VA Issues Statement On ATR/QM Rule

CFPB TILA Mortgage Origination Qualified Mortgage Department of Veterans Affairs

On January 9, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued Circular 26-14-1, which clarifies lender requirements for home loans guaranteed by the VA under the TILA and the CFPB’s Ability to Repay and Qualified Mortgage (ATR/QM) rule. Given that the CFPB’s ATR/QM rule took effect on January 10, 2014, and the VA has not yet finalized its own ATR/QM requirements for VA-guaranteed loans, the circular states that all lenders must comply with the requirements of TILA, as established by CFPB’s ATR/QM Rule. Further, all loans made in compliance with existing VA requirements will continue to be guaranteed by VA, regardless of their QM status. The VA expects to publish its ATR/QM rule in the “near future.”