Compare Loan Estimates from different lenders, line by line

Paste two or three Loan Estimates for the same kind of mortgage; get a side-by-side of the CFPB's key lines and polite questions for each lender.

What it does

No bot required, and it won't pick a lender for you. The CFPB says that once you've chosen a home, you should request Loan Estimates from multiple lenders, asking each for the same kind of loan with the same features; it says homebuyers can potentially save $600 to $1,200 a year by getting offers from multiple lenders. A lender must send a Loan Estimate within three business days once you give six pieces of information (name, income, Social Security number, property address, estimated value and loan amount). Multiple mortgage credit checks within 45 days count as a single inquiry, and before issuing a Loan Estimate the only fee a lender may charge is a small credit report fee. The CFPB's Loan Estimate explainer says to check whether the rate is locked, look for risky features (can the loan amount, rate or payment go up after closing; prepayment penalty; balloon payment), compare origination charges (it's the total that matters) and the services you can't shop for, check lender credits and points, and use the Comparisons section (APR and Total Interest Percentage). If you don't say you intend to proceed within 10 business days, a lender can close the application. Paste the numbers into any chat AI (leave out your SSN and account numbers) and it builds the comparison and questions. The CFPB also points to HUD-certified housing counselors (1-800-569-4287) for help. Under contract and near closing? The Closing Disclosure check is the next step.

Copy-paste prompt

No bot needed: paste this into Grok, ChatGPT, or Claude.

Help me compare mortgage Loan Estimates from different lenders. Use the CFPB's "Request and review multiple Loan Estimates" page and its Loan Estimate explainer as background. Don't tell me which lender to choose, and don't give financial advice. I've left out my Social Security number and account numbers.

Loan I asked each lender for: [e.g. 30-year fixed, conventional, $___ loan amount, ___ down].
For each Loan Estimate (2 or 3 lenders):
Lender [A]: date issued [ ]; interest rate [ ]; rate locked? [yes, until ___ / no]; monthly principal & interest [ ]; estimated total monthly payment [ ]; can the loan amount, rate or monthly principal & interest go up after closing? [ ]; prepayment penalty? [ ]; balloon payment? [ ]; A. origination charges total [ ]; points [ ]; B. services you cannot shop for total [ ]; C. services you can shop for total [ ]; lender credits [ ]; estimated cash to close [ ]; APR [ ]; Total Interest Percentage (TIP) [ ]

1. First check that the loans match (same loan type, term, amount and features). If they don't, say so; the CFPB says to compare the same kind of loan.
2. Make a side-by-side table of the lines above. Mark blanks as "check the Loan Estimate."
3. Flag the CFPB's risky features (anything that can go up after closing, a prepayment penalty, a balloon payment) and any rate that isn't locked.
4. Point out where one lender has points or lender credits and another doesn't, and explain in one sentence how that trades upfront cost against the interest rate.
5. Write short, polite questions for each lender about the differences (for example: "Can you show me a Loan Estimate without points?" or "Why is the origination total higher than another offer I have?").
6. Remind me of timing: about 10 business days to say I intend to proceed before a lender can close the application, and I'm not committed to a lender until I sign final loan documents.
7. Remind me never to sign a form with blank spaces, and that a HUD-certified housing counselor (1-800-569-4287) can help me review.

End with: this is a comparison worksheet, not financial advice.