Tim is in violation by collecting fees prior to:

Tim is in violation by collecting fees prior to providing necessary disclosures to clients because, under Rhode Island mortgage law, lenders and mortgage brokers are required to disclose certain information to borrowers before any fees are collected. These disclosures typically include details about the terms of the loan, any associated costs, and the borrower's rights. Collecting fees before these disclosures puts the lender out of compliance with legal requirements designed to protect consumers by ensuring they have all the relevant information before committing financially.

While completing the loan application, verifying the client's credit score, and ensuring compliance with state regulations are important aspects of the lending process, they do not specifically address the timing of fee collection in relation to consumer disclosures. Therefore, the act of collecting fees is primarily regulated by the requirement to first inform the client comprehensively, making that the key point of violation in this scenario.