A loan officer helps people and businesses borrow money responsibly. You gather information, analyze credit, income, and collateral, explain loan options in plain words, and either approve the loan within your limits or send it up to management. Most people in the role hold a bachelor's degree (69%), but some college plus strong skills can get you started, especially in mortgage. The work rests on four habits: listening carefully, doing the math accurately, reading documents closely, and knowing the rules. This roadmap takes you from learning how credit works, to being hireable, to handling co
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Every stage from beginner to expert, with lessons, practice drills, projects, interview questions and free resources. Free with a Rolearch account.
Stage 1 of 4 · about 8 weeks
Understand how lending works and why. Learn the five Cs of credit (character, capacity, capital, collateral, conditions), how interest and amortization work, how to read a credit report and score, and the main loan types: mortgage, auto, personal, small business. Practice the core math in Excel: monthly payment (PMT), debt-to-income (DTI), loan-to-value (LTV). Example: a borrower earns $6,000 a month and has $2,100 in debts, so DTI is 35%.
The five Cs of credit and how lenders think
Every lending decision, from a $5,000 personal loan to a $5 million commercial loan, comes down to one question: will this person repay, and if not, what protects the lender? The five Cs give you a checklist for answering it.
Interest, amortization and loan math in Excel
You will explain payments to borrowers and test whether they can afford them every day. If you understand the math, not just the button, you can catch mistakes and answer questions with confidence.
Reading credit reports and scores
The credit report is the lender's main evidence of character. Reading it well lets you spot problems early, ask the right questions, and coach borrowers on what to fix.
The main loan types and who they fit
Borrowers rarely know which product they need. Your value starts with matching the right loan to the right goal, and that needs a clear picture of each type.
Then 3 more stages (about 102 weeks in all) with lessons, drills, projects, 10 interview questions with strong answers and free resources.