Although the term has a rather wide range of meanings, in general, discount points are additional fees charged by the lender when issuing a loan. Through this fee in favor of the lender, the borrower is entitled to expect an appropriate reduction in the interest rate on the loan. In each case, the borrower should carefully evaluate whether it is advantageous to pay more as an upfront fee but receive a lower interest rate for the entire term of the loan, or to choose a higher interest rate with a lower down payment.

A credit line loan is a method of lending in which a borrower is entitled to receive and use the funds within an allocated period of time, with a disbursement limit and/or a debt limit. The credit line agreement includes an obligation of the bank to provide a loan to the borrower within a certain period of time under agreed terms and conditions.

In lending industry, subprime loan means lending to individuals who have difficulties with meeting repayment schedules or other key terms of the loan agreement. Borrowers with a FICO score below 600 are usually considered subprime, although this threshold changes over time and other criteria are added to it.

A subprime loan is a loan that is accompanied by a high level of risk for the lender. Most often the cause of high risk is the status of the borrower (poor credit history, low income, etc.) or the terms of the loan (no collateral for a high loan amount, poor quality of collateral).

It is important to understand that the Department of Veterans Affairs does not issue loans directly and does not specify a minimum credit score anywhere, but only guarantees certain loan terms for veterans. However, most sources state that lending agencies require a minimum credit score ranging from 580 to 620 in order to approve a VA loan. However, it should be noted that there are precedents in which people managed to get a VA loan even with a credit score of 500.

Each banking institution has its own procedures, rules and methodologies for examining and analyzing the creditworthiness of a potential borrower applying for a loan. The underwriting procedure results in a positive decision on the loan application or refusal to grant a loan, or a compromise decision: granting a loan, but in the amount and/or under the conditions that are favorable to the bank, even if they differ from the client's expectations. That is, a credit underwriter is a specialist who makes such decisions.

For checking your loan status through Small Business Administration, you can contact SBA hotline and address consultants any question you have. In case you applied via the COVID-19 portal, SBA specialists will call you, as well as you might be able to use a pay-free hotline.

Most companies try to maintain a positive reputation in the market and conduct a transparent lending policy. However, there are some that are interested only in increasing profits. Often under the guise of favorable programs they use hidden fees, additional commissions and unreasonable fines, which lead customers to a debt pit. There are many parameters that may underline such companies. Among the main ones are the following: solvency and sufficient liquidity reserve, size and structure of equity capital, quality of the loan portfolio, information on the management, reputation and information transparency. You should also check for information on the company at Better Business Bureau and similar resources.

A jumbo loan is a mortgage that exceeds a certain limit set by the U.S. government. It should be noted that the specific value for a loan to be called jumbo varies for each state, mortgage type, and year. For example, in 2021, the limit on an FHA loan for a single-family property in many states is $548,250.

A loan estimate is an approximate form of credit calculation that allows a potential borrower to consider the basic conditions and payments for a particular loan proposal. A loan estimate is sent to a client by a lending institution within three days after the application is submitted, but before its actual approval.

Credit is an economic contractual relationship in which one party receives money, goods or property from the other party, not prohibited by the relevant legislation, and promises to provide reimbursement (payment) or return the resources in the future. In fact, credit is the legal formulation of an economic obligation.