Mortgage Industry Veteran Kris Kehl Joins Planet to Expand California Presence

MERIDEN, Conn., Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Planet Home Lending, a national mortgage lender and servicer, continues expanding its Western retail footprint with the addition of veteran mortgage loan originator Kris Kehl (NMLS #321079) as Senior Mortgage Loan Officer in California. With more than two decades of mortgage experience, Kehl's relationship-first approach based on accessibility, communication, and trust will be a strong asset to the company.

"Kris brings an exceptional ability to serve homebuyers and their real estate agents," said Matt Payan, SVP National Production, Distributed Retail at Planet. "His depth of experience and commitment to helping borrowers find realistic paths to homeownership make him a great addition to our team."

During his 22-year career, Kehl has gained expertise in a deep variety of home loans, including conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, and reverse mortgages, as well as the full array of non-QM loans, tailored for business owners and the business investor community.

"Affordability is a key concern for many of the homebuyers I'm working with in today's market," Kehl said. "I encourage first-time buyers to think about homeownership as a long-term wealth-building strategy. For many people, an entry-level or transitional home is a smart first step that builds equity and creates real opportunity over time."

Kehl joins Planet at a time when the company continues to emphasize relationship-based lending and a servicing-retention model designed to support people throughout the homeownership life cycle.

About Planet Financial Group, LLC

Planet Financial Group, LLC, Meriden, Connecticut, is a fully integrated family of companies delivering innovative origination, servicing and asset management solutions. Through this synergistic ecosystem of products, services and technologies, Planet Financial Group provides best-in-class experiences for investors pursuing value maximization and borrowers seeking streamlined end-to-end loan lifecycle support. Planet Financial Group is the parent of Planet Home Lending, LLC. 

About Planet Home Lending, LLC 

Planet Home Lending, LLC, Meriden, Conn. (NMLS #17022) is a national mortgage lender and servicer delivering exceptional customer experiences to homeowners and homebuyers. Planet Home Lending, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender. For more information about Planet Home Lending, LLC, please visit https://planethomelending.com.

Press Contact

Dona DeZube
Senior Vice President, Communications
Planet Home Lending
[email protected]
(443) 263-2832

SOURCE Planet Home Lending