 points |
| Average HELOC APR (Experian, national) | about 7.53% | September 2026 | Published before the hike; expect slightly higher offers now |
| Average HELOC rate (Money.com, via CBS News) | about 8.03% | 16 Sept 2026 | Survey average; methodology differs from Experian |
| Next FOMC meeting | 27–28 October 2026 | Scheduled | Most officials' projections signalled another hike was possible in 2026 |
You can confirm the bank prime loan rate on the Federal Reserve's H.15 release, which publishes it daily. Survey averages come from the named publishers and change weekly. Treat every figure here as a snapshot, not a quote.
Want to see which lenders are pricing below average this month? Our best HELOC rates page compares lender types, intro offers and fees side by side.
How your HELOC rate is built: prime plus margin
A variable HELOC rate is a formula: index + margin = fully indexed rate. Almost every US lender uses the WSJ prime rate as the index. The margin is set when you open the line and depends on how risky the lender thinks you are.
- Credit score: FICO scores of 740 and above usually get the smallest margins. Below 680, margins widen quickly and some lenders stop lending.
- Combined loan-to-value (CLTV): the mortgage plus the new line divided by the home's value. Staying at or under 80% CLTV typically earns a lower margin than borrowing up to 85% or 90%.
- Debt-to-income ratio (DTI): many lenders cap DTI at around 43%, with some going to 50% for strong files.
- Line size and relationship: larger lines and autopay from a checking account at the same bank often shave a fraction off the margin.
- Property type: primary residences get the best pricing; second homes and investment properties cost more, if offered at all.
Typical HELOC rates by credit tier (prime 7.00%)
The table below shows typical margin ranges and the resulting rate with prime at 7.00%. These are illustrative ranges based on how lenders commonly price HELOCs for a primary residence at 80% CLTV or less, not offers from any specific lender. Your quote can fall outside them.
| Credit profile | Typical margin over prime | Resulting variable rate | Interest-only payment on $50,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent (760+), CLTV under 70% | −0.50 to +0.50 | about 6.50% – 7.50% | about $271 – $313 a month |
| Very good (720–759) | +0.25 to +1.25 | about 7.25% – 8.25% | about $302 – $344 a month |
| Good (680–719) | +1.00 to +2.25 | about 8.00% – 9.25% | about $333 – $385 a month |
| Fair (640–679) | +2.00 to +3.50 | about 9.00% – 10.50% | about $375 – $438 a month |
| Below 640 | +3.50 or more, where offered | about 10.50%+ | about $438+ a month |
Interest-only payment = balance × rate ÷ 12. Once the draw period ends, the payment switches to principal and interest. At 8.5% a $50,000 balance repaid over 20 years costs about $434 a month, compared with about $354 interest-only.
Intro rates and rate floors
Many banks advertise a discounted introductory rate for the first 6 to 12 months. When it ends, the rate resets to prime plus your margin, so compare lenders on the margin, not the teaser. Also look for a rate floor (the lowest the rate can fall, even if prime drops) and a lifetime cap, which federal rules require every HELOC to disclose. Many lines cap out around 18%, and state law sets the ceiling in some places.
Recent prime rate history and what it did to HELOC rates
Every change in prime flows through to variable HELOC rates, usually from the next billing cycle. Here is how prime has moved over the last two years, based on Federal Reserve announcements.
| Effective date | Fed funds target range | Prime rate | Change to a $50,000 interest-only payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Dec 2024 | 4.25% – 4.50% | 7.50% | about −$10/month vs prior level |
| 18 Sept 2025 | 4.00% – 4.25% | 7.25% | about −$10/month |
| 30 Oct 2025 | 3.75% – 4.00% | 7.00% | about −$10/month |
| 11 Dec 2025 | 3.50% – 3.75% | 6.75% | about −$10/month |
| 17 Sept 2026 | 3.75% – 4.00% | 7.00% | about +$10/month |
A 0.25-point move changes the interest on a $50,000 balance by roughly $10 a month, or about $21 a month on $100,000. That is the practical scale of each Fed decision for most borrowers.
Where HELOC rates may go next
Nobody can promise a direction. The September 2026 projections released by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) showed most participants expecting at least one more increase in 2026, driven by inflation that has stayed above the Fed's 2% goal. If that happens, prime would rise to 7.25% and variable HELOC rates would follow within a billing cycle or two. If inflation cools faster, the Fed could hold. For a HELOC borrower, that means:
- Budget for a higher payment. Test your budget at prime plus 1 point, not just today's rate.
