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What is Section A on a Loan Estimate?
Updated November 2026 · Every dollar figure is an illustrative example, not a quoteSection A, Origination Charges, is every dollar the lender itself charges you for making the loan: points, the origination fee, underwriting, processing and any admin or application fee. It is the top of page 2, it is the part of the price that differs most between lenders, and none of it can go up at closing unless the loan itself changes.
Where it is on the form
The top of page 2, under the heading Loan Costs. The first line is always the points line (% of Loan Amount), and the rest are the lender's own fees in whatever names it uses. The total of the section is printed at its head.
Without points, a Section A total between zero and about 1% of the loan is the common range; on $380,000 that is up to about $3,800. Points sit on top and buy a lower rate, so a section with points is only comparable to one without when you look at the rate beside it.
The lines in A. Origination Charges
| Line on the form | Paid to | Illustrative range |
|---|---|---|
| % of Loan Amount (Points) | The lender | 0 to about 2 points; 1 point = 1% of the loan |
| Application Fee | The lender | Often $0; where charged, commonly a few hundred dollars |
| Origination Fee | The lender (or the mortgage broker, if you used one) | $0 to about 1% of the loan; often a flat $1,000–$2,000 |
| Processing Fee | The lender (sometimes passed to a contract processor the lender hires) | Often $300–$900; many lenders charge none |
| Underwriting Fee | The lender | Often $400–$1,200; some lenders charge none |
| Administration / Lender Fee | The lender | Often $300–$1,000 where charged; many lenders charge none |
| Rate Lock Fee | The lender | Usually $0 for a 30–45 day lock; longer locks often 0.125%–0.5% of the loan |
Why the section exists: before 2015, lender charges were scattered across a form with hundreds of line numbers, and the same money appeared under a dozen names. The Loan Estimate gathers all of it into one lettered box so you can compare one lender's total with another's. That is the comparison to make. The names of the lines inside are the lender's choice; the total is the price.
Two things Section A does not contain: the rate, which is on page 1, and the lender credit, which is a negative number at the bottom of Section J. A lender that charges nothing in A and offers a credit in J is being paid through a higher rate. That can be the better deal for a short stay and the worse one for a long stay; the In 5 Years box on page 3 is where the two are blended.
Can you shop for it?
Nothing in A is a service you can buy elsewhere. All of it is the lender's own price, which is exactly why it is the section to shop: two lenders quoting the same rate on the same day can differ by thousands here, and a second Loan Estimate is the only way to see it.
Can it change between the Loan Estimate and closing?
Zero tolerance for every line. The sum of the lender's own charges on the Closing Disclosure cannot exceed the sum on the Loan Estimate unless a real change to the loan (amount, appraised value, credit, product, a lock) led to a revised estimate issued within three business days. An increase with no such reason is a refund the lender owes you at or within 60 days after closing.
A worked example (illustrative)
Two Loan Estimates for a $380,000, 30-year fixed loan on the same day. The figures are made up to show the math.
| Lender | Rate | Section A | Monthly P&I |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lender 1 | 6.625% | $1,400 (no points) | $2,433 |
| Lender 2 | 6.125% | $5,300 (1 point $3,800 + $1,500 fees) | $2,309 |
Lender 2 costs $3,900 more up front and saves about $124 a month, so it is ahead after about 32 months. The point is the whole difference; the fees are nearly the same. Keep the loan past three years and Lender 2 wins; sell or refinance sooner and Lender 1 does. How to compare two Loan Estimates walks the full method.
Questions to ask the lender
- What is your total Section A at this rate, and what is it at zero points?
- Which of these lines would you drop if I brought you a lower competing Loan Estimate?
- Is any part of Section A paid to an affiliate of yours?
Red flags
- A Section A total over 1% of the loan with no lower rate to show for it.
- Five or six separately named fees that together are high, each defended as 'small'.
- A higher Section A total on the Closing Disclosure with no revised Loan Estimate explaining it.
Questions people ask
What is a normal total for Section A?
Without points, zero to about 1% of the loan is common, and many lenders charge a flat $1,000 to $2,000. On a $380,000 loan the free Loan Estimate checker treats up to $3,800 as typical and up to $5,700 as the high side. Points sit on top of that and buy a lower rate.
Can Section A change at closing?
Not on its own. Every line in it has zero tolerance: the total cannot be higher on the Closing Disclosure unless the loan changed and the lender issued a revised Loan Estimate. If it is higher anyway, the lender owes you the difference.
Why is a broker's fee in Section A?
Because Section A holds what you pay the lender and the loan originator, a broker included, for making the loan, and all of it has zero tolerance. (A service from a company affiliated with the lender or broker is listed in B or C, but it also cannot rise.)
Only have one quote? That's the problem.
Tell us the rate and the fees you were quoted. It is free, there is no credit pull, and nobody calls you. We check whether another lender beats it, fees included. Or start with the free Loan Estimate checker, which reads your rate, points and Section A and flags anything out of the ordinary.
Check my quoteEvery dollar figure on this page is illustrative. Fee ranges are general observations, not a survey or a quote, and are not a loan offer, approval, commitment to lend, or Loan Estimate. Your actual rates and fees depend on qualification with lenders, your state and county, and your closing date. The tolerance rules described are the federal TRID rules in general terms; the rule itself and your own Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure decide how it applies to your loan. comparemyloan does not negotiate with lenders, lock rates, or take loan applications.