Wachovia Tops JD Power HE Rankings

Wachovia ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction among home equity lenders in the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Home Equity Line/Loan Origination Study, according to the marketing information firm.The company said the inaugural study measures customer satisfaction with home equity line/loan lenders among 3,764 consumers who had obtained a home equity loan or line of credit in the previous nine months. Wachovia scored 768 on a 1,000-point scale, performing especially well in the areas of loan officers/representatives and the closing process, J.D. Power reported. Washington Mutual ranked second, with a score of 758 (and especially good marks on the application/approval process), and USAA finished third, at 755. "The effect a good representative can have on a customer's loan experience speaks volumes when it comes to satisfaction," said Jeremy Bowler, senior director of the company's finance and insurance research. J.D. Power, headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., can be found online at http://www.jdpower.com,