8 Hours of 2025 Massachusetts MLO Continuing Education

​​​​​​​The Massachusetts Division of Banks (DOB) requires mortgage licensees in this state to take a one-hour course on Massachusetts mortgage lending rules as part of the licensees' annual continuing education requirement for license renewal. This course covers five Massachusetts mortgage topics for licensee continuing education.

This four-module course begins with an overview of the structure and goals of the Division of Banks.

We'll then move onto module 2, covering mortgage loan originator licensing and explaining various prohibited acts that MLOs are not to do when originating residential mortgage loans.

Module 3 examines the licensing of mortgage bankers and mortgage lenders, and identifies the enforcement abilities of the Commissioner of the Division of Banks.

The last module summarizes the prohibited acts when dealing with high-cost mortgages and higher-priced mortgages within this state.

Topics and Learning Objectives

This course consists of four modules and a final exam:

1. Ethical Overview and Introduction to the Division of Banks (7 minutes)
2. Licensing of Mortgage Loan Originators (10 minutes)
3. Licensing of Mortgage Brokers and Mortgage Lenders (10 minutes)
4. Prohibited Acts and Practices (13 minutes)
5. Final exam (10 minutes)

Total study time: 1 credit hour (50 minutes)

This course will prepare Massachusetts-licensed MLOs to:

• Review the importance of ethical conduct
• Describe the purpose of the Massachusetts Division of Banks (DOB)
• Define the four divisions that are under the DOB
• Review why a candidate has to apply for a mortgage loan originator's license
• Generalize when a candidate might not need to obtain an MLO license
• Summarize the criteria looked at by the Division of Banks (DOB) when reviewing an applicant
• List prohibited actions that licensees cannot do when practicing mortgage origination
• Explain the licensee oversight authority of the DOB
• Identify the additional requirements and standards for obtaining a mortgage broker or mortgage lender license
• Explain the Commissioner's enforcement authority over mortgage brokers and mortgage lenders
• Describe the reporting and record keeping requirements for broker and lender licensees
• Describe when a transaction is defined as a higher-priced or high-cost mortgage loan
• Recognizes the prohibited acts when originating these special loan products
• Identify acts that are prohibited when originating any type of loan product in this state

NMLS ID Required

You must have an NMLS ID to receive credit for this course. You will need this number before you begin the course.

If you already have an NMLS ID but don't remember what it is:

• Login into NMLS
• Click on the Composite View tab.
• Click View Individual on the sub-header row.
• The number that appears in parentheses after your name is your NMLS ID number.

If you do not have an NMLS ID and need to obtain one, use the instructions available in the NMLS Resource Center.

This course will instruct mortgage loan originators on a number of regulations that they will have to comply with while taking part in their mortgage loan origination activities. Rules, such as those implemented by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, are set in place to protect the interest and well-being of consumers who apply for mortgages to purchase or refinance their properties. To ensure that their business practices satisfy the regulations adopted by federal laws, mortgage loan originators need to keep current on the guidelines published by supervising entities.

Topics and Learning Objectives

This course consists of three sections and a final exam:

1. Top 10 Federal Topics for 2025

2. Prohibited Kickbacks Under RESPA Section 8

3. Non-traditional Mortgage Products

4. Final exam

Total study time: 7 credit hours (5 hours, 30 minutes)

Module 1: Top 10 Federal Topics for 2025

Study Time: 3 clock hours (150 minutes of federal law)

Licensed and registered mortgage lenders, brokers, and mortgage loan originators are required to maintain a consistent and current understanding of all regulatory requirements with which they are obligated to comply. This especially applies to individual mortgage loan originators who, in addition to their sponsoring company, will be held accountable for failures discovered through regulatory examinations and investigations involving residential mortgage loans that they originate.

The topics outlined in this module are mandated by the NMLS and state regulators, covering the more egregious regulatory compliance failures recently discovered through various regulatory examinations, investigations, and audits.

Module 2: Prohibited Kickbacks Under RESPA Section 8

Study Time: 2 clock hours (100 minutes of ethics, fraud, and consumer protection)

The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) was signed into law in 1974 and became effective in June 1975. One function of RESPA was to eliminate kickbacks and unearned fees initiated by those involved in loan settlement services. Before the passage of RESPA, parties associated with the buying and selling of real estate, including lenders, real estate agents, and title companies, often engaged in undisclosed kickbacks to each other, which inflated the costs of real estate transactions and often did not properly disclose all closing costs to consumers.

While RESPA contains various consumer protection regulations, in this ethics section we're going to concentrate on the regulation's prohibitions on kickbacks and referral fees.

Module 3: Non-traditional Mortgage Products

Study Time: 2 clock hours (100 minutes of non-traditional mortgage)

Besides traditional conventional loan products, there are other options available when it comes to rehabilitating a home for purchase or refinance that might be better for the needs of a borrower.

In this module, let's explore some unique mortgage products available to borrowers that may better fit their needs compared to a conventional mortgage loan These other options include the FHA 203(k) property rehabilitation loan, four types of energy efficient mortgage products, and the Fannie Mae HomeReady® rehab loan product.

NMLS ID Required

You must have an NMLS ID to receive credit for this course. You will need this number before you begin the course.

If you already have an NMLS ID but don't remember what it is:

• Login into NMLS
• Click on the Composite View tab.
• Click View Individual on the sub-header row.
• The number that appears in parentheses after your name is your NMLS ID number.

If you do not have an NMLS ID and need to obtain one, use the instructions available in the NMLS Resource Center