Closing Disclosure Checklist

What it should state. What's commonly not stated. What to ask before you sign.

You've received your Closing Disclosure — the final loan paperwork before you close on a home. This page lists what a complete one states, the lines that are commonly not stated, and the questions worth asking before your name goes on it.

This is a reading checklist, not advice. Spend Defense doesn't tell you whether to sign — we make sure you've actually seen what's on the page, and what isn't.

What a complete Closing Disclosure states

Loan terms — loan amount, interest rate, and monthly principal and interest, with whether each can change after closing.
Prepayment penalty and balloon payment — each marked yes or no.
Projected payments — the estimated total monthly payment, including escrow for taxes and insurance.
Closing costs — loan costs and other costs, itemized line by line.
Cash to close — the amount you bring to closing, shown next to the earlier Loan Estimate figure.
Escrow details — the monthly escrow amount and the initial deposit, including the cushion.
Prepaid items — prepaid interest, insurance premium, and property taxes, each listed.
Credits — seller credits and lender credits, each appearing on the lines where they were promised.
Total of payments and APR — what the loan costs over its full term.

What's commonly not stated

Why numbers changed — the comparison to the Loan Estimate shows differences but rarely explains each one.
Missing promised credits — a seller or lender credit discussed earlier may simply not appear; nothing flags the absence.
Escrow cushion — the extra months collected up front are a line item, not an explanation.
Who chose each service provider — some fees are for services you could shop for; the form lists them but does not invite questions.

None of these gaps decide anything by themselves. They're the lines to ask about before you sign, not after.

Questions to ask before you sign

“Can the rate or payment change after closing?”
“Why is the cash to close different from my Loan Estimate?”
“Where do the seller and lender credits appear on this form?”
“How was the escrow deposit calculated, and how much is the cushion?”
“Which of these fees were for services I could have shopped for?”

Want a second set of eyes on the actual document?

Send us the paperwork before you sign. A Quick Check reads your document and shows you what it says, what's not stated, and what to ask — for $4.99 (up to 10 pages). Longer documents: Document Review $19, Premium Review $49.

Check my document →

We don't decide for you. We make sure nothing on the page — or missing from it — surprises you later.

FAQ

How much should closing costs be?

We don't price other people's loans — closing costs depend on your loan amount, your location, the lender, and the services involved. What you can check is whether each line on your Closing Disclosure matches your Loan Estimate, or has a clear reason for changing. If it doesn't, ask before closing.

What if something on this checklist is missing from my Closing Disclosure?

Ask your lender in writing before closing day. A missing credit or an unexplained change isn't a verdict on the lender; it's an unknown in paperwork you're about to sign. Corrections are much easier before closing than after it, so ask while there's still time.

Can Spend Defense read my actual Closing Disclosure?

Yes — that's the Quick Check. A Closing Disclosure is typically five pages, so it fits the $4.99 Quick Check (up to 10 pages). If you'd like it read alongside your Loan Estimate and other papers, the Document Review ($19) covers up to 25 pages.

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Spend Defense — we read the paperwork before you sign. We don't decide for you.