Veterans First VA Loans Review

A VA lender that is a division of a national bank, not a standalone broker. That changes who is behind it.

By Michael Hewitt, Founder & Editor-in-Chief. Rates last checked September 9, 2026.

Our verdict

Veterans who want a VA specialist inside a supervised bank should start here: Veterans First is a division of Barrington Bank & Trust, lends in all 50 states and has a 4.9 Trustpilot score across 2,443 reviews. Cost visibility is the gap. Rates and fees aren't published, and the VA funding fee applies unless you're exempt, so read the Loan Estimate for both.

Skip it if you're shopping a conventional loan rather than a VA loan.

About Veterans First VA Loans

A VA lender that is a division of a national bank, not a standalone broker. That changes who is behind it. Veterans First VA Loans is offered by Veterans First Mortgage, a division of Barrington Bank & Trust Company, N.A., a Wintrust Community Bank (NMLS #449042). Our editorial rating is 4.4 out of 5.

Best for: Veterans who want a VA specialist inside a supervised bank.

Editorial grade: A- (composite score 85/100).

Highlights

A division of Barrington Bank & Trust Company, N.A., a Wintrust Community Bank, which means the lender sits inside a federally supervised bank
NMLS #449042; VA-approved and lending in all 50 states
No CFPB complaints under the Veterans First name: complaints against a bank division are filed against the bank
Over 30 years of VA lending stated by the company

What we like

Bank-owned rather than a thinly capitalised broker, with a chartered bank's supervision behind it
VA specialism is real: the company has been doing this since before the current wave of VA-focused lenders
A 4.9 across 2,443 reviews is a strong sample, unlike the two- and three-figure counts of the other lenders listed here
All 50 states

Where it falls short

The clean complaint record is structural (the bank absorbs complaints), so it is not the endorsement it looks like
VA-focused, so it is the wrong place to shop a conventional loan
No published rates or fees; the Loan Estimate is the first checkable number

Fees, minimums, and rates

Monthly fee: Not published; VA funding fee applies unless exempt. Minimum to open: $0 down on a qualifying VA loan. Rates and fees last checked on September 9, 2026.

How we reviewed it

This is a desk review: we have not opened an account with Veterans First Mortgage, a division of Barrington Bank & Trust Company, N.A., a Wintrust Community Bank (NMLS #449042). It is built from Veterans First Mortgage, a division of Barrington Bank & Trust Company, N.A., a Wintrust Community Bank (NMLS #449042)'s published rates, fee schedule and terms and from the public complaint record, and compared with the other products in the Purchase Mortgage shortlist. The rubric is the same for every brand.

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Read our full editorial methodology for how we review products.