source:
  type: regulation
  id: va-m26-7-ch01
  authority: "VA Lender Handbook M26-7 Chapter 1 — Lender Approval Guidelines"
  description: 'VA Pamphlet 26-7 (Lender''s Handbook) Chapter 1 governs lender

    approval to originate and close VA-guaranteed loans.

    '
obligations:
- id: va-m26-7-ch01-maintain-origination-records-2yr
  canonical_id: va-m26-7-ch01-maintain-origination-records-2yr
  section: "VA M26-7 Ch. 1, Topic 11 — Maintenance of Loan Records"
  description: '[LENDER] must maintain all loan origination records on VA-guaranteed

    home loans for at least 2 years from the date of loan closing. Even

    if the loan is sold, the original lender must maintain all records

    (or legible copies) for the required period.

    '
  type: maintain
  audit_question: For every VA-guaranteed home loan [LENDER] originated, can [LENDER] evidence retention of the complete loan origination record set (application, verifications, credit reports, sales contracts, appraisal/compliance inspections, closing papers, etc.) for at least 2 years from the date of loan closing, including for loans sold to a subsequent holder?
  workflow_phase: origination
  owner_role: compliance_officer
  secondary_owner_role: closer
  cadence: continuous
  consequence: ''
  tags:
  - round-b
  - regulator-direct
  - va
  - m26-7
  - ch01
  - recordkeeping
  - lender-approval
  - promoted
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: "VA Lender Handbook M26-7 Chapter 1 — Lender Approval Guidelines"
    source_class: va-handbook-m26-7
    source_url: https://benefits.va.gov/WARMS/M26_7.asp
    snapshot_id: b4bc25cdd49513a7
    fetched_at: '2026-05-23T01:50:00Z'
    content_hash: sha256:2516e061c3a90ce65e72b43ae4022a97e784d65ec7580998c523b5dc69ba6520
    paragraph_quote: 'Lenders must maintain all loan origination records on VA-guaranteed home '
    drafter_attestation: "Copied verbatim from VA Handbook snapshot b4bc25cdd49513a7 (M26-7 Ch. 1, Topic 11 — Maintenance of Loan Records) at 2026-05-23. Source PDF retrieved via Wayback Machine."
  promoted_at: '2026-05-23T01:58:17+00:00'
  promoted_from: va-m26-7-ch01-roundb-v1.yaml
  program_review: Does the program retain the complete loan-origination record set (application, verifications, credit reports, sales contracts, appraisal/compliance inspections, closing papers) for at least 2 years from closing, including for loans sold to a subsequent holder?
  file_review: Spot-check originated (and sold) loans; confirm the complete origination record set is retained for the 2-year minimum.
  judgment: false
- id: va-m26-7-ch01-qc-plan-audit-scope-10pct
  canonical_id: va-m26-7-ch01-qc-plan-audit-scope-10pct
  section: "VA M26-7 Ch. 1, Topic 14, Subsection c — Adequate Scope of QC Plan"
  description: '[LENDER]''s Quality Control plan must provide for audits or reviews

    of not less than ten percent of all VA-guaranteed mortgages

    originated by the lender monthly, including its branches and

    authorized agents, except that lenders making more than 140 VA

    mortgages monthly may use statistical sampling methods in lieu of

    the ten percent.

    '
  type: monitor
  audit_question: "For every reporting month, can [LENDER] evidence that its QC plan covered not less than ten percent of VA-guaranteed mortgages originated that month (including branches and authorized agents), or — if making more than 140 VA mortgages monthly — that the statistical sampling method used in lieu of the ten percent is documented?"
  workflow_phase: origination
  owner_role: compliance_officer
  secondary_owner_role: underwriter
  cadence: monthly
  consequence: ''
  tags:
  - round-b
  - regulator-direct
  - va
  - m26-7
  - ch01
  - quality-control
  - audit-scope
  - promoted
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: "VA Lender Handbook M26-7 Chapter 1 — Lender Approval Guidelines"
    source_class: va-handbook-m26-7
    source_url: https://benefits.va.gov/WARMS/M26_7.asp
    snapshot_id: b4bc25cdd49513a7
    fetched_at: '2026-05-23T01:50:00Z'
    content_hash: sha256:2516e061c3a90ce65e72b43ae4022a97e784d65ec7580998c523b5dc69ba6520
    paragraph_quote: ' Audits or reviews are not less than ten percent of all VA-guaranteed '
    drafter_attestation: "Copied verbatim from VA Handbook snapshot b4bc25cdd49513a7 (M26-7 Ch. 1, Topic 14c — Adequate Scope) at 2026-05-23. Source PDF retrieved via Wayback Machine."
  promoted_at: '2026-05-23T01:58:17+00:00'
  promoted_from: va-m26-7-ch01-roundb-v1.yaml
  program_review: Does the QC plan provide for audits/reviews of not less than ten percent of VA-guaranteed mortgages originated monthly (including branches and authorized agents), or — above 140 VA mortgages monthly — a documented statistical-sampling method in lieu of the ten percent?
  file_review: Review monthly QC scope records; confirm the 10% coverage (or the documented statistical-sampling method) including branches/agents. The officer judges whether the sampling method is statistically adequate.
  judgment: true
- id: va-m26-7-ch01-qc-funding-fee-15-days
  canonical_id: va-m26-7-ch01-qc-funding-fee-15-days
  section: "VA M26-7 Ch. 1, Topic 14, Subsection i — Funding Fees Paid"
  description: '[LENDER]''s Quality Control plan must ensure that VA funding fees are

    remitted within 15 days from the date of loan closing and that late

    charges and interest penalties are promptly submitted.

    '
  type: do
  audit_question: For every VA-guaranteed loan closed, can [LENDER] evidence that the VA funding fee was remitted within 15 days from the date of loan closing, and that any late charges and interest penalties were promptly submitted?
  workflow_phase: closing
  owner_role: compliance_officer
  secondary_owner_role: closer
  cadence: per_loan
  consequence: ''
  tags:
  - round-b
  - regulator-direct
  - va
  - m26-7
  - ch01
  - funding-fee
  - qc-plan
  - promoted
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: "VA Lender Handbook M26-7 Chapter 1 — Lender Approval Guidelines"
    source_class: va-handbook-m26-7
    source_url: https://benefits.va.gov/WARMS/M26_7.asp
    snapshot_id: b4bc25cdd49513a7
    fetched_at: '2026-05-23T01:50:00Z'
    content_hash: sha256:2516e061c3a90ce65e72b43ae4022a97e784d65ec7580998c523b5dc69ba6520
    paragraph_quote: 'The QC plan must ensure that VA funding fees are remitted within 15 days '
    drafter_attestation: "Copied verbatim from VA Handbook snapshot b4bc25cdd49513a7 (M26-7 Ch. 1, Topic 14i — Funding Fees Paid) at 2026-05-23. Source PDF retrieved via Wayback Machine."
  promoted_at: '2026-05-23T01:58:17+00:00'
  promoted_from: va-m26-7-ch01-roundb-v1.yaml
  program_review: Does the QC plan ensure VA funding fees are remitted within 15 days of closing and that late charges and interest penalties are promptly submitted?
  file_review: Spot-check closings via the QC sample; confirm funding-fee remittance within 15 days and prompt submission of any late charges/interest.
  judgment: false
_promotion_history:
- promoted_at: '2026-05-23T01:58:17+00:00'
  candidate_path: obligations\_remediation\_round_b_drafts\va-m26-7-ch01-roundb-v1.yaml
  candidates_promoted: 3
  candidates_skipped_existing: 0
