Course Syllabus - 10 Day
Welcome to our Maryland SAFE Comprehensive Course. We are excited to assist you in
furthering or beginning your mortgage career and are pleased you chose Praedo Institute to
satisfy your education requirements.
Course Purpose
This course is meant to satisfy the 20 hour SAFE education requirement for mortgage originator
licensure for the state of Maryland. This course will also prepare you for the National
Component of the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator Exam.
Course Description
Along with 15 hours of SAFE required education, this course includes 5 hours of Maryland Law
as well as information related to loan qualification and the loan process. This course satisfies
the Maryland SAFE requirement. Included in this course are: discussion forums, interactive
content, practice questions, and live instructor support.
Course Dates and Times
This course begins on Wednesday's at 8:00am Mountain Time and must be completed by
midnight on the session end date. Please note: In this session, you will be required to
complete course work and assignments over the weekend.
Please pay close attention to the course schedule found on the slide following this syllabus.
You are required by NMLS to complete assignments and progress through the course with the
other students in your session. If you do not submit your assignments by the required time
and fall behind in the course, you will automatically fail the course. At that point, you may
choose a different session date and re-start the course from the beginning.
NMLS has made it quite clear that courses must be completed in a timely manner. Please
consider the following from Functional Specifications for all NMLS Approved Courses: Version
6.
"Note: The availability of Online Instructor-Led courses is intended to ensure an option exists
for individuals where attending a classroom course may be problematic due to geography or
lack of availability of a local course provider. The scheduling of these courses is not intended to
be a “convenience” option whereby a st udent can causally work at their own pace or when their
 
 
time and put forth the same level of effort as would be required to complete a classroom or
classroom equivalent course. During the time period in which the course is being offered,
instructors are required to hold students accountable for attendance and work, and must be
responsive to student’s assignments and questions just as they would be in a physical
classroom. "
Instructor Contact Information
Once you register for the course, you will receive an email from the instructor assigned to your
course. The email will introduce your instructor as well as explain contact methods and
expected response times. Once your course session opens, you will be able to contact your
instructor via the "Contact Instructor" button on your home page.
Course Objectives
Each of the individual modules in this course include learning objectives applicable to the
individual module itself. Our course is meant to give you an introduction to the mortgage
industry. Upon completing this course, you should be able to do the following:
  Define basic mortgage terms;
  Explain certain mortgage concepts to potential borrowers;
  Comply with applicable federal laws related to the mortgage industry;
  Explain the role of the State of Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and
Regulation, Division of Financial Regulation;
  Outline the requirements to obtain a license in Maryland;
  Explain the duties and obligations imposed upon a licensee; and
  You should also be able to pass the National Component of the SAFE Mortgage Loan
Originator Exam.
Grading Policy
Most of the sections in this course consist of slides mixed with comprehension questions. Each
chapter includes a chapter quiz, and most sections include a course final. You may view the
slides at your own pace, but you must answer all of the comprehension questions correctly and
score 80 percent on all quizzes to receive credit for the course. You must also pass the SAFE
practice exam with a score of at least 80 percent.
Several of the modules also include case studies, which involve the completion of a certain
 
 
Our course also includes 8-10 learning activities. In each of the learning activities, you will be
required to either post comments on our discussion forum or email an assignment to your
instructor for grading. Instructions for the learning activities are included in the course.
Your course consists of four parts. At the end of each part, you will be required to submit an
assignment to your instructor.  You must submit your assignment to your instructor by
midnight MT on the day the assignment is due. If you fail to submit your assignment by this
time, you will fail the course and be required to reschedule your course and start from the
beginning.
Your instructor will grade your assignment by 10am MT the following day. Once your
assignment has been graded and passed, your instructor will allow you access to the next part
of your course. Assignments will ONLY be graded between midnight on the submission date and
10am MT the following day to ensure that all students progress through the course as a cohort.
If your assignment is rejected by your instructor, you will need to re-do and re-submit the
assignment. Once the assignment has been re-submitted, you will also need to email
support@praedo.com to inform us of the re-submission. Your instructor will grade it in a timely
manner and if you pass, you will be allowed to continue with the course. Please be sure to
check your course email for your instructor's approval.
Course Policies
Each student is required to submit an Identity Affidavit. By confirming the Attestation, the
student certifies that the course work was or will be completed by the person for whom the
certificate will be issued. The student further certifies that they did or will not receive any
assistance in completing the course. The submission of a completion certificate for a course
they did not complete themselves may constitute fraud on the student’s part and is subject to
prosecution and/or discipline.
Technical Support
As our course is entirely online, we do offer live technical support via telephone and email from
8:30am to 5:00pm Mountain Time on regular business days. After hours, holiday, and weekend
support is available 365 days a year via email from 9:00am to 10:00pm Mountain Time. Our
telephone number is 801-492-9933 and the support email is support@praedo.com .  Please
 
