The news was not entirely unexpected, following an internal reshuffle in Barclays Capital in October, when Kvalheim's responsibility for credit trading, where most of the losses occurred, was shifted to del Missier, leaving him with investment banking and loan origination.

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It became the exclusive home loan provider of Charles Schwab Bank, for instance, and licensed its proprietary loan origination technology to JP Morgan Chase.

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Also, don't forget to call the lender to find out what fees it charges for loan origination, rate locks and administrative fees.

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In addition to the interest earned on the personal loans, Discover also earns loan origination fees on some of its personal loans and fees from customers that enroll in the payment protection product.

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