How popular isPenFed Credit Union?
In October 2026, people searched for PenFed Credit Union by name about 209,000 times in the United States, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 3% of all United States auto refinance company searches, placing PenFed Credit Union eighth out of eight companies. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about auto refinance companies, PenFed Credit Union appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the eight.
PenFed Credit Union is the eighth most searched of 8 competitors and the most recommended in the AI answers we collected.
Navy Federal Credit UnionShare of searches 24.5%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
CaribouShare of searches 19.9%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
Gravity LendingShare of searches 16.3%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
AutopayShare of searches 13.3%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
PenFed Credit UnionShare of searches 3%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
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Top auto refinance companies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, PenFed Credit Union appeared in all five answers. PenFed Credit Union is the most recommended of the eight.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- PenFed Credit Union5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Caribou3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
myAutoloan3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Navy Federal Credit Union2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Gravity Lending2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Autopay1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
RateGenius0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- iLending0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about auto refinance companies
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where's the best place to refinance my car loan?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which companies offer the lowest auto refinance rates?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Is it worth refinancing my car, and who should I use?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“auto refinance”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best auto refinance”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 2026.
How often do people search for PenFed Credit Union compared with other United States auto refinance companies?
Share of searches by month for Navy Federal Credit Union, Caribou, Gravity Lending, Autopay, RateGenius, iLending, myAutoloan, PenFed Credit Union. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Navy Federal Credit Union | Caribou | Gravity Lending | Autopay | RateGenius | iLending | myAutoloan | PenFed Credit Union |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 24.3% | 13.2% | 19.9% | 10.7% | 16.2% | 8.8% | 3.2% | 3.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 24.9% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 7.4% | 16.6% | 8.9% | 3.1% | 5.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 25.8% | 11.5% | 17.2% | 9.4% | 17.2% | 9.4% | 3.4% | 6.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 28% | 10.2% | 18.6% | 8.2% | 18.6% | 8.2% | 3.7% | 4.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 28.9% | 12.9% | 19.3% | 6.9% | 15.8% | 8.6% | 3.1% | 4.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.1% | 12.1% | 14.8% | 6.5% | 12.1% | 8.1% | 2.2% | 22.1% |
| May 2026 | 21.6% | 9.6% | 14.4% | 6.3% | 11.8% | 7.8% | 2.2% | 26.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 28.1% | 12.5% | 18.8% | 10.2% | 12.5% | 8.2% | 2.8% | 6.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 33.6% | 10% | 18.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 8.1% | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| Aug 2026 | 21.1% | 14.1% | 21.1% | 14.1% | 14.1% | 9.3% | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 24.3% | 16.2% | 19.8% | 13.2% | 10.8% | 8.7% | 3.9% | 3% |
| Oct 2026 | 24.5% | 19.9% | 16.3% | 13.3% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 4.8% | 3% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 24.5% | 8.1K | 0% | +0.1 points | |
| 2, moved from 3rd to 2nd | 19.9% | 6.6K | +22.2% | +3.7 pointsmoved from 3rd to 2nd | |
| 3, moved from 2nd to 3rd | 16.3% | 5.4K | -18.2% | -3.5 pointsmoved from 2nd to 3rd | |
| 4, held 4th | 13.3% | 4.4K | 0% | +0.1 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 10.9% | 3.6K | 0% | +0.1 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 7.3% | 2.4K | -17.2% | -1.5 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 4.8% | 1.6K | +23.1% | +0.9 points | |
| 8, held 8th | 3% | 1K | 0% | 0 points |
24.5%
Held 1st. 8.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
2.
Caribou19.9%
Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 6.6K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share +3.7 points.
16.3%
Moved from 2nd to 3rd. 5.4K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -3.5 points.
4.
Autopay13.3%
Held 4th. 4.4K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
10.9%
Held 5th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
6.iLending
7.3%
Held 6th. 2.4K estimated branded searches, -17.2% vs prior month. Share -1.5 points.
4.8%
Held 7th. 1.6K estimated branded searches, +23.1% vs prior month. Share +0.9 points.
Held 8th. 1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
Navy Federal Credit Union sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “navy federal auto refinance”.
Compare popularity between PenFed Credit Union and its closest rivals
- PenFed Credit Union vs Gravity Lending: compare popularity
- PenFed Credit Union vs Autopay: compare popularity
- PenFed Credit Union vs RateGenius: compare popularity
- PenFed Credit Union vs iLending: compare popularity
- PenFed Credit Union vs myAutoloan: compare popularity
- Compare PenFed Credit Union with any brand
Every comparison with PenFed Credit Union
23 comparisons
- BECU vs PenFed Credit Union
- Navy Federal Credit Union vs PenFed Credit Union
- PenFed Credit Union vs SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union
- PenFed Credit Union vs State Employees' Credit Union
- PenFed Credit Union vs Suncoast Credit Union
- Consumers Credit Union vs PenFed Credit Union
- Alliant Credit Union vs PenFed Credit Union
- Golden 1 Credit Union vs PenFed Credit Union
- First Tech Federal Credit Union vs PenFed Credit Union
- PenFed Credit Union vs Quorum Federal Credit Union
- Bank of America vs PenFed Credit Union
- Capital One vs PenFed Credit Union
- Chase vs PenFed Credit Union
- LightStream vs PenFed Credit Union
- PenFed Credit Union vs Wells Fargo
- Carvana vs PenFed Credit Union
- Ally Bank vs PenFed Credit Union
- myAutoloan vs PenFed Credit Union
- Autopay vs PenFed Credit Union
- Caribou vs PenFed Credit Union
- Gravity Lending vs PenFed Credit Union
- iLending vs PenFed Credit Union
- PenFed Credit Union vs RateGenius
How has branded search demand for PenFed Credit Union changed in the United States over the last 12 months?
4 findings
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for PenFed Credit Union in the United States held steady, from 207K to 209K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, PenFed Credit Union’s share of searches among auto refinance companies in the United States decreased from 3.7% to 3%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, PenFed Credit Union’s share of searches among auto refinance companies in the United States peaked at 26.4% in May 2026 and was lowest at 2.8% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, PenFed Credit Union fell from 7th to 8th among auto refinance companies in the United States.
How did search popularity change for United States auto refinance companies in October 2026?
6 changes
In October 2026, Caribou overtook Gravity Lending to rank 2nd among auto refinance companies in the United States, with 19.9% of the searches.
In October 2026, myAutoloan gained share of searches among auto refinance companies in the United States, from 3.9% to 4.8%.
In October 2026, Gravity Lending lost share of searches among auto refinance companies in the United States, from 19.8% to 16.3%.
In October 2026, iLending lost share of searches among auto refinance companies in the United States, from 8.7% to 7.3%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Autopay in the United States rose 51.7% over 12 measured months, from 2.9K to 4.4K in October 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Navy Federal Credit Union in the United States rose 22.7% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 8.1K in October 2026.
How are PenFed Credit Union’s branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using PenFed Credit Union’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.
- penfed
- penfed auto loan
- penfed auto refinance
- penfed credit union auto loan
Do you work for PenFed Credit Union? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.
Where does PenFed Credit Union compete?
| Competitor set | Rank | Share of searches | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit unions | 6th of 11 | 3.3% | Show ranking |
| Auto loan brands | 7th of 10 | 1.6% | Show ranking |
| Auto refinance companies | 8th of 8 | 3% | Shown above |
Is PenFed Credit Union your brand?
Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.