On July 1, 1969, Regulation Z of the Federal Consumer Credit Protection Act became effective. The purpose of this act (commonly referred to as the "Truth-in-Lending Law") is to assure that borrowers receive meaningful information concerning the cost of credit so that they can compare the costs with other sources and thus make a fully informed decision. To enable borrowers to make such comparisons, the cost of credit must be expressed in terms of a uniform measure called the "annual percentage rate" (APR) which represents the total of all costs which the borrower must pay for obtaining credit and includes such items as interest, loan fees, and discount points.

While lenders are perhaps more directly affected by the provisions of Regulation Z, the Act also extends to cover real estate brokers who mention finance terms in their advertising (newspaper, radio, signs, etc.). In this regard, it requires that whenever credit is promoted, all credit terms must be disclosed. For example, an advertisement containing specific terms such as "No down payment", "No money down", "100% financing available", or "Monthly payments of $250" must also contain the cash price or amount of the loan, the amount of the finance charge (APR), the number, amount, and due dates of payments, and other information constituting full disclosure of credit terms. However, such general terms as "Loan may be assumed", "Financing available", and "No closing costs" are not considered as promoting credit and therefore do not require further disclosure.

Brokers are cautioned to remember and follow this "all or none" principle regarding the promoting of credit terms in real estate advertisements. Failure to do so may result in criminal liability.

- is a federally registered mark which identifies members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSŪ , and its use is exclusively reserved to members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION. The term REALTORŪ is not a synonym for " real estate agent" or "real estate broker".

Although the Licensing Board does not issue real estate licenses or recognize in its records the word RealtorŪ as a part of a firm or business name, individuals or firms who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION may use the designation REALTORŪ in advertising and promotional materials.