Ethical Lending Foundation (ELF) is the only national organization dedicated to improving the professional standards of practice of mortgage brokers, loan originators, and the companies who have a vested interest in the mortgage industry. Your membership in the ELF will play an instrumental role in the task of improving moral standards in the real estate finance industry by pledging to conduct your business in accordance with the Ethical Lending Code of Ethics.

Level 2:  Certificate of completion for 12-hour ethics course:

At this level, ELF attests that a member has sat for the 12-hour ethics course.  The course provides a combination of theory and application, with a quick review of authoritative sources of ethics in the U.S. and a careful look at professional ethics.  We rigorously review the ELF code of ethics, which is divided into three main parts, as well as a grievance and arbitration section.  These three sections include duties to clients, duties to competitors, and duties to the public.  We offer a careful view into the nature of fiduciary duty, and how this duty to one’s client ought to be balanced with duties to others involved in a transaction.  At the end of the first 4-hour block, students will address a complex ethics problem and analyze it in terms of the ELF code of ethics.  After the first 4-hour block, students will go home and work for four hours on a number of ethics problems and questions.  The final 4-hour block will be held within a few days of the first eight hours and will be comprised of rigorous analysis of case studies, as well as a final examination.  Students who complete all 3 stages of this 12-hour training will receive an official certificate of completion.  Members at this level are called “Associate Members-in-Training,” well on their way to a fully sponsored ELF designation.

Level 3:  Certification as a Preferred Ethical Lending Foundation Member and sponsored lending professional:

At this level, ELF officially certifies a member as having participated in a rigorous ethics training and the clear will and ability to engage in standards of practice at the fiduciary level.  This certification will require completion of the 12-hour course, a clear “pass” on the final exam, as well an additional application that clearly sets out a commitment to the high ethical standards of the ELF code of ethics.  Members will be sponsored by ELF and, as such, will be on an official, public list of preferred lenders known for their commitment to the highest of professional ethical standards.  In addition, these members will be able to use the internationally recognized “BPI” (best practices international) label* on their letterhead and on their websites.  These members will also be invited to a regular ethics roundtable forum at which they can dialogue about current ethics concerns with fellow members.  We hope that this practice rounds out a new type of professionalism that brings honor to lending professionals of all levels.       
 

* BPI:  "BPI" stands for "best practices international" and is a new ethics designation that is gaining respect in professional quarters worldwide. 

Successful completion of this third level allows a professional to use this designation on letterhead, websites, and the like for marketing purposes.  It is a way to distinguish oneself professionally and outclass the competition.