There are so many things the Average Joe doesn’t know about the mortgage business.

One is that bank mortgage reps often get paid more for selling higher rates—as do many brokers.

Another is that banks sometimes direct borrowers to outside lenders that the bank has financial relationships with. This happens when the bank chooses not to service the applicant directly (due to qualification issues or an inability to meet the customer’s expectations).

Both of these issues entail potential conflicts and disclosure problems, but banking regulators don’t monitor these matters as closely as you’d think. That was the topic in this week’s Globe.