Borrower Portal Specification

Design the feature specification and security requirements for a borrower-facing mortgage portal that allows applicants to track their loan status, upload required documents, communicate with their loan team, and manage closing logistics — reducing inbound calls and improving the borrower experience.

Authentication

Registration:

Initiated by loan officer or processor: system sends invitation email to borrower's email address on file
Borrower creates password on first login (not pre-set by staff)
Password requirements: minimum 10 characters, must include upper, lower, number; common passwords rejected
Email verification: confirmation link expires in 48 hours; resend available

Multi-Factor Authentication:

MFA required for all borrower accounts
TOTP (authenticator app) or SMS OTP accepted
MFA enrollment required on first login after password set
Fallback: email OTP if phone number changes
Session timeout: 20 minutes of inactivity; absolute limit 8 hours

Session security:

HTTPS only; TLS 1.2 minimum
Secure cookie flags (HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite=Strict)
Session token invalidated on logout and on MFA re-authentication
Concurrent session limit: 2 devices (additional login invalidates oldest session with notification)
Failed login: 5 consecutive failures → 15-minute lockout (not full account lock — reduces abuse risk)

Account recovery:

Password reset: email verification link (expires 30 minutes)
MFA device lost: verified via security questions + email OTP; requires identity re-verification before full access restored
Fraud alert: 3 failed recovery attempts → email notification to borrower and loan team notification

Loan Status Dashboard

Status overview:

The primary view shows the borrower's current loan status with a visual progress indicator (milestone pipeline).

Element	Content
Milestone progress bar	Visual pipeline showing current milestone highlighted; completed milestones checked
Current milestone name	Plain English (e.g., "Your loan is in underwriting")
Current milestone description	2–3 sentences explaining what happens at this stage
Estimated closing date	Displayed when known; updated as timeline changes
Next action	What the borrower needs to do next (if anything)
Outstanding items	Count and list of items required from borrower (documents, signatures, decisions)

Milestone display for borrower (plain language):

Internal Milestone	Borrower-Facing Label	Borrower Description
Application received	Application submitted	Your loan application has been received. We're reviewing the information and will be in touch soon.
Disclosures sent	Loan Estimate ready	Your Loan Estimate is ready for review. Please review and let us know you'd like to proceed.
Processing	We're gathering your documents	Our team is reviewing your file and may request additional documents. Watch for items in your portal.
Appraisal ordered	Appraisal in progress	We've ordered an appraisal of your property. The appraiser will contact you to schedule access.
Submitted to underwriting	In underwriting	Your complete file has been submitted to underwriting for a final decision.
Conditional approval	Approved — a few items needed	Great news! Your loan is approved. We need a few additional items before we can proceed.
Clear to close	You're cleared to close!	Everything is approved. We're preparing your closing documents.
CD issued	Review your Closing Disclosure	Your Closing Disclosure is ready. Please review carefully and confirm your closing appointment.
Closing scheduled	Closing scheduled	Your closing is scheduled for [date/time/location].
Funded	Your loan is funded	Congratulations! Your loan has been funded.

Outstanding Conditions

Conditions display:

Show borrower only the conditions they can fulfill — not internal UW conditions requiring lender action.

Column	Content
Condition name	Plain English label (e.g., "Most recent pay stub")
Description	What it is and why it is needed (1–2 sentences)
Status	Needed / Uploaded (pending review) / Accepted / Waived
Priority	Required before closing / Required for approval
Instructions	How to obtain and submit this document
Upload button	If status = Needed

Status lifecycle:

Needed → [Borrower uploads] → Uploaded (pending review) → [Staff reviews] → Accepted or Returned with comments

If document is returned: borrower receives notification with specific reason; condition returns to Needed status.