 
note, our technical support staff will often be unable to answer content questions which are
more appropriately directed to your instructor.
Using our System
Once you purchase the course and are logged into our system, you should see a link to the
course on your home page. This link will launch the course. Please carefully review the
introduction module for instructions on using our online system.
Course Outline
This course consists of four parts, each covering different aspects of the Secure and Fair
Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (SAFE Act).
SAFE Part One: Consumer Protection
SAFE 20 Hour Pre-licensing Course Introduction: This module will introduce you to our system.
Adherence to the advice and instructions offered in this module will greatly improve your
online education experience.
Learning Activity Welcome: The student will follow the instructions to make a post about
themselves.
Consumer Protection Chapter 1: Chapter One covers the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. It consists
of the following sections:
  Pre-texting
Consumer Protection Chapter 2: Chapter Two covers the Do Not Call Rules. It consists of the
following sections:
  Do Not Call Registry
  Do Not Fax Rules
Consumer Protection Chapter 3: Chapter Three covers the Red Flags Rule. It consists of the
following sections:
Learning Activity Consumer Protection: The student will follow instructions to post
information on the discussion forum regarding consumer protection.
 
 
Identity Theft Case Study: The student will review information on the Federal Trade
Commission's web site and answer related questions.
Learning Activity Identity Theft: After reviewing the information from the case study, the
student will follow instructions to post remarks on the discussion forum.
Fair Lending & Housing Chapter 1: Chapter One covers the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit
Opportunity Act, and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. It consists of the following sections:
  Fair Housing Act
  Equal Credit Opportunity Act
  Home Mortgage Disclosure Act
Fair Lending & Housing Chapter 2: Chapter Two covers the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the
Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act. It consists of the following sections:
  Fair Credit Reporting Act
  Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act
Fair Lending & Housing Chapter 3: Chapter Three covers the governmental agencies who
participate in regulating the mortgage industry. It consists of the following sections:
  Role of the Federal Reserve
  Role of the Federal Trade Commission
  Role of the Department of Housing and Urban Developments
HUD Case Study: The student will review information on the HUD web site and answer related
questions with regard to Fair Housing.
Learning Activity Fair Housing: After completing the HUD case study, the student will follow
instructions to post a scenario on the discussion forum.
Loan Fraud & Ethics Chapter 1: Chapter One will introduce you to the definition of loan fraud
and different types of loan fraud. It consists of the following sections:
  Introduction to Loan Fraud
  Definition of Loan Fraud
  Consequences of Loan Fraud
  Types of Fraud
Loan Fraud and Ethics Chapter 2: Chapter Two will review popular loan fraud schemes and
 
  Short Sale Fraud
  MARI Fraud Index
Loan Fraud Case Study: The student will review information on the FBI's web site and answer
related questions with regard to fraud.
Learning Activity Loan Fraud & Ethics: The student will search the Internet for two examples of
loan fraud and report their findings to their instructor through the internal email system.
This assignment must be completed and submitted by midnight MT on the date indicated in
the course schedule.
Non-Traditional Mortgage Products Chapter 1: Chapter One introduces the student to non-
traditional mortgage products. It consists of the following sections:
  Introduction to the Industry
  Definition of the Industry
Non-Traditional Mortgage Products Chapter 2: Chapter Two covers federal guidance of the
non-traditional mortgage industry. It consists of the following sections:
  Interagency Guidance on Nontraditional Mortgage Product Risks
  Loan Terms and Underwriting Standards
  Portfolio and Risk Management Practices
  Consumer Protection Issues
  Predatory Lending
  Prepayment Penalties
  Reduced Documentation
  Payment Shock
  Workout Arrangements
  Consumer Protection Principles
RESPA Chapter 1: Chapter One introduces RESPA’s provisions regarding disclosure of costs and
record keeping. It consists of the following sections:
  Purposes of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
  Scope of RESPA
  Advance Disclosure of Costs - Good Faith Estimate
RESPA Chapter 2: Chapter Two explains RESPA’s kickback and referral fee provisions. It
consists of the following sections:
  Eliminate Kickbacks and Referral Fees
  Common RESPA Violations
RESPA Chapter 3: Chapter Three covers affiliated business arrangements and servicing
requirements set forth in RESPA. It consists of the following sections:
  Affiliated Business Arrangements
  Servicing Issues
Learning Activity RESPA: The student will follow the instructions to post a comment on the
discussion forum regarding RESPA.
TILA Chapter 1: Chapter One introduces the Truth in Lending Act and includes definitions as
well as information on APR and advertising. It consists of the following sections:
  Definitions
  Advertising Rules
  Trigger Terms
  Required Disclosures
TILA Chapter 2: Chapter Two covers disclosure and the right to cancel. It consists of the
following sections:
  Disclosure Requirements
  Early Disclosures
High-Cost Loans
  Additional Disclosures
  Higher-priced Loans
TILA Chapter 3: Chapter Three covers loan officer compensation. It consists of the following
sections:
 
