Fair lending
Definition
Fair lending is the consumer name for federal protection against illegal discrimination in credit, including home loans. ECOA is the main statute behind that protection. Fair lending is not itself a second statute page.
In plain English
People use fair lending to talk about the idea that credit decisions may not rest on illegal discrimination. In mortgage work, that conversation usually points to ECOA. This page is the umbrella label. It does not list every civil-rights statute or tell a reader how to bring a claim.
Technical definition
CFPB’s consumer credit-discrimination page frames the protection as federal law making credit discrimination illegal, with ECOA as the named statute. That official framing is PRIMARY for the consumer label.
Why it matters
Research notes and complaint narratives often say fair lending when they mean ECOA. The two pages stay linked and distinct.
Related terms
Sources reviewed
Credit discrimination is illegal
ObservedSeptember 6, 2026
Important note
This page does not promise individual outcomes or discuss litigation strategy.