Achieve HELOC Review 2026: Fixed Rate and Easy Credit, but Closing Costs Add Up

Fixed APRs from 6.10% to 15.17% and a 600 minimum score, with closing costs of $750 to $10,304.

Home equity line of credit
Trustpilot 4.7 from 12,999 reviews. Read October 13, 2026
  • Fixed APRs from 6.10% to 15.17%
  • Lines from $15,000 to $700,000 with 10 to 30 year terms
  • Minimum credit score of 600
  • Closing costs of $750 to $10,304
  • Available in 31 states
Check your Achieve rate at achieve.com
ProductFixed-rate HELOC from Achieve Loans (NMLS ID #1810501)
APRFixed, 6.10% to 15.17%, assigned in underwriting. The lowest rate has strict conditions listed below
Line amount$15,000 to $700,000
Terms10, 15, 20 or 30 years, all with a 5-year draw period
Minimum credit score600
Maximum CLTV75% to 90%, based on credit score, property type and the new loan. Achieve’s June 2026 release adds a debt-to-income cap of up to 50%
Closing costs$750 to $10,304, depending on line amount and state law
Prepayment penaltyNone
Annual feeNot stated
FundingAs fast as 5 days once approved, with 10 to 12 business days given as the average
PropertyOwner-occupied only
States31 states, listed below
Trustpilot4.7 from 12,999 reviews, read October 13, 2026

Our take: The Achieve HELOC is a fixed-rate line of credit from $15,000 to $700,000 that takes a 600 credit score, which is lower than most banks ask. It’s a good fit if you want a payment that never moves and you need the money all at once.

It’s a poor fit if you want to borrow a little at a time. You start with the whole approved line drawn, so interest runs on all of it from the first month.

Check your state first. The line is available in 31 of them, and closing costs can run as high as $10,304.

How the Achieve HELOC works

Achieve sells its home equity line through Achieve Loans, which sits under the same parent company. Most HELOCs float with the prime rate. This one doesn’t. Your rate is fixed when you open it.

Here’s the part that trips people up. You don’t borrow as you go at first. The full approved amount comes out in your initial draw. For the next five years you can pay the balance down and borrow again, up to your limit, as often as you like. After year five you can’t draw any more and you just repay.

Payments are fully amortizing in both periods and based on the balance you owe each month. That means no interest-only stretch. You’re paying principal from day one.

The line sits on top of your first mortgage and doesn’t touch its rate or term.

Achieve HELOC rates

Fixed APRs run from 6.10% to 15.17%. That’s a wide spread, and the low end is a narrow door. The lowest advertised rate needs all of these at once:

  • A 10-year term
  • A FICO score of 700 or higher
  • A combined loan-to-value ratio of 40% or less
  • A debt-to-income ratio of 15% or less
  • Autopay enrollment, which isn’t required to get the loan but the discount goes away without it
  • A line over $35,000 and up to $150,000

A June 2026 press release talked about 5.5%. The product page today says 6.10%. Plan around that.

What does a rate mean in dollars? On a $50,000 line over 10 years, the monthly payment is about $558 at 6.10% and about $812 at 15.17%. Stretch it to 30 years and those become about $303 and $639. That’s standard amortization math, not a quote from Achieve.

What the Achieve HELOC costs

Closing costs range from $750 to $10,304, depending on the line amount and your state’s rules. They can include an origination charge of up to 4.0% of the line and an underwriting charge of $725 where the law allows it. On a $100,000 line, a 4.0% origination charge is $4,000.

One wrinkle. The footer says origination is up to 4.0%, but another disclosure on the same page says up to 3.50% where permitted. Ask which applies in your state before you sign.

There’s no prepayment penalty. Property insurance is required, and flood insurance may be too. The page doesn’t mention an annual fee either way, so ask about that one directly.

Who qualifies

You need a credit score of at least 600. Achieve also looks at your debt and income, your home’s value and what you need the money for. Debt-to-income can go up to 50% and combined loan-to-value up to 90%.

The home has to be owner-occupied. Achieve values it with an automated model, so a full in-person inspection usually isn’t needed.

If the money is for debt consolidation, there’s a rule worth knowing. Achieve says it only offers the HELOC for that if it lowers your monthly payments compared with your current minimums. It also pays your creditors directly.

