If lobbying expenses are $10,000 or more, the organization must provide a good faith estimate of the actual dollar amount rounded to the nearest $20,000.

Lenders are required by federal law to provide a good faith estimate within three days of receiving your loan application.

When that is being considered, she said, another item often appears on the good faith estimate - the "consolidation, extension and modification" charge.

"And we agree that the good faith estimate is nowhere near as useful as it should be."

In addition, he said, the proposed amendments require lenders to include all governmental charges and taxes on the good faith estimate.

Such points and fees will appear in the "good faith estimate of settlement," which lenders must give borrowers.

First, ask if they'll guarantee the rate and costs in the good faith estimate they give you when you apply with a lender.

The fees included within a good faith estimate fall into six basic categories:

If I'm wrong on my good faith estimate, then I pay you.

The loan officer there and I agreed upon "a good faith estimate" of a fixed 5.4 percent interest rate for 15 years.