What is the ability-to-repay rule? Why is it important to me?

Under the rule, lenders must generally find out, consider, and document a borrower’s income, assets, employment, credit history and monthly expenses. Lenders cannot just use an introductory or “teaser” rate to figure out if a borrower can repay a loan. For example, if a mortgage has a low interest rate that goes up in later years, the lender has to make a reasonable effort to figure out if the borrower can pay the higher interest rate too.

One way a lender can follow the ability-to-repay rule is by making a “Qualified Mortgage.”