loanDepot, Inc. (LDI) Business

Item 1. Business

Our Company

We are a leading provider of lending solutions that make the American dream of homeownership more accessible and achievable for all, especially the increasingly diverse communities of first-time homebuyers, through a broad suite of lending and real estate services that simplify one of life's most complex transactions. We launched our business in 2010 to disrupt the legacy mortgage industry and make obtaining a mortgage a positive experience for consumers. Our goal is to be the lender of choice for consumers and the employer of choice by being a company that operates on sound principles of exceptional value, ethics, and transparency. We offer a wide variety of loan products and our in-house servicing platform complements our loan origination strategy. We were the fifth largest retail-focused non-bank mortgage originator and the ninth largest overall retail originator during 2025 (based on data, published by Inside Mortgage Finance on February 12, 2026).

Market Considerations

During 2024 and 2025, the U.S. residential mortgage market continued to experience the impact of geopolitical risks and inflation. While the Federal Reserve lowered the Federal Funds rate three times in 2025, market concerns regarding, among other things, the long-term impacts of tariff policy and inflation resulted in long-term rates remaining elevated. The heightened rate environment negatively affected the affordability and loan qualification of homebuyers, contributed to the “lock-in” effect of borrowers that secured lower long-term interest rates during 2020 and 2021 giving rise to a lack of supply of homes available for sale and decreased demand for refinancing, shrinking mortgage loan origination volumes.

Actions taken by the Federal Reserve to impact short-term interest rates do not always have a corresponding impact on long-term interest rates, which more significantly influence the price of a fixed-rate mortgages. Despite the Federal Reserve reducing the Federal Funds rate to a range of 3.50% to 3.75%, the 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States as reported by the St. Louis Fed remained above 6% during all of 2025.

In February 2026, the MBA forecast an 8% increase in U.S. annual one-to-four family residential mortgage origination volume from $2.05 trillion in 2025 to $2.22 trillion in 2026, with a 10% increase in refinance activity. However, prevailing interest rates and strength of the housing market coupled with existing economic conditions such as market volatility, geopolitical risks, and inflation, contribute to inherent uncertainties in estimates and assumptions.

Strategy

We believe in our diversified business model, with robust origination capabilities across multiple channels that provide access to purchase, refinance and home equity lending opportunities across market cycles. These origination capabilities are complemented by our in-house servicing platform and recapture capabilities, all of which are enhanced by our technology assets and our nationally-recognized brand, which we believe gives us a distinct advantage in new customer acquisition.

Our strategic plan rests on four primary objectives:

1.Investing in the business through growth, operational efficiency and infrastructure. We intend to continue investing in recruiting and hiring sales talent across all origination channels. We also plan to further leverage technology to improve the customer experience and manufacturing processes. Finally, we expect to make additional investments in critical hardware and data upgrades which we believe will position us for future growth opportunities and to better mitigate risk.

2.Becoming a Best-in-Class Mortgage Banker. Our goals are simple: find another loan, close it faster, produce it cheaper, and maintain superior loan quality. We plan to do this by utilizing our scale and marketing prowess, leveraging our multi-channel origination strategy, investing in technology, and improving our processes.

3.Growing profitable market share. By hiring and training sales professionals in our direct channel, recruiting and attracting loan officers that have existing relationships with real estate professionals in our retail channel, and

4

Table of Contents

partnering with national and regional homebuilders in our joint venture channel, we plan to grow our origination capacity to capture profitable market share growth across refinance, resale and new home loans.

4.Returning to profitability. By investing in our origination and new customer acquisition capabilities, growing our servicing portfolio, improving our recapture rates, growing our brand and marketing, and increasing our operating leverage, we believe we can return to consistent profitability and create shareholder value.

Products

We have a broad loan product suite including conventional agency-conforming loans, conventional prime jumbo loans, FHA & VA loans, home equity lines of credit, and closed-end second liens.

i)Conventional Agency-Conforming loans: our conventional Agency-conforming loans meet the general underwriting guidelines established by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and may be modified through special arrangements we have with both GSEs.

ii)Conventional prime jumbo loans: comprised of our proprietary “Jumbo Advantage” product, and other white label products, these loans generally conform to the underwriting guidelines of the GSEs but exceed the maximum loan size allowed for single unit properties.

iii)FHA & VA loans: FHA loans are federal assistance residential mortgage loans that insure the lender against default on the loan. VA loans are federal assistance residential mortgage loans for eligible U.S. veterans and their surviving spouses that are guaranteed against default by the U.S. government.

iv)Home equity lines of credit and closed-end second liens: we originate home equity lines of credit and closed-end second liens that are designed to provide homeowners access to efficient capital by accessing the equity that borrowers have accumulated in their homes.

