InfoBytes Blog
Filter
Subscribe to our InfoBytes Blog weekly newsletter and other publications for news affecting the financial services industry.
Fed extends initial compliance dates for certain parts of SCCL
On May 1, the Federal Reserve Board (Fed) announced it would extend the initial compliance dates for certain parts of its single-counterparty credit limit rule (SCLL), which was approved in 2018 and limits a U.S. bank holding company’s or foreign banking organization’s credit exposure to another counterparty. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the Fed initially proposed the extension last November. Under the extension, the largest foreign banks subject to the single-counterparty credit limit rule will have until July 1, 2021 to comply, while smaller foreign banks will not be required to comply until January 1, 2022.
FFIEC discusses cloud computing risk management practices
On April 30, the FFIEC released a statement on risk management principles for cloud computing security in the financial services sector. The FFIEC emphasizes that the statement does not contain new regulatory expectations, but rather highlights examples of risk management practices for the safe and sound use of cloud computing services, along with safeguards for protecting customers’ sensitive information from risks that may cause potential consumer harm. Among other things, the statement stresses that management should understand the division of responsibilities between a financial institution and a cloud service provider in order to assess and implement appropriate controls over operations to prevent the increased risk of operational failures or security breaches. The FFIEC also addresses the importance of protecting customer-sensitive information from unsafe or unsound practices by implementing “an effective risk management process for cloud computing commensurate with the level of risk and complexity of the financial institution’s operations residing in a cloud computing environment.” The statement provides a list of government and industry resources and references to assist financial institutions when using cloud computing services.
VA issues guidance for noncompliant interest rate reduction refinance loans
On April 20, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VA) issued Circular 26-20-16, which provides guidance for noncompliant interest rate reduction refinance loans (IRRRLs). The guidance notes that the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (the Act) provides statutory criteria that affect whether the VA can guarantee refinance loans. In VA Circular 26-19-22, the VA notified lenders that an IRRRL must meet the requirements of the Act to receive and retain the full amount of VA’s guarantee. As such, Circular 26-20-16 sets forth requirements for IRRRLs, including enterprise level reporting and loan level reporting. The circular also discusses loan seasoning issues and the VA’s oversight of lender actions. The circular is rescinded April 1, 2023.
CFPB enhances Consumer Complaint Database
On April 27, the CFPB announced enhancements to its Consumer Complaint Database. With the addition of a geospatial view, consumers will now be able to view complaints by state using an interactive map. Additional new options will also allow users to view recent marketplace conditions and aggregate information concerning specific products and issues compiled from consumer complaints. In addition to being able to filter complaints by date, company name, and key words, users will now be able to apply word searches and filters to the interactive map.
FDIC, Fed extend comment period on proposed living will guidance
On April 27, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve Board announced a 30-day extension to the comment period for the agencies’ proposal to update resolution plan guidance for certain large foreign banking organizations (FBOs). As previously covered by InfoBytes, FBOs are required to submit resolution plans—also known as “living wills”—which detail the strategic plans for their U.S. operations and subsidiaries for rapid and orderly resolution in bankruptcy in the event that the banks fail or fall under material financial distress. The proposed guidance, issued in March, focuses on the FBOs’ derivatives and trading activities and payment, clearing, and settlement activities, and provides additional resolution plan expectations. Comments will now be accepted through June 4. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the agencies also state that other upcoming deadlines associated with the resolution planning process may be adjusted.
CFPB guidance provides clarity to mortgage servicing transfers
On April 24, the CFPB outlined new guidance to help facilitate compliance with mortgage servicing rules when transferring mