P.O.C Mortgage Charges

If you are in the process of refinancing your mortgage you might encounter POC charges. POC mortgage charges stands for “Paid Outside of Closing” and is a fee paid to your mortgage broker. Why does your broker receive this money and should you be concerned about how it affects your mortgage rate?

Here are several tips to help you understand POC charges and avoid being taken advantage of when refinancing your mortgage loan.

What Are Paid Outside of Closing Fees?

This charge appears on your HUD-1 statement on line 810-811. It is frequently called a mortgage broker rebate but you will also see it called Yield Spread Premium or YSP paid to broker. This fee is a commission paid by the lender for closing your loan with an above market mortgage rate. That’s right; your lender rewards the broker for overcharging you.

P.O.C. Charges = Yield Spread Premium

Yield Spread Premium is the technical term for the incentive paid to your broker for overcharging you. Your broker knows the mortgage rate you qualify based on your financial details; (it actually takes sixteen pieces of financial information form you to accurately quote a mortgage rate) however, your broker marks up the rate based on what they think you’ll pay. Imagine a used car salesman pricing a car based on how naive they think the buyer is…mortgage brokers work in much the same.

Your mortgage broker marks up your rate because the lender pays a bonus of one percent of your loan amount for every quarter percent they overcharge you. This kickback from your lender is the Yield Spread Premium and will often double or even triple your mortgage broker’s compensation for originating your loan, at your expense of course. How Can You Avoid POC Mortgage Charges?