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When Mortgage Terms Change at the Closing Table

A closing appointment is not a good place to discover an unexplained rate increase or an unfamiliar charge. The pressure to finish can make an error feel too small to question. Bring the disclosures you reviewed earlier, compare the final terms, and separate a correction that someone can document from a promise to fix the paperwork after you sign.

The questions below use selected Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guidance, adapted and organized by Fynoptic. Source links and the dates displayed by those sources are provided at the end.

What do I do if the rate or fees are different on my Closing Disclosure than they were on my Loan Estimate?

First, ask your lender for a specific reason why your rate or fees have changed.

The mortgage closing costs may be different if something important changed or wasn’t included in your Loan Estimate. It’s also possible that your income or assets turned out to be different from what you estimated when you first applied. It’s not uncommon for some closing costs to change somewhat, but there are legal rules about what can change and by how much. Learn which fees can change and which can’t.

If you have a rate lock, your rate and pointsshould not change, but there are exceptions. Rate locks typically only guarantee your rate if nothing changes about your application. If something important changes – for example, the home is appraised at less than the sale price, or your lender cannot verify your income – then your rate may change. If you have a rate lock and your rate has changed, ask your lender to explain why. Learn more about how rate locks work.

If you’re not satisfied with your lender’s explanation, you can always stop working with that lender. If the rate or fees have changed significantly, and you are unable to reach an acceptable solution with your lender, consider other options. You can choose another lender. You may be able to negotiate with the seller to delay the closing until you can arrange for a new loan with a different lender.

Even if you decide to work with a different lender, you may have rights to compensation from the first lender if the changes they made were illegal. You may want to consider contacting an attorney.

Submit a complaint

Having trouble with a financial product or service? If you've already tried reaching out to the company and still have an issue, you can submit a complaint. Tell us about your issue—we'll forward it to the company and work to get you a response, generally within 15 days.

Start a complaint

What do I do if the terms of my mortgage loan at closing are not what I was promised beforehand?

Don't sign the closing documents if the loan is not what you were promised.

You don’t have to sign anything at closing unless you are satisfied with the terms. The lender owes you an explanation of why the terms have changed. Don’t sign any papers until you are satisfied with the terms as written in the documents. There are always other options.

If you are refinancing, then you can renegotiate with the lender, or cancel the closing and look for a new lender.

If you are using the mortgage to buy a new home, you still have options. You can ask the lender why you are not being given the loan you were promised and insist upon the promised terms. You can also negotiate with the seller for more time to find a new lender. However, your purchase contract with the seller may limit the amount of time you have to purchase the home. There may also be legal or financial consequences if you break the promises you made in the contract with the seller.

Walking away from a purchase loan closing isn't easy, but it may be preferable to agreeing to a loan that is more expensive than what you were promised. Explore your options. Review your sales contract and consult with an attorney or trusted advisor. You might ask the seller for more time so that you can negotiate with the lender or find a new lender. Never sign any papers until you’re satisfied that you understand what has changed and why, and that you can afford the new loan terms.

Tip

Don’t sign any papers you don’t understand. Review your contract or seek the advice of an attorney to determine what options you have if you decide not to sign a particular loan.

If you need help finding an attorney, you can get a referral from your county bar association or you can view this list of legal aid services in your state.

If you have a problem with your mortgage closing process, you should discuss the issue or matter with your lender. If you’re having issues with your mortgage, you can also submit a complaint to the CFPB online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372). We’ll forward your complaint to the company and work to get you a response. You may also wish to get your own attorney to take a look at your issue or matter.

At the mortgage loan closing, do I have to sign if I don't like the terms?

You don’t have to sign anything unless you're satisfied with the terms. However, you may be able to make corrections to the terms instead of walking away.

Tip

If you are in the process of refinancing your existing mortgage, you don't have any contractual obligation to sign the documents.

Warning: You should never sign anything that you don't understand. Don't sign if you don't understand the mortgage terms or if you think that you won't be able to pay back the loan.

If you are borrowing money to buy a home, you likely have a contract with the seller. The contract may limit the amount of time and flexibility you have to close the sale. The contract may also subject you to legal action if you break it.

If there are errors on the loan documents, or things that were added to the loan estimate or the closing disclosure which you should have received prior to your closing, you may be able to have those corrected at the closing. It is usually in everyone’s best interest to ensure the closing can proceed.

However, if you choose to walk away, you may also have options. Review your contract or seek the advice of an attorney to determine what options you have if you decide not to take the home loan offered for the closing. You may be able to secure a new mortgage or extend the period to close the sale. However, if you can't do so, you may lose the deposit you paid to the seller when you entered into an agreement to buy their home. The seller may have other legal rights against you.

If you have a contract with the seller, review the “mortgage contingency clause” in your sales contract, also known as the financing or loan contingency clause. This will tell you whether your deposit will be refunded if the sale is cancelled because you are unable to get a loan.

If you have a problem with your mortgage closing process, you should discuss the issue or matter with your lender. If you’re having issues with your mortgage, you can also submit a complaint to the CFPB online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372). We’ll forward your complaint to the company and work to get you a response. You may also wish to get your own attorney to look at your issue or matter.

What should I do if I find an error in one of my mortgage closing documents?

If you find an error in one of your mortgage closing documents, contact your lender or settlement agent to have the error corrected immediately.

Common errors in your documents can be as simple as a misspelled name or a wrong number in an address, or as serious as incorrect loan amounts or missing pages. All of these errors can cause delays in closing of a few hours or even a few days, because everything has to be in order before closing.

Here are some steps you can take to make sure there are no errors in your closing documents:

  • Ask to see every document in advance.
  • Pay particular attention to loan documents.
  • Double-check your loan and down payment amounts, interest rates, spellings, and all your personal information.
  • Question anything you don’t understand or that seems odd.
  • Talk to your closing agent well ahead of your scheduled closing – at least a few days. Ask if everyone involved has everything they need. Be sure you understand who is in charge of the closing and the documents.

You can also use the CFPB’s interactive guide to the Closing Disclosure form and guide to other key closing documents.

Before you go to your closing, you might want to call and ask if the file for your transaction is complete, and if all the documents are ready to sign.

Tip

Never assume the documents were prepared correctly. There can be mistakes in the Closing Disclosure and other key closing documents. Make sure you carefully look through all elements of the documents.

Note: You will not receive a Loan Estimate or Closing Disclosure if you are shopping for:

For these kinds of loans, you should receive Truth-in-Lending disclosures. If you are shopping for a reverse mortgage, you will also receive a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) and a HUD-1 Settlement Statement.

If you have a problem with your mortgage closing process, you should discuss it with your lender. You can also submit a complaint to the CFPB online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372). We’ll forward your complaint to the lender and work to get you a response, generally in 15 days.

Sources and further reading

The CFPB source passages are U.S. government work in the public domain. Fynoptic has selected, organized, and adapted the material for this guide, including corrections identified through the additional sources listed above. Sources accessed October 27, 2026. This use does not imply agency endorsement or affiliation.

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