- Consider a fixed-rate option. Many lenders let you lock part of the balance at a fixed rate, usually a little above the variable rate.
- Compare with a home equity loan. Fixed home equity loans averaged around 7.7% in September 2026 surveys. If you need a single lump sum, the fixed rate may be worth a small premium.
How to get a rate below the average
- Get three to five quotes in the same week. Banks, credit unions and online lenders price margins very differently. Credit unions such as Navy Federal Credit Union often publish their rate grids.
- Compare margins and fees, not teaser rates. Ask each lender for the margin, the floor, any annual fee and any early-closure fee.
- Lower your CLTV. Asking for a slightly smaller line can move you into a better pricing tier.
- Clean up your credit first. Paying card balances below 30% of their limits a month before applying can lift your score enough to change tiers.
- Ask about relationship discounts. Autopay from a checking account at the lender is the most common discount.
Current HELOC rates by lender type
Where you borrow matters as much as when. Current HELOC rates from different kinds of lenders tend to follow the patterns below. These are general tendencies, not guarantees; always compare the actual margin in each quote.
| Lender type | How they usually price | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Large national banks | Prime plus a margin, often with a relationship discount for autopay from a checking account | Intro rates that reset after 6–12 months; annual fees |
| Credit unions | Often the smallest margins, sometimes at or below prime for top credit; many publish rate tables openly | Membership requirements; lower maximum CLTV at some |
| Online lenders and fintechs | Fast approval, automated valuation, sometimes fixed-rate draws | Origination fees taken from the line; higher margins for fair credit |
| Community and regional banks | Flexible on unusual properties or self-employed income | Rate floors; early-closure fees |
HELOC rates today vs other ways to borrow
HELOC rates today sit well below unsecured credit, which is why many homeowners use a line to consolidate card debt. September 2026 surveys put five-year personal loans around 11% to 12% APR and credit cards above 19%, compared with roughly 7.5% to 8% for HELOCs. The trade-off is security: a HELOC is secured by your home, so missed payments put the house at risk in a way a credit card does not. A variable HELOC rate can also rise, as it just did, while a personal loan's fixed rate cannot.
Reading a quote: margin, APR and fees
For a HELOC, the quoted APR is usually just the interest rate (index plus margin); unlike a mortgage APR, it does not include closing costs. So two quotes with the same APR can cost very differently once you add an annual fee, an appraisal charge or an early-closure fee. Ask each lender to state its HELOC margin in writing, then add up the fees you would pay over the first three years to compare real cost.
How we update this page each month
Because HELOC pricing is a formula, we track the inputs rather than guessing a single "rate of the day". Each month we record the WSJ prime rate from the Federal Reserve's H.15 data, the latest federal funds target range, and the national HELOC averages published by at least two independent surveys, with the date each was taken. We then re-run the credit-tier table and payment examples at the new prime rate. If the Fed changes rates between monthly updates, we update the prime rate figures within a few days of the decision.
What we do not do is publish a single lender's advertised rate as "the" rate. Advertised HELOC rates are often intro rates or apply only to borrowers with top credit, low CLTV and autopay. The margin table above is more useful for judging whether your own quote is competitive: take the quote, subtract 7.00%, and compare the margin you are left with to the tier that matches your credit score.
Rates, the prime rate and survey averages on this page are as of 28 September 2026 and will change. Always confirm the current terms and APR in the lender's disclosure before you sign. This is general information, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average HELOC rate right now?
In September 2026 national surveys showed averages of roughly 7.5% (Experian) to 8% (Money.com via CBS News). Individual offers depend on credit, equity and lender.
What is the prime rate today?
The WSJ prime rate is 7.00% from 17 September 2026, after the Federal Reserve raised the federal funds target to 3.75%-4.00% on 16 September 2026.
Will HELOC rates go up in 2026?
Possibly. Most FOMC participants projected another increase in 2026 in their September projections. If the Fed hikes, prime and variable HELOC rates rise with it. Nothing is certain.
What credit score gets the best HELOC rate?
Borrowers with FICO scores of 740 or higher and a combined loan-to-value of 80% or less usually receive the smallest margins over prime.
How often do HELOC rates change?
Variable HELOC rates change when the index changes, usually prime, which moves the same day as Fed rate decisions. The new rate typically applies from your next billing cycle.
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Open calculatorThis article is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are approximate and change over time — always verify with a qualified professional or the official source before making a decision.
Written and reviewed by the HELOC Payment Calculator editorial team. Facts checked against primary sources; see the reference above.