Box A, Origination Charges. That section of the Loan Estimate captures everything the broker or lender is charging for themselves. The individual labels don't matter: admin fee, processing fee, origination fee, application fee, whatever they call it. We've seen a lender bury a strange "Encompass technology fee" in there for what should be normal overhead. The Loan Estimate totals Box A for you, so you compare the total and ignore the label games. Box B, Services You Cannot Shop For, holds third-party items the lender selects on your behalf, like the appraisal and credit report. Those don't vary much from lender to lender, so the real differences don't hide there. To compare offers cleanly, put two things side by side across lenders: the Box A total and the interest rate. Together they tell you the true cost of the money. One caution: don't let the lowest Box A total be your only tiebreaker. The loan officer's knowledge, responsiveness, and ability to actually close your file on time carry real weight too. A slightly higher origination charge with a lender who won't blow your closing is often the better deal.