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OCC issues Comptroller’s Handbook booklet updating deposit-related credit guidance
On March 12, the OCC issued Bulletin 2020-14 announcing the revision of the Deposit-Related Credit booklet of the Comptroller’s Handbook that was issued in September 2018. The revised booklet provides guidance for OCC examiners in connection with the examination and supervision of national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches and agencies of foreign banking organizations that provide small-dollar, unsecured credit products and services such as check credit, overdraft protection, and deposit advance products. The revised booklet includes, among other things, (i) updated guidance following the rescission of OCC Bulletin 2018-28, Deposit-Related Credit: Updated Comptroller’s Handbook Booklet Advance Products (previously covered by InfoBytes here); (ii) changes to OCC issuances, laws, and regulations made since the last booklet; (iii) information explaining the applicability of references to covered savings associations; and (iv) clarifying edits regarding supervisory guidance and sound risk management practices. An appendix containing a sample request letter is also included.
Updated CFPB Rulemaking Agenda Adds Auto Finance Larger Participant Rule, Updates Timelines For Other Rules
The CFPB recently released its latest rulemaking agenda, which lists for the first time a larger participant rule that would define the size of nonbank auto finance companies subject to the CFPB's supervisory authority. The CFPB anticipates proposing a rule no sooner than August 2014. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to comment, and a final rule likely would not be issued until sometime in 2015. The CFPB anticipates finalizing its rule for larger participants in the international money transfer market in September 2014. In addition, the agenda pushes back the timeline for the anticipated prepaid card proposed rule from May 2014 to June 2014. The CFPB has been testing potential prepaid card disclosures.
The agenda does not provide timelines for proposed rules related to payday lending, debt collection, or overdraft products, but the CFPB states that additional prerule activities for each of those topics will continue through September 2014, December 2014, and February 2015, respectively. The CFPB substantially extended the timeline for overdraft products; it previously anticipated continuing prerule activities through July 2014. While “prerule activities” is not a defined term, it could include conducting a small business review panel for some or all of those topics. Such panels focus on the impact of anticipated regulations on small entities, but the CFPB typically makes the small business panel materials public, which provides an advance look at the potential direction for a proposed rule.
The agenda does not include a rulemaking implementing the small business fair lending data reporting requirements in the Dodd-Frank Act, though the CFPB previously has indicated it could consider those issues in connection with its HMDA rulemaking. Prerule activities related to the HMDA rule are ongoing.
CFPB Announces Payday Loan Field Hearing
This afternoon, the CFPB announced that it will hold a field hearing on payday loans on March 25, in Nashville, TN. The event is open to members of the public who RSVP, and will feature remarks from consumer advocates, industry representatives, and CFPB officials, including Director Richard Cordray. The CFPB often announces policy initiatives in connection with its field hearings, and in its most recent rulemaking agenda the CFPB anticipated additional “prerule activities” related to payday loans and deposit advance products this month.
Payday lending was the topic of the CFPB’s first ever field hearing in January 2012, at which the Bureau released examination procedures for short-term, small-dollar lending. Since then, the CFPB has, among other things, (i) launched a payday loan complaint portal; (ii) announced its first enforcement action against a payday lender; (iii) participated in an ongoing, multi-agency effort to revise the Military Lending Act regulations; and (iv) published a white paper on payday loans and deposit advance products.
OCC, FDIC Finalize Deposit Advance Guidance
On November 21, the OCC and the FDIC separately issued guidance that establishes numerous expectations for institutions offering deposit advance products, including with regard to consumer eligibility, capital adequacy, fees, compliance, management oversight, and third-party relationships. For example, under the guidance the agencies expect banks to offer a deposit advance product only to customers who (i) have at least a six month relationship with the bank; (ii) do not have any delinquent or adversely classified credits; and (iii) meet specific financial capacity standards. The guidance also establishes, among other things, that (i) each deposit advance loan be repaid in full before the extension of a subsequent loan; (ii) banks refrain from offering more than one loan per monthly statement cycle and provide a “cooling-off period” of at least one monthly statement cycle after the repayment of a loan before another advance is extended; and (iii) banks reevaluate customer eligibility every six months. The final guidance is substantially the same as the versions proposed in April. However, the agencies added language to clarify that eligibility and underwriting expectations do not require the use of credit reports, and to emphasize that the guidance applies to all deposit advance products regardless of how the extension of credit is offered. Acknowledging the demand for short-term, small-dollar credit products, and dismissing the concerns that the guidance might restrict such credit, the FDIC encouraged banks to continue to offer “properly structured products” and to develop new or innovative programs to effectively meet the need for small-dollar credit. As a reminder, the Federal Reserve Board did not propose similar guidance, but instead issued a policy statement.
August Beach Read Series: Increasing Scrutiny of Short-Term, Small-Dollar Credit Products
The interest of regulators and enforcement authorities in short-term, small-dollar credit products - including payday loans, advance deposit products, installment loans, and more – has intensified in 2013. State and federal authorities have taken numerous actions to enforce existing law and to develop new rules for these products.
Earlier this year we reported on the DOJ’s prioritization of this area of consumer finance, and we have since reported on many other state and federal developments, including those related to state enforcement of licensing and usury laws against online lenders, federal regulators' scrutiny of advance deposit products and payday loans, congressional interest in small dollar loans (here and here), and the Department of Defense’s potential expansion of the Military Lending Act.
With regard to this last issue, BuckleySandler Partner Valerie Hletko recently examined the DOD’s advance notice of proposed rulemaking related to installment loans used by members of the armed forces and their families. The authors point out that the DOD’s interest in installment loans is emblematic of the scrutiny of short-term, small-dollar credit products, which appear to be increasingly vexing to regulators who recognize widespread demand for them but are concerned that such products may create a high-cost borrowing cycle.
In a 2012 article Partners John Kromer and Valerie Hletko previewed the CFPB’s interest in these products and identified some best practices for short-term, small-dollar lenders.
Banking Industry Trade Groups Oppose Expansion of MLA Covered Loans
On August 1, six banking industry trade groups submitted a joint comment letter relating to a proposal by the Department of Defense (DOD) to revise protections under the Military Lending Act (MLA), which apply to consumer credit extended to members of the military and their families. Among other things, the MLA caps the annual interest on short-term, small-dollar loans — including certain payday, car title, and refund anticipation loans. The MLA does not currently include credit cards, bank loans secured by funds on deposit, installment loans, or open-end credit.
In June, the DOD issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to solicit input on potential changes to the definition of “consumer credit” in the regulations that implement the MLA, which would significantly broaden its application. The ANPR sought comment on whether the definition of “consumer credit” should be revised to expand coverage of the MLA to additional small-dollar loan products. The trade groups suggest that expanding coverage would be redundant, costly, and confusing in light of the “well-established system of financial protections for consumers [that] exists beyond the [MLA].” In other words, there is no need to create an entirely separate class of credit products for servicemembers and their families not directly related to military service.
The trade groups specifically identify several potential negative consequences of expanded coverage, including reduced access to installment loans and other credit products, and inability to refinance existing credit. On balance, the trade groups view the current rules — adopted after plenary discussion and careful consideration by all stakeholders — to be effective in achieving the proper balance between protecting military families and ensuring their access to credit. Thirteen state attorneys general took an opposing view in a comment letter submitted on June 24.
For additional commentary on the ANPR, please see the recent article from BuckleySandler Partner Valerie Hletko.