 
  Other Compensation Issues 
  Safe Harbor 
  Presenting Loan Options 
TILA Chapter 4: Chapter Four Covers the ability to repay and QM rule. It consists of the
following section:
Ability to Repay and QM Rule
Learning Activity TILA: The student will follow the instructions to search the Internet to find
mortgage ads which include trigger terms. They will complete an assignment and submit it to
their instructor through the internal email system.
This assignment must be completed and submitted by midnight MT on the date indicated in
the course schedule.
SAFE Part Three: Industry Basics
Industry Chapter 1: Chapter One reviews the structure of the mortgage industry. It consists of
the following sections:
  The Primary Market
  The Secondary Market
  Secondary Market Transactions
  The Capital Market
Industry Chapter 2: Chapter Two discusses the basic mortgage categories. It consists of the
following sections:
  Non-occupant Co-borrowers
Loan Process: Qualification Chapter 1: Chapter One covers pre-qualification. It consists of the
following sections:
Loan Process: Qualification Chapter 2: Chapter Two explores file documentation. It consists
of the following sections:
  Income Documentation
  Acceptable Assets
Loan Process: Qualification Chapter 3: Chapter Three reviews credit reports. It consists of the
following sections:
  Credit Reports
  Credit Scores
FICO Scores Case Study: The student will review credit scores and answer questions related to
FICO.
Learning Activity Credit Report: The student will follow the instructions to post a comment on
the discussion forum regarding credit scores.
Learning Activity Loan Process: Qualification: The student will complete an assignment based
on qualification calculations and submit their work to their instructor through the internal email
system.
 
 
This assignment must be completed and submitted by midnight MT on the date indicated in
the course schedule.
Maryland Mortgage Law Chapter 1: Chapter One covers mortgage regulatory agencies,
 
Mortgage Loan Originators
Maryland Mortgage Law Chapter 2: Chapter Two covers license law and regulation for
mortgage lenders. It consists of the following sections:
  Persons Required to be Licensed
  Multiple Licenses
  License Qualifications
  The Application
  Surety Bond
  License Renewal
Maryland Mortgage Law Chapter 3: Chapter Three covers license law and regulation for
mortgage loan originators. It consists of the following sections:
  Persons Required to be Licensed
  The License
  License Qualifications
 
 
Maryland Mortgage Law Chapter 4: Chapter Four covers compliance. It consists of the
following sections:
  Actual Expenses
  Prohibited Fees
  Agreements in Blank
  Mortgage Fraud
Maryland Mortgage Law Chapter 5: Chapter Five covers disciplinary action. It consists of the
following sections:
  Fines and Penalties
  Civil Liability
  Criminal Liability
  Attorney General
Enforcement Actions Case Study: The student will review three mortgage lender enforcement
action cases. To complete the assignment, the student will write a short review describing
what they have learned and what could have been done to avoid disciplinary action.
 
 
This assignment must be completed and submitted by midnight MT on the date indicated in
the course schedule.
Course Evaluation: Students will be allowed to give feedback regarding the course.
Course Final:  The student is required to take and pass a 125 question final exam with a score of
80% or higher. Once you have successfully passed your course final, your course will be
complete.
Course Schedule
This course consists of the four parts outlined above. The requirements for each part are listed
in the course schedule with the time allowed to complete each learning module. You must
follow this schedule and progress through the course with the other students in your session
in order to receive credit for the course.  Per NMLS regulations, if you do not complete the
course as outlined in the course schedule, you will automatically fail the course. At that
point, you may choose a different session date and re-start the course from the beginning.
This course meets the minimum time requirement of 50 seat minutes for each clock hour the
course is approved. This course is approved as a 20 hour course and must be completed in its
entirety in order for you to receive credit.
Good Luck
Once again, thank you for choosing Praedo Institute. Your success is extremely important to us.