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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteBefore you authorize a mortgage broker to act for you, get clear answers about four things: which lenders they can access, how everyone is paid, why a particular loan fits you, and what the loan will cost and allow over its full term. Ask for those answers and the proposed terms in writing, verify the broker with your local regulator, and compare the offer yourself with at least one other lender or broker.
How to use this checklist
Send the questions before a formal application or take them to your first meeting. Ask the broker to answer in plain language, identify assumptions such as loan amount and term, and provide copies of every document you are expected to sign. A mortgage recommendation is only useful if you can compare it with another offer on the same basis.
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- Write down the loan amount, term, repayment type and property or borrower assumptions used in every quote.
- Ask which answers are estimates and which are fixed in the offer or agreement.
- Do not sign blank forms or allow important details to be completed later without your review.
- Keep the broker’s fee schedule, disclosures, quote, lender documents and correspondence together.
1. Are you a broker or the lender, and which lenders can you access?
Ask whether the person is arranging a loan as an intermediary or lending money directly. Then ask for the names or categories of lenders and the loan types they can actually offer. A broker may have access to several lenders, but that does not mean every lender in your market is available or that the broker searched the whole market.
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Questions to ask
- “Are you acting as a broker, a lender, or both?”
- “Which lenders and mortgage products are on your panel?”
- “How many lenders could consider a borrower with my income, deposit, credit history and property type?”
- “Are there lenders you cannot use, and why?”
- “Do you offer loans from a range of different lenders, or is your recommendation limited to selected providers?”
The US Federal Trade Commission describes brokers as people who can help find a deal with a lender and notes that a broker may have access to several lenders. New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority (FMA) similarly advises asking whether an adviser offers loans from a range of lenders and how the options differ. Those descriptions do not create a universal duty to search every lender. Ask the broker to state the practical limits of the panel.
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2. How are you paid, and what will I pay?
Obtain a complete compensation explanation before you agree to proceed. Separate money you pay from compensation paid by a lender, referral source or another party. Ask when each amount is due and whether it changes with the lender, interest rate or loan type.
Questions to ask
- “How do you get paid for the advice you are giving me?”
- “Will I pay a broker fee, application fee, administration fee or other charge?”
- “Will a lender pay you a commission or incentive, and how is it calculated?”
- “Do you receive more for recommending some loans than others?”
- “What happens to your fee if my application is declined, withdrawn or refinanced later?”
In US consumer guidance, the FTC says brokers are often paid in points paid at closing, through an addition to the interest rate, or through both. That description is specific to the US guidance; compensation works differently in other jurisdictions. Ontario’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) says written information should explain whether a brokerage or broker may receive payments or incentives from others, who pays them and how they are calculated. The FMA notes that an adviser may charge the borrower directly instead of, or as well as, receiving lender commission. Have the broker put every amount and trigger in writing.
3. What relationships or conflicts could affect the recommendation?
A recommendation can be influenced by a financial relationship, referral arrangement or ownership connection. Ask about relationships involving the broker, the brokerage, a related business, a lender, the property seller, a real-estate professional or another referral source in your transaction.
Questions to ask
- “Do you or your brokerage receive a payment, incentive or referral fee connected with this loan?”
- “Do you, an owner or a related company have a financial relationship with the lender or seller?”
- “Does any relationship limit the lenders or products you will show me?”
- “Can you provide the conflict and referral disclosures in writing?”
Ontario’s regulator identifies payments, incentives and conflicts as information that should be disclosed, including referral-payment information. The exact disclosure rule depends on where the mortgage is arranged, so treat Ontario’s requirements as an example rather than a promise of rights everywhere.
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4. Why this loan, and what alternatives did you compare?
Ask the broker to connect the recommendation to your priorities: payment certainty, lowest initial cost, flexibility, speed, maximum borrowing or another stated goal. A convincing explanation should show what alternatives were considered and why they were rejected.
Questions to ask
- “Why did you recommend this loan to me?”
- “What alternatives did you consider for my circumstances?”
- “Can you show me an option with the lowest total cost, even if its initial rate or payment is different?”
- “Which option best matches my stated priorities, and what trade-off does it make?”
- “What would have to change for a different loan to be better?”
FMA guidance encourages borrowers to ask why a loan was recommended, whether it is the most suitable option and whether the adviser can show other choices, including one with the lowest cost. The FTC cautions consumers not to assume a broker is finding the best deal. Request a written comparison and obtain an offer from another broker or lender before accepting the recommendation.
5. What is the full cost, not just the headline rate?
Request a written quote or estimate that uses a clearly stated loan amount, term and repayment schedule. Look beyond the advertised interest rate and identify every charge that affects the amount you pay or the cash you need at closing.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems| Item to request | What to check |
|---|---|
| Loan type and amount | Whether the product is fixed, variable or adjustable; the principal used for the quote; and any required deposit or equity assumption. |
| Interest rate and APR where applicable | Whether the rate is introductory, adjustable or locked; the lock period; and what the APR includes in that jurisdiction. |
| Term and repayment | The loan term, payment frequency, estimated payment and any final or balloon payment. |
| Points and lender charges | Upfront points, application, valuation, underwriting, settlement, legal or other lender fees. |
| Broker compensation | Borrower-paid charges and any lender-paid commission or incentive, including when each is payable. |
| Other required costs | Insurance, taxes, escrow or account charges and any condition that could change the quoted amount. |
APR can help compare borrowing costs where it is calculated under local rules, but it does not make unlike offers identical. Check the underlying rate, term, points and fees. Consumer guidance from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and FTC notes that a lender can lower one fee while increasing another, or reduce the rate while adding points. Compare the total cash required and the scheduled payments, not a single percentage.
