This official comparison table maps origination fee deductions to the final cash amount borrowers receive after processing. Origination fees are standard upfront charges assessed by lenders to cover the cost of processing, underwriting, and approving a new loan, and they are almost always deducted directly from the gross loan principal before disbursement, meaning the total principal listed on your loan approval paperwork is rarely the exact amount you will receive in your bank account. This resource is designed to help you cross-reference line-item origination charges against your final deposit amount to eliminate reconciliation errors, and it is for educational use only, not financial or lending advice. This template is provided by Settlement Desk for personal record-keeping use only, and you should always consult your loan servicer or a licensed financial professional if you identify discrepancies in your fee calculations or disbursement amount.
Settlement Desk
Left table column listing official origination fee line items
The leftmost column of the comparison table lists all permissible, documented origination fees that may be deducted from your gross loan principal per the terms of your signed loan agreement and closing disclosure. Under federal lending rules, every origination fee charged by your lender must be explicitly disclosed in writing on both your initial loan estimate (provided within three business days of your application submission) and your final closing disclosure (provided at least three business days before your loan closing date) to be valid, and no hidden or undisclosed charges are permitted to appear on this line item list. Common line items included in this column include non-refundable application processing fees, underwriting and income verification fees, credit report and public background check charges, document preparation and notarization fees, and any prepaid interest points you opted to pay at closing to reduce your long-term interest rate. Each line item has a corresponding dollar amount that is added to the total deduction sum, which is then subtracted from your gross principal to arrive at your final disbursement amount. If you identify a line item on your disbursement statement that is not listed on your signed closing disclosure, you should flag that charge immediately for review with your loan servicer, as unauthorized fees are not legally permitted to be deducted from your principal.
| Line ID | Origination Fee Line Item | Illustrative Deduction Amount | Illustrative Gross Loan Principal | Illustrative Calculated Net Cash Received |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Application Processing Fee | $125 | $15,000 | $14,112 |
| 2 | Underwriting & Identity Verification Fee | $375 | $15,000 | $14,112 |
| 3 | Tri-Merge Credit Report & Public Record Check Fee | $48 | $15,000 | $14,112 |
| 4 | Closing Document Preparation & Mobile Notarization Fee | $115 | $15,000 | $14,112 |
| 5 | Prepaid 0.15% Origination Point (Optional Rate Reduction) | $225 | $15,000 | $14,112 |
Right table box displaying total cash disbursed to eligible borrowers
The far right column and corresponding calculation box of the table displays the final net cash amount that will be disbursed to you after all valid origination fees are deducted from your gross approved principal. This figure is calculated by summing all origination fee line items from the left column, subtracting that total sum from your gross loan principal, and adjusting for any permitted minor rounding or disclosed adjustments noted on your closing disclosure. This calculated figure should match exactly the amount listed on the “Cash to Borrower” line of your signed closing disclosure, and it should also match the exact deposit amount you receive from your lender via ACH transfer, wire transfer, or official paper check. Any variance of more than $1 between this calculated figure and the actual amount deposited into your account requires immediate follow-up with your loan servicer to resolve unlisted charges, processing errors, or misapplied deductions. For loans issued to multiple co-borrowers, this figure represents the total combined disbursement before any agreed-upon split between co-borrowers, so you will need to adjust for that split separately if you are reconciling your individual share of the funds.
Attached paper note explaining minor fee adjustment and rounding rules
The single-page printed paper note included with this template outlines standard industry rounding conventions and allowed minor fee adjustments that may cause a variance of up to $0.99 between the calculated net disbursement amount and the actual amount you receive, which are not considered processing errors. For example, if a percentage-based origination fee calculation results in a fraction of a cent (e.g., a 1% fee on a $12,347 loan results in a $123.479 fee, which rounds up to $123.48), most lenders round up or down to the nearest whole cent per their published policies, which can create a tiny discrepancy that does not require correction. The note also lists eligible minor adjustments that are permitted to be applied at closing, such as small processing surcharges for expedited wire transfers (if disclosed upfront on your loan estimate) or state-specific document recording fees that were estimated on your initial loan estimate and adjusted to the exact actual cost at closing. All adjustments listed on this note must be supported by a corresponding receipt or written disclosure from your servicer to be valid, and any adjustment over $1 requires explicit written confirmation from you prior to your loan disbursement to be legally permissible.
Printed supplemental form for entering custom loan principal input values
The two-page printed supplemental form included with this resource allows you to input your own unique loan terms, rather than relying on the illustrative values listed in the sample comparison table. The first page of the form includes blank, clearly labeled fields for you to enter your gross approved loan principal, each origination fee line item from your signed closing disclosure, and the corresponding dollar amount for each listed fee. The second page features a simple, step-by-step calculation worksheet to help you sum all of your origination fees, subtract that total sum from your gross principal, and compare the resulting net amount to the actual deposit you received from your lender. The form also includes dedicated blank note fields for you to document any discrepancies you identify, the date you contacted your servicer about those discrepancies, and the name of the servicer representative you spoke with, which you can keep for your personal records or share with your financial professional if needed. This form is designed to be printed and stored with your other loan closing documents, or saved as a fillable digital file in your personal financial record-keeping system for easy access in the future.
Labeled file folder storing supporting origination charge verification documents
All supporting documents related to your origination fees and loan disbursement amount should be stored in a clearly labeled physical or digital file folder for easy access if you need to dispute charges, reference your loan terms, or respond to future accounting or tax inquiries. Required documents to store in this folder include a copy of your initial loan estimate, a signed copy of your final closing disclosure, receipts for any upfront fees you paid out of pocket prior to closing, a copy of the disbursement confirmation sent to you by your lender, a screenshot or official bank statement showing the exact deposit amount you received, and any written correspondence with your servicer about fee adjustments or disbursement discrepancies. You should keep this folder and all its contents for the full term of your loan, plus a minimum of three years after the loan is paid off in full, to resolve any future questions about your loan terms or fee deductions. If you are working with a licensed tax preparer or financial advisor to document your loan for accounting purposes, you can provide a full copy of the contents of this folder to them for their official records.
Print the supplemental form, enter your loan’s origination fee line items from your signed closing disclosure, and cross-check the calculated net disbursement amount against your bank deposit record within 3 business days of receiving your loan funds to resolve any discrepancies quickly.