In addition to the above product categories, we originate certain first-lien mortgage loans that are not underwritten in accordance with qualified mortgage underwriting standards and instead are underwritten based on the specific guidelines required by our network of buyers for these loans.

Loan Origination Strategy

We aim to reach a wider audience and provide a seamless customer experience through our streamlined organization and digital-first approach. Using our brand, technology, and data, we connect with customers through various channels, including digital and direct marketing, realtor relationships, joint ventures, and referral partners. Our proprietary technology platform, mello®, plays a role in improving the mortgage process by applying intelligent underwriting parameters for automated loan determination. This approach prioritizes efficiency and responsiveness, directing leads to either in-house or in-market loan officers, or our digital self-service platform, based on consumer needs and preferences.

Consumer Direct: Our consumer direct platform leverages our centralized operations centers and algorithms to generate rate quotes in seconds. Customers can independently complete the mortgage application process digitally, often without human interaction. Real-time assistance is available when needed from our sales force. Mortgages from our digital and call center operations are primarily focused on refinancing.

In-Market Loan Officers: We originate loans through dedicated in-market loan officers nationwide, who build and maintain local customer relationships with real estate agents and builders and are often supplemented by leads developed from our enterprise wide marketing. Our technology platform serves as a lead generation tool for these loan officers, particularly focusing on purchase originations.

Joint Ventures and Other Partners: We've formed joint ventures with national home builders and affinity partners, aiming to offer integrated mortgage products. This approach reduces acquisition costs and emphasizes a high percentage of purchase originations in collaboration with home builders. Additionally, we source originations through direct referrals from our partners' customer interactions and from our network of independent wholesale brokers.

5

Table of Contents

Servicing

Servicing involves collecting loan payments, sending principal and interest payments to investors, managing escrow funds for mortgage-related expenses like taxes and insurance, conducting loss mitigation activities, and administering our mortgage loan servicing portfolio in compliance with state and federal regulations and investor guidelines. Unlike origination and sales, servicing revenues are recurring in nature and repeat throughout the life of the underlying mortgage loan. In February 2023, we completed the transition of our servicing portfolio to our in-house platform. For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we retained servicing rights on 65% and 63% of loans sold, respectively. We service loans on behalf of investors in the underlying mortgages, and because we do not generally hold loans for investment purposes, our loss exposure is generally limited to investor guidelines regarding the servicing of delinquent loans. As of December 31, 2025, we serviced 448,261 customers with $119.1 billion in UPB of residential mortgage loans, 78% of which was associated with FICO scores above 680. Our servicing portfolio is comprised of 54% Agency MSRs associated with mortgage loans that conform to the guidelines set forth by GSEs, and 36% government MSRs associated with mortgage loans that are insured or guaranteed by government agencies, primarily through Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities.

Our servicing portfolio and in-house capabilities complement our loan origination strategy. In addition to fees we earn from servicing the loans, we also derive value from the ability to “recapture” the subsequent refinance or purchase mortgage business of borrowers in the servicing portfolio. The value of the recapture business is comprised of both the gain on sale revenue from the origination and with lower marketing expenses than a non-recapture origination. Our preliminary organic refinance, consumer-direct recapture rate for the year ended December 31, 2025 was 68%. We define organic refinance, consumer-direct recapture rate as the total UPB of loans in our servicing book that are paid in full for purposes of refinancing the loan on the same property, with the Company acting as lender on both the existing and new loan, divided by the UPB of loans in our servicing book that are paid in full for the purpose of refinancing the loan on the same property.

Ancillary Business

Settlement Services. LDSS is our captive title and escrow business. Title insurance is one of the most significant pieces of a real estate transaction, with vast potential to be digitized and better integrated with our lending operation.

Real Estate and Insurance Services. mello Home Services, LLC and mello Insurance Services, LLC are our wholly-owned captive real estate referral and insurance businesses. A large portion of our purchase-oriented customer leads have not yet selected a realtor or a homeowners or other consumer insurance policy, thus affording us the opportunity to provide a more integrated customer service between these key home-buying functions, as well as capture ancillary revenue in a RESPA-compliant manner.

