Understanding Your Mortgage Servicer vs. Your Lender

Your lender is who originally loaned you the money (or who currently owns the loan, often an investor like Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac). Your servicer is the company that actually collects your payments, manages your escrow, and handles loss mitigation on the lender's behalf.

These are often different companies, especially since loans get sold and transferred regularly. When you're seeking help, you're almost always dealing with the servicer, not the ultimate loan owner — knowing this prevents confusion about who has the authority to approve what.