PenFed Credit Union vs RateGenius:Which is more popular in the United States?
In October 2026, RateGenius had more branded searches than PenFed Credit Union among auto refinance companies in the United States. RateGenius had about 3,600 branded searches, while PenFed Credit Union had 1,000. RateGenius made up 10.9% of all auto refinance company searches we track, and PenFed Credit Union accounted for 3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about auto refinance companies, PenFed Credit Union appeared in all five answers and RateGenius in none.
Who do people search for more?
RateGenius, about 4 searches for every 1 for PenFed Credit Union
Who does AI mention more?
PenFed Credit Union, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
PenFed Credit Union, the only one of the two named
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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. RateGenius did not appear in any of the five answers.
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.
Is PenFed Credit Union or RateGenius more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for PenFed Credit Union and RateGenius by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight auto refinance companies we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for RateGenius, 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% |
How has branded search for PenFed Credit Union and RateGenius changed in the United States over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending October 2026: PenFed Credit Union took it in April 2026, RateGenius took it in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, PenFed Credit Union’s share of searches among auto refinance companies in the United States moved from 3.7% to 3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, RateGenius’ share of searches among auto refinance companies in the United States moved from 16.2% to 10.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 3.6K.
How did search popularity change for United States auto refinance companies in October 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for RateGenius in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 4.4K to 3.6K in October 2026.
How are PenFed Credit Union’s and RateGenius’ branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using PenFed Credit Union’s and RateGenius’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
PenFed Credit Union
1 branded search term
- penfed auto refinance
RateGenius
1 branded search term
- rategenius
Other head-to-heads among auto refinance companies
- Navy Federal Credit Union vs Caribou: compare popularity
- Navy Federal Credit Union vs Gravity Lending: compare popularity
- Navy Federal Credit Union vs Autopay: compare popularity
- Navy Federal Credit Union vs RateGenius: compare popularity
- Caribou vs Gravity Lending: compare popularity
- Caribou vs Autopay: compare popularity
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