Total interest percentage

Also called TIP

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Definition

Total interest percentage, or TIP, is a Loan Estimate disclosure that shows how much interest will be paid over the life of the loan, expressed as a percentage of the loan amount. It is not APR.

In plain English

APR is a yearly cost measure that includes certain fees. TIP answers a different question: how much interest, as a share of the loan amount, the borrower would pay over the scheduled life of the loan. The two figures sit on the same disclosure family and are easy to mix up.

Technical definition

CFPB’s key-terms heading defines TIP as a disclosure of interest paid over the life of the mortgage. That official heading is PRIMARY. The Loan Estimate regulation is supporting context.

Why it matters

Shoppers compare APR and TIP as if they were the same rate. They are different official measures.

Commonly confused with

Sources reviewed

12 CFR 1026.37

Consumer Financial Protection BureauTechnical context

Source reviewedSeptember 4, 2026

Open 12 CFR 1026.37 ↗

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