Bear Stearns posts 4Q lossDenver Post, CO -5 minutes ago5 US investment bank, said Thursday a bigger-than-expected writedown of its mortgage portfolio caused a substantial quarterly loss. The quarterly loss after ... Brokers are the ones who help you find lending companies with the best mortgage rates. Brokers have a greater access into the best mortgage rate options posted by lending companies. This means that you get a wider selection of loan products and terms for you to decide which one has the best mortgage rate.