Risk Management

Our experienced management team understands the importance of risk management, employing enterprise-wide risk management principles and policies to guide their decision making and business strategy. Our risk management objectives include an effective and scalable environment and resource and process optimization; anticipation and mitigation of emerging risks; consistent application of risk framework principles; maintenance of satisfactory positions with regulatory agencies, investors, lenders and other critical counterparties; maintenance of adequate capital to satisfy our internal, regulatory and agency requirements; holding adequate liquidity to fund our business through both normal and stressed environments; mitigation of credit risk exposure; and management towards attractive long-term risk-adjusted returns on capital.

As part of our risk management practices, we proactively hedge the interest rate risk on our MSR portfolio. Derivative instruments utilized by the Company primarily include forward sale contracts, put options on treasuries, and interest rate swap futures. Our dedicated capital markets team actively manages the pooling and sale of loans into the secondary market as well as hedging of the Company’s whole-loans, origination pipeline, and MSRs.

Liquidity is crucial to the overall success of our business and is primarily managed by our treasury and capital markets teams. We have historically maintained liquidity levels that are designed to allow us to fund our loan origination business, manage our day-to-day operations and protect us against foreseeable market risks. Our sources of liquidity include loan funding warehouse facilities, MSR and servicing advance facilities, off-balance sheet gestation facilities, as well as cash on hand. As of

6

Table of Contents

December 31, 2025, we had $337.2 million of cash and cash equivalents, along with $4.2 billion of loan funding capacity across eleven credit facilities, of which $2.9 billion was outstanding. Our $4.2 billion loan funding capacity was comprised primarily of maturities staggered throughout 2026 and one maturity in 2028.

Competition

As a technology-enabled platform that provides multiple mortgage loan and real estate services products, we compete with other lenders and market participants across a variety of industry segments, including banks and other “originate-to-hold” lenders, non-bank lenders, and other financial institutions, as well as traditional and technology-oriented platforms across the broader real estate and mortgage industry. With respect to our mortgage loan businesses, we face, and may face in the future, competition in such areas as loan product offerings, rates, fees and customer service. With respect to servicing, we face competition in areas such as fees, borrower satisfaction, compliance, and operational performance. Increased competition from new and existing market participants can impact our ability to continue to grow our loan origination volume, and we may be forced to accept lower margins in order to continue to compete and keep our volume of activity consistent with past or projected levels.

We believe that the principal factors that generally determine competitive advantage within our market include:

•ease and quickness of the loan application, underwriting and approval processes;

•overall customer experience, including transparency throughout each step of the transaction;

•brand recognition and trust;

•product selection; and

•effectiveness of customer acquisition.

We believe we compete favorably on the basis of our diversified customer acquisition model and origination channels, scale, brand, broad suite of products and we believe our proprietary technology platform has positioned us to profitably gain market share.

Regulatory Compliance

We operate within a complex area of the financial services industry, and our business requires a significant compliance and regulatory infrastructure. We have developed an operating platform designed to meet the needs of today’s compliance and regulatory environment. We leverage our proprietary technology powered by mello® and automated systems, which are designed to reduce errors, standardize processes, and facilitate compliance.

We employ an in-house team of lawyers and other professionals dedicated to legal, regulatory and compliance related matters. Our compliance functions sit independently of our production operations from a reporting perspective, which allows for autonomy. However, our compliance department also works alongside the production areas of our organization on a day-to-day basis, which enables our compliance function and business units to collaborate and work more efficiently. We regularly and proactively engage with our regulators to stay ahead of regulatory trends. In addition, we utilize third-party verification and internal audit procedures to assist with compliance as appropriate.

Supervision and Regulation

We describe below the material elements of the regulatory and supervisory framework applicable to us. Statutes, regulations and policies that affect mortgage lending and servicing are continually under review by Congress, state legislatures and federal and state regulatory agencies, and a change in them, including changes in how they are interpreted or implemented, could have a material effect on our business. The regulatory and supervisory framework applicable to originators, lenders and facilitators in the mortgage loan markets is generally intended to protect consumers and not investors in such companies.