Document Upload

Upload requirements:

Accepted file types: PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, HEIC
Maximum file size: 25MB per file; 100MB per upload session
Multiple files per condition: allowed (borrower can upload more than one file for a single condition if documents are split across pages)
File naming: system assigns name based on condition + timestamp; borrower does not need to name files

Upload flow:

Borrower selects condition requiring a document
Upload instructions displayed (what the document must contain; example shown if available)
File selection (drag-and-drop or file picker)
Preview displayed: first page of PDF or image
Borrower confirms upload
System virus scans file (in-flight; typical < 5 seconds)
If scan fails: error message, file rejected
If scan passes: file stored; condition status changes to "Uploaded — pending review"
Loan team notified of document upload (in-system notification + email summary)

Security:

Files stored in encrypted storage (AES-256 at rest)
Access control: only borrower, co-borrower, and loan team can access uploaded files
Files retained per lender's document retention policy; not accessible after loan is closed and retention period expires

Secure Messaging

Message thread structure:

One thread per loan (not per topic)
Participants: borrower, co-borrower, loan officer, processor (as configured by loan team)
Message history: complete history from application to close retained in loan file

Messaging rules:

Borrower cannot initiate contact with a new party not added to their thread
Files can be attached to messages (same file type and size limits as document upload — for informal back-and-forth; formal document submission uses the Conditions section)
Read receipts: loan team can see when borrower has read a message (borrower can see when loan team has read a message)
Response time display: "Typical response time: [N] business hours" set by lender

Message notifications:

New message from loan team → email notification to borrower: "You have a new message in your portal" (no loan details in email)
Unread message indicator in portal header
SMS notification (optional, if borrower opts in): same content as email

Wire fraud warning (pinned to message thread):

A permanent, prominent notice displayed at the top of every message thread:

Important: Wire Fraud Warning Our team will NEVER ask you to wire money based on an email or message alone. Before wiring any funds, call your loan officer directly at [loan officer phone number] to verify the wire instructions. Wire fraud is common and wires are irreversible.

Closing Coordination

CD review and acknowledgment:

When CD is issued:

Portal displays "Your Closing Disclosure is ready" banner
CD PDF viewable in portal (full document)
Key figures highlighted: cash to close, monthly payment, loan amount, interest rate
Borrower must click "I have reviewed my Closing Disclosure" to acknowledge (does not constitute legal acknowledgment for TRID purposes — this is informational UX; formal LE/CD delivery compliance handled separately)
3-business-day wait countdown shown: "Closing available on or after [date]"

Closing appointment:

Closing date, time, and location displayed once confirmed
Option to add to calendar (ICS file download)
Closing details:
- Physical address or "Remote Online Notarization" with technology instructions
- Who will be at closing (settlement agent name and contact)
- What to bring: valid government-issued photo ID, any cashier's check (if not wiring), any items noted in CD
- Wiring instructions (if applicable): displayed with mandatory fraud warning adjacent; instructions displayed only after loan team has verified with title company

Wire instructions display:

Your wire instructions — read before wiring

Before wiring any funds, call [title company name] directly at [verified phone number on file] to confirm these instructions have not changed. Do not send a wire based on this page alone — wire fraud is common.

[Wire instructions displayed below]

Post-Close

After funding:

Loan status changes to "Your loan is funded — congratulations!"
First payment information displayed: due date, amount, servicer name and payment address
If loan is transferred to a servicer: servicer contact information displayed
Escrow analysis information: if escrow account established, explanation of initial setup and when first annual analysis will occur
Portal access continues for 30 days post-close (borrower can download documents they uploaded; read message history)

Portal Security Requirements Summary

Requirement	Specification
Encryption in transit	TLS 1.2 minimum; TLS 1.3 preferred
Encryption at rest	AES-256 for all stored documents and PII
Authentication	Email + password + MFA (TOTP or SMS OTP)
Session management	20-minute inactivity timeout; 8-hour absolute
Password policy	10+ characters; complexity enforced; breach list checked
MFA required	Yes — all users, no bypass
Audit logging	All login attempts (success/fail), document uploads, message sends, status page views
Penetration testing	Annual third-party pen test
OWASP Top 10	Addressed in design and verified in security testing
Data residency	US-only hosting if handling US borrower PII
Vendor assessment	If hosted by third party, SOC 2 Type II required

Output Format

Deliver two artifacts:

Portal Feature Specification — User story format (as a [borrower / loan officer / processor], I can [action] so that [benefit]) with acceptance criteria for each feature
Security Requirements Specification — Authentication, session management, encryption, audit logging, and testing requirements; input validation requirements for all borrower-submitted data