Glossary

When a person uses the portion of their home that they own outright to take out a loan. This is generally a way to get

A law meant to prevent predatory lending practices in both home equity loans and mortgages.

This is the percentage of your gross monthly income that is put toward your mortgage. This is also known as the front end ratio, and

When a person applies for a loan, the application will require a person to show proof of their employment information and income.

When a person doesn’t have a Social Security Number, they are often given an individual taxpayer identification number. This number can be used to apply

An inquiry is an item on a person’s credit report that shows that they have asked for a lender to pull their credit.

This is a kind of loan that is paid back in the same amounts each month. This generally applies to personal loans and automobile loan

A credit balance that’s repaid through a fixed number of payments, with each one the same amount.

When a borrower pays a creditor or lender to be able to borrow money. Interest is paid over a predetermined period of time and is