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Bank of America HELOC Review 2025

Last updated on November 24, 2025
Abby Badach Doyle
Written by 
Lead Writer & Content Strategist
Dawnielle Robinson-Walker
Edited by 
Editor & Content Strategist
Fact Checked
Abby Badach Doyle
Written by 
Lead Writer & Content Strategist
Dawnielle Robinson-Walker
Edited by 
Editor & Content Strategist
Fact Checked

Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.

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NerdWallet's mortgage content, including articles, reviews and recommendations, is produced by a team of writers and editors who specialize in home lending. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The Washington Post, MarketWatch, Newsweek and many other national, regional and local publications. They have been cited in publications including The Wall Street Journal, and appeared on NerdWallet's "Smart Money" podcast as well as local TV and radio.

Our Take

5.0

HELOCs
NerdWallet rating
The Nerdy headline:

Bank of America is the largest HELOC lender in the nation by volume. It offers borrowers many money-saving benefits, like a 6-month introductory rate below prime and no initial draw requirement, origination fee or annual fee. A fixed-rate option is available. However, the bank doesn’t publish its typical timeline to close.

Jump to:Full Review
Bank of America
Bank of America: NMLS#399802

National / regional
National
Max LTV
85%
Min. credit score
660
Loan types and products
Purchase, Refinance, Home Equity, Jumbo, Fixed, Adjustable, FHA, VA

Pros

  • Offers many discounts and a 6-month introductory rate.

  • No initial draw requirement, origination fee or annual fee.

  • Fixed-rate option available.

Cons

  • Doesn’t publish average closing time.

  • HELOC application isn’t available on mobile app.

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Full Review

💲Bank of America HELOC Rates

HELOC rates are determined by two things. The first is the prime rate, which is what banks pay to borrow from one another. The second part is a margin, which the lender calculates based on your financial qualifications (including your credit score, existing debts and income). The prime rate plus your margin equals your HELOC rate offer.

Current prime rate

Prime rate last week

Prime rate in the past year — low

Prime rate in the past year — high

7%

7%

7%

8%

Users can customize their own HELOC rate quote on Bank of America’s website.

👍 Reasons to get a Bank of America HELOC

Bank of America is the top provider of HELOCs in the U.S. and scores highly on many of the key things we look for in our rubric. For starters, you can save money with its 6-month introductory rate below prime and lack of origination and annual fees.

Other discounts are available for borrowers who:

  • Set up automatic payments from certain Bank of America accounts. 

  • Make an initial withdrawal when they open their accounts.

  • Become a member of Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program.

A fixed rate option is available to keep payments predictable. There’s no initial draw requirement on a Bank of America HELOC. It has a draw period of 10 years and repayment period of 20 years, and you can borrow up to 85% of your home’s value (minus what you still owe). HELOCs are available for second homes.

🤔 Reasons why Bank of America’s HELOC gives us pause

Unlike some lenders we review, Bank of America doesn’t publish their average time to close a HELOC. The average time to close a HELOC is 24 days, according to the HELOC lenders NerdWallet surveyed in 2025. If you need to access your funds quickly, it can be helpful to know a lender’s average closing time before you apply.

📎 Ways to apply for a Bank of America HELOC

How to Apply

Availability

Online 🧑‍💻

Over the phone 📞

Mobile app 📶

🚫

In person 🏦

You can contact Bank of America’s customer service by phone, online chat or in person.

🛒 Alternatives to a Bank of America HELOC

Wondering if another lender or product might be a better fit? It’s worth it to shop around to learn more about your options.

For another large national bank that offers a fixed-rate option, consider a U.S. Bank HELOC.

If you’re looking for a competitive introductory offer, FourLeaf Federal Credit Union offers a 12-month introductory rate below prime.

If you’re looking for a lender that offers a higher borrowing limit, Navy Federal Credit Union offers a combined loan-to-value ratio of 95%, but you’ll need to have a connection to the armed forces or Department of Defense to be eligible to join the credit union.

A HELOC isn’t your only option

You can also explore products outside of HELOCs. Alternatives to home equity lines of credit include a home equity loan, which offers a lump sum with a fixed rate, or a cash-out refinance, which replaces your existing mortgage with a larger loan.

Bank of America offers cash-out refinancing, but not home equity loans.

Borrow from your home’s equity

Methodology

NerdWallet’s HELOC star ratings are independently researched and developed by the editorial team based on the following factors: HELOC lending volume, maximum combined loan-to-value ratio, whether a fixed-rate option is available, initial draw requirements, flexibility of draw and repayment terms, average time to close, interest rate transparency, length of any introductory term below the prime rate, lender fees, availability for second homes, application availability and customer support options. Lenders can receive bonus points for offering options for HELOC rate discounts. A recent regulatory action against a lender may affect its HELOC star rating.