Definition of "Truth in Lending (TIL)"

Leisa Ormsbee real estate agent

Written by

Leisa Ormsbeeelite badge icon

Realty Texas

The federal law that specifies the information that must be provided to borrowers on different types of loans. Also, the form used to disclose this information. Truth in Lending (TIL) is a great idea, in principle. The idea is to require lenders to provide one uniform set of price disclosures that are consistent from loan to loan and from lender to lender. Then consumers can make apples-to-apples price comparisons across loan types and across lenders. The idea has worked concerning the methodology used to calculate interest cost. Borrowers no longer have to contend with non-comparable ways to calculate interest: discount rates, add-on rates, and internal rates of return. APR: The internal rate of return used to measure interest cost on a mortgage is called the annual percentage rate, or APR. The APR on a mortgage is misleading because upfront fees are a major cost, yet only some of them are included in the APR. In addition, the APR assumes all loans run to term, when in fact most mortgages are paid in full well before term. Subordination Policy on Second Mortgages: Very few borrowers who take out a second mortgage are aware that the second mortgage lender can prevent them from refinancing their first mortgage. When the existing first mortgage is repaid, the existing second mortgage automatically becomes the first mortgage unless the second mortgage lender is willing to subordinate his claim to that of the lender providing the new mortgage into which the borrower is refinancing.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Mortgage Terms

A documentation rule where the borrower discloses assets and their source but the lender does not verify the amount. ...

A multi-lender Web site that offered borrowers the capacity to shop among multiple competing lenders. ...

Markets in which mortgages or mortgage-backed securities are bought and sold. 'Whole Loan' Markets Versus Securities Markets: Secondary mortgage markets are of two general types. 'Whole ...

An ARM on which the lender has the right to change the interest rate at any time, for any reason, by any amount, subject only to a requirement that the borrower be notified in advance. The ...

An option attached to a mortgage, which allows the borrower to pay only the interest for some period. A mortgage is 'interest only' if the monthly mortgage payment does not include any ...

The interest rate used in calculating the initial mortgage payment in qualifying a borrower. The rate used in qualifying borrowers may or may not be the initial rate on the mortgage. On ...

A rate lock, plus an option to reduce the rate if market interest rates decline during the lock period. ...

A particular computerized system for doing automated underwriting. Mortgage insurers and some large lenders have developed such systems, but the most widely used are Fannie Mae's 'Desktop ...

Same as term Qualification: The process of determining whether a prospective borrower has the ability to repay a loan. ...

Popular Mortgage Questions