Estimate Lens

Read your Loan Estimate box by box

Holding a Loan Estimate? Read it box by box.

What it means

A Loan Estimate is a standard three-page form a lender must give you within three business days of receiving your application. Page 1 summarises the loan and costs, page 2 itemises closing costs in lettered sections, and page 3 has comparison figures and other terms. Because every lender uses the same form, you can line two up box by box.

Last reviewed against the primary sources listed below.

ToolBox decoderPick a box, get its meaning.Page 1Page 1, box by boxLoan terms, payments, costs at closing.Page 2Sections A to JWhere every closing cost lives.Page 3Comparisons and the TIPThe figures made for comparing.RulesWhich fees can changeTolerance categories explained.LaterLE vs Closing DisclosureMatching the two forms.CompareTwo estimates side by sideA line-by-line method.New guideWhen you get oneWhat counts as a mortgage application and how soon the lender must sen.New guideIntent to proceedWhat it means to tell a lender you intend to proceed, and why the timi.GlossaryKey termsPlain definitions with sources.

Before you start

Have the form open next to this site. Each guide follows the order of the printed form, and the CFPB's own explainer has an interactive version you can use alongside it.

What a Loan Estimate is not

It is not an approval or a commitment, and you are not obliged to proceed. It is the lender's written estimate, and the tolerance rules limit how much many of the figures can change.

Official form guidance