Supervision and Enforcement

Because we are not a depository institution, we generally do not benefit from federal preemption of state mortgage lending, loan servicing or debt collection licensing and regulatory requirements. Accordingly, we must comply with state

7

Table of Contents

licensing requirements in all of the states in which we conduct business. We are licensed as a loan originator in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and also are licensed as a loan servicer and loan broker in states and jurisdictions where we are required to be licensed. We are also subject to an extensive framework of state laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we do business, and to periodic audits and examinations conducted by the state regulators to ensure compliance with those laws and regulations. From time to time, we receive requests from state regulators and other agencies for records, documents and information regarding our policies, procedures and practices related to our loan origination, loan facilitation, loan servicing and debt collection operations. State attorneys general, state licensing regulators, and state and local consumer protection offices have authority to investigate consumer complaints and to commence investigations and other formal and informal proceedings regarding our operations and activities.

We are also subject to supervision and enforcement activity by federal government entities. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFPB was established in 2011 to ensure, among other things, that consumers receive clear and accurate disclosures regarding financial products and to protect consumers from hidden fees and unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices. While CFPB staffing, funding and enforcement are uncertain at this time, the CFPB still has broad supervisory and enforcement powers with regard to nonbanking companies, such as us, that engage in the origination and servicing of mortgage loans. As an approved originator and servicer of loans that are guaranteed by FHA and VA, and loans that are sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, our operations also may be reviewed by these, and other entities with whom we do business. We are also subject to oversight by the Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, HUD and FHFA.

Federal, State and Local Regulation

Our business is highly regulated. Regulatory and legal requirements are subject to change and may become more restrictive, making our compliance with these requirements more complex or expensive, or otherwise restricting our ability to conduct our business as it is now conducted. Changes in these regulatory and legal requirements, including changes in their enforcement, could materially and adversely affect our business and our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. We are subject to extensive federal laws and regulations as well as to numerous state-specific laws and regulations. We are also subject to judicial and administrative decisions that impose requirements and restrictions on our business.

The U.S. federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations to which we are subject, among other things:

•limit certain practices related to loan officer compensation;

•impose licensing obligations and financial requirements;

•limit the interest rates, finance charges and other fees that we may charge or pay;

•regulate the use of credit reports and the reporting of credit information;

•impose underwriting requirements;

•mandate disclosures and notices to consumers;

•mandate maintenance and retention of loan records;

•mandate the collection and reporting of statistical data regarding applications for, originations of and purchases of mortgage loans;

•regulate consumer marketing techniques and practices;

•require us to safeguard public and non-public information about our customers and regulate the sharing of such non-public personal information with third parties and affiliates;

•regulate our privacy and cybersecurity obligations;

•regulate our servicing practices, including but not limited to collection and foreclosure practices, the manner and timing for responding to consumer complaints, and the administration of escrow accounts;

•require us to take precautions against money-laundering and doing business with certain government-designated parties, such as suspected terrorists and parties engaged in narcotics trafficking;

•regulate the method by which appraisals are ordered and reviewed and our interaction with appraisers; and

•mandate the terms and conditions under which we must offer and approve loan modification programs for our servicing customers.

In particular, we are required to comply with:

8

Table of Contents

•Title V of the GLBA and Regulation P, FCRA and Regulation V, CCPA/CPRA and other state privacy laws which outline various privacy requirements, including initial and periodic communication with consumers on privacy matters, the maintenance of privacy regarding certain consumer data in our possession, and sharing information with affiliates and certain third parties;

•the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) and Regulation F, which regulates the timing and content of communications on debt collections;

•the TILA and Regulation Z, which, in conjunction with the RESPA under the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule, require certain disclosures be made to mortgagors regarding terms of mortgage financing, including but not limited to information designed to promote consumer understanding of the cost of a loan, expressed in terms of an annual percentage rate, and other credit terms including the disclosure of the number, amount and due dates or periods of scheduled repayments; TILA and Regulation Z also include the rules on loan officer compensation, require special disclosures and treatment for certain high-cost loans, require certain disclosures in connection with the servicing, assumption or refinancing of mortgage loans, provide for consumers’ right to rescind loans under certain circumstances, contain rules with respect to the ordering and review of appraisals and interaction with appraisers, and provide rules requiring a determination of the consumer’s ability to repay certain mortgage loans and providing either a safe harbor or rebuttable presumption of compliance for certain qualified mortgage loans;

•federal and state anti-predatory lending laws regarding “high cost” and net tangible benefit requirements, which tests may be highly subjective and open to interpretation;

•fair lending regulations, including the ECOA and Regulation B, the Fair Housing Act and other state laws, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, race and certain other characteristics in the extension of credit and requires that in certain circumstances, creditors provide appraisal-related disclosures and copies of appraisals to borrowers;