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6. What risks and features should I understand?
Ask the broker to explain the features that change payment certainty, flexibility or total cost. You should be able to describe the risks back in your own words before signing.
Rate and payment changes
- “Can the interest rate change? If so, what index, margin, adjustment date and frequency apply?”
- “What are the initial, periodic and lifetime caps on an adjustable rate?”
- “What payment could I face at the highest permitted rate?”
- “Could the payment fail to cover all accrued interest or create a balance that grows?”
Questions about adjustment rules and caps are particularly important for adjustable-rate mortgages. A low initial payment can conceal later increases if the rate or payment is allowed to reset.
Features that affect flexibility
- “How do overpayments, redraws, offset arrangements, payment holidays or linked accounts work?”
- “Which features are optional, and what fees or rate changes do they trigger?”
- “What happens if I miss a payment or need to change the repayment schedule?”
FSRA includes explaining loan risks among the questions borrowers should ask, while FMA advises asking what features come with the loan and how they work. Have the broker demonstrate the effect of each material feature using your proposed loan amount.
7. What happens if I repay early, refinance or switch lenders?
Early-exit costs can change the value of a loan that appears cheap at the start. Ask what applies if you sell the property, close the account, make a large extra payment, refinance or move to another lender.
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Questions to ask
- “Is there an early-repayment, break, discharge or exit charge?”
- “Are extra payments capped or subject to a notice period?”
- “What costs apply if I refinance or switch before the scheduled end?”
- “Could cashback, a fee waiver or commission arrangement be clawed back?”
- “Can you show the charge at different exit dates?”
FMA specifically flags early-closure and switching costs and notes that some cashback or commission-clawback arrangements can create charges in those circumstances. Confirm the amounts for the actual offer, not a generic product description, and retain the written terms.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.8. What is the process, what documents do you need, and when must I decide?
Ask for a process map from fact-find to settlement. You need to know who collects documents, who submits the application, how long each stage normally takes and when a rate or quote can change.
Questions to ask
- “What are the steps from our first meeting to approval and closing?”
- “Which income, identity, asset, debt and property documents do you need?”
- “Who verifies the information and submits it to the lender?”
- “When does the quoted rate expire, and can it change before I sign?”
- “How much time will I have to review the offer and disclosures?”
- “Who is my contact if the lender requests more information or the application is delayed?”
- “Will you give me a copy of every form and document I sign?”
FMA guidance covers application information and the expected process and cautions borrowers not to sign blank forms or leave details for an adviser to complete later. In Ontario, FSRA rules require certain written information before a borrower enters a mortgage agreement; that timing requirement should not be generalized to every jurisdiction.
9. How can I verify your licence and check for disciplinary history?
Use the licensing or registration system for the place where the broker is arranging the mortgage. Check the individual and, where applicable, the brokerage name, status, permitted activities and any public disciplinary information. Save a dated copy or screenshot of the result.
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- In the United States, the FTC points consumers to the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) for disciplinary-action information.
- In Ontario, FSRA provides a broker or agent licence-status check.
- Elsewhere, use the local financial-services or mortgage regulator; the correct register and duties vary by jurisdiction.
A current licence does not prove that a recommendation is cheapest. It confirms that you are dealing with a person or business listed in the relevant system and gives you a place to check status and public enforcement information.
How to compare two written offers
Ask each provider to quote the same loan amount, term, repayment pattern and assumptions. Then compare the following dimensions together rather than ranking offers by rate alone.
| Comparison axis | Questions to put side by side |
|---|---|
| Total borrowing cost | What are the rate, APR where applicable, points, broker charge, lender fees and required cash at closing? |
| Loan structure and risk | Is the rate fixed, variable or adjustable? What are the term, payment and permitted rate changes? |
| Flexibility | Can you overpay, refinance or switch, and what early-repayment or exit costs apply? |
| Market access | Which lenders and products were considered, and what limits does the broker’s panel impose? |
| Compensation and relationships | Who pays the broker, how is compensation calculated, and what conflicts or referrals were disclosed? |
If one quote uses a different term, loan amount or rate-lock period, ask for a revised quote before deciding. Keep the assumptions with the offer so a later change is visible.
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- The broker will not identify the lenders or products they can access.
- Compensation is described vaguely, or the fee appears only after you commit.
- You are told a loan is “best” without a comparison or explanation of trade-offs.
- The broker focuses on the initial rate while avoiding future payment, cap or exit-cost questions.
- You are pressured to sign immediately, sign a blank form or provide information for someone else to complete later.
- The broker refuses to provide a written quote, disclosures or copies of signed documents.
- The licence cannot be found in the appropriate register, or the identity and business name do not match.
A single concern may have an innocent explanation, but unresolved answers are a reason to stop, request documentation and seek another offer.
When you can make the decision
Proceed only when you can state, in your own words, who is paying the broker, which lenders were considered, why the recommended loan suits your priorities, what the full cost is, how the rate and payment can change, and what it costs to leave early. If any of those answers depends on an unwritten promise, ask for a corrected written offer or choose a provider who will supply one.
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