Is the Achieve HELOC available in your state?

It covers 31 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Virginia, New York and Massachusetts aren’t on the list.

One caution. A state license doesn’t guarantee the line is offered there, so confirm when you apply.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Fixed APR from 6.10% to 15.17%, so your payment never changes.
  • A 600 minimum credit score.
  • Lines from $15,000 to $700,000 with 10, 15, 20 or 30 year terms.
  • No prepayment penalty.
  • Payments fully amortize, with no interest-only stretch.

Cons

  • Closing costs run $750 to $10,304 and can include an origination charge of up to 4.0%.
  • The whole line is drawn at closing, so interest starts on all of it.
  • The lowest rate needs a 700 FICO, CLTV of 40% or less, DTI of 15% or less and autopay.
  • Available in 31 states, not including Virginia or New York.
  • Owner-occupied homes only.

Who should use it

It suits a homeowner who knows how much they need, wants one steady payment and has a score in the 600s or 700s that a bank might not love.

Think a kitchen remodel with a firm quote, or paying off cards for good.

Pass if you want a line you tap lightly, like a cushion you might never use. You’ll pay interest on the full amount from the start. Pass too if closing costs would eat the benefit on a small line.

At the $750 low end it’s fine. At $10,304 it isn’t.

How to apply

Start at Achieve’s HELOC page. You can apply online or with a licensed Mortgage Advisor by phone. Checking your rate doesn’t involve a hard credit pull, and a pre-qualification decision can come back in as little as 2 minutes.

Speed claims differ. The product page says funding in as fast as 5 days once approved and also quotes 10 to 12 business days as the average. A June press release said as little as 7 business days. Plan on the average.

Check your Achieve rate at achieve.com

Achieve vs. other HELOCs

  • Figure: initial APRs of 7.35% to 14.85% as of October 6, 2026, offered in 48 states and Washington, D.C., with lines up to $750,000.
  • PenFed: a variable rate starting at 7.000% as of October 2026, a $99 annual fee, and PenFed pays most closing costs. You have to join the credit union.
  • Spring EQ: qualifies at a 640 FICO, borrow up to 90% of your home’s value, and no rates are posted on its site.

If you’d rather not make a monthly payment at all, read HEI vs HELOC to see how a home equity agreement compares.

Achieve could make sense if you want one fixed payment, have a credit score of 600 or higher, need the whole amount at once and live in one of its 31 states.

Check your Achieve rate at achieve.com

FAQ

What credit score do you need for an Achieve HELOC?

The minimum is 600. A higher score gets a lower rate, and the lowest advertised rate needs a FICO of 700 or more.

Is the Achieve HELOC rate fixed?

Yes. The APR is fixed and runs from 6.10% to 15.17%, assigned in underwriting.

How much can you borrow with an Achieve HELOC?

From $15,000 to $700,000, set by your credit score, debt-to-income ratio and combined loan-to-value ratio.

Does Achieve charge a prepayment penalty?

No. There’s no prepayment penalty for the life of the HELOC.

Which states is the Achieve HELOC available in?

31 states, from Alabama to Washington. The full list is in the states section above. It isn’t offered in Virginia, New York or Massachusetts.

Is Achieve legit?

Achieve Loans holds NMLS ID 1810501 and lists its state licenses on its site. Trustpilot shows 4.7 from 12,999 reviews as read October 13, 2026. You can confirm the license yourself at nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

Sources (7)

We use primary sources: each company’s own product pages and legal terms.

  1. Achieve. Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). achieve.com. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  2. Achieve. Achieve boosts HELOC loan limit to $700,000 with APRs as low as 5.5%. achieve.com. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  3. Achieve. Achieve Loans vs. Upstart HELOC. achieve.com. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  4. Achieve. Licenses. achieve.com. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  5. Trustpilot. Achieve reviews. trustpilot.com. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  6. PenFed Credit Union. Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). penfed.org. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  7. Spring EQ. Fixed-Rate HELOC. springeq.com. Accessed October 13, 2026.

Take the next step.

See what an Achieve HELOC could cost you.

AchieveFixed-rate HELOC

Fixed APRs from 6.10% to 15.17% and lines up to $700,000, with a 600 minimum score.

Check your Achieve rateLink to the official site

Rates, terms and availability change. Check the current terms on Achieve’s site before you apply.

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