•the Homeowners Protection Act, which requires the cancellation of mortgage insurance once certain equity levels are reached;

•the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and Regulation C, which require public reporting of certain loan data;

•the SCRA, which provides certain legal protections and relief to members of the military;

•RESPA and Regulation X, which governs the actions of servicers related to escrow accounts, servicing transfers, general mortgage servicing and loss mitigation practices, and other customer communications, and prohibits certain practices, such as giving or accepting a fee, kickback, or anything of value in exchange for referrals of settlement service business;

•state mortgage loan servicing laws, such as California’s Homeowner’s Bill of Rights, which can result in delays or rescission of foreclosure, and subject servicers to penalties and damages;

•advertising requirements, including Regulation N (the Mortgage Acts and Practices Advertising Rule) and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits companies from using an automatic dialer or robocalls to call people either at home or on their cell phones without their consent;

•Regulation AB under the Securities Act, which requires registration, reporting and disclosure for MBS;

•the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act, commonly known as the SAFE Act, and state laws requiring minimum standards for the licensing and registration of state licensed mortgage loan originators;

•state artificial intelligence laws regulating the development and use of AI technology;

•Dodd-Frank Act and other state laws prohibiting unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices;

•certain other provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, which, as discussed elsewhere, is extensive in scope and authorizes the CFPB to engage in rulemaking activity and to enforce compliance with federal consumer financial laws, including TILA, RESPA, and the FDCPA; and

•The PATRIOT Act, which requires anti-money laundering programs and to file suspicious activity reports under the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970.

Other Laws

We are subject to various other laws, including employment laws related to hiring practices and termination of employees, wage and hour laws, health and safety laws, environmental laws and other federal, state and local laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate. We are also subject to a variety of investor and contractual obligations imposed by the GSEs, Ginnie Mae, the VA, the FHA, and others.

Human Capital

9

Table of Contents

Our People. Our success is anchored in the dedication, expertise, and broad range of perspectives, viewpoints, and backgrounds of our workforce. As of December 31, 2025, we had approximately 4,700 employees and 960 independent contractors.

Culture and Engagement. We are committed to fostering a workplace culture that values and respects the unique perspectives, backgrounds, and talents of every individual in accordance with equal employment opportunities laws. We believe that a workforce with broad perspectives, viewpoints and backgrounds enhances creativity, innovation, and overall business performance. Our team members are expected to complete annual training courses focused on promoting respect in the workplace. We also monitor pay equity across multiple dimensions on an annual basis, and we conduct employee surveys on a variety of topics to inform our programs and employee initiatives.

Training and Development. The training and development of our team members is a crucial driver of our success. In order to provide the best experience for our team members and customers, we provide extensive, best-in-class training for our sales, processing, underwriting, and servicing teams. This includes an intensive development program for those who are just starting their career in lending that provides the opportunity to become a fully-licensed professional.

We provide all team members with unrestricted access to professional development and leadership courses via our learning management system and support ongoing education through our tuition reimbursement program. In addition, our Leadership Academy programs prepare high performing, high potential leaders for roles of greater impact and influence through an immersive curriculum supported by assessments, simulations, and executive coaching. Workshops and Company-sponsored certification programs further contribute to keeping our workforce abreast of industry best practices.

Compensation and Rewards. We provide comprehensive benefits and well-being programs as well as competitive pay programs that provide employees with the opportunity to earn rewards based on individual, team, and Company performance. Our peer recognition program provides the opportunity for all team members to recognize their peers who demonstrate our core values in their everyday actions.

This multi-faceted approach underscores our commitment to investing in the development of our team members and enables our ability to attract and retain a highly skilled and engaged workforce.

Intellectual Property

As of December 31, 2025, we hold 26 registered United States trademarks and 19 United States trademark applications, including with respect to the name “loanDepot,” “mello” and other logos and various additional designs and word marks relating to the “loanDepot” name, as well as 5 issued United States patents and 11 United States patent applications. Our other intellectual property rights consist of unregistered copyrights, common law trademarks or servicemarks, trade secrets, proprietary know-how and technological innovations that we have developed to maintain our competitive position.

Available Information

loanDepot files annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports and other required information with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Any document loanDepot files may be inspected, without charge, at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, through our corporate website at www.investors.loandepot.com, loanDepot provides a hyperlink to a third-party SEC filing website which posts these filings as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed with the SEC where they can be reviewed without charge. The information found on our website is not a part of and is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any other report we file with or furnish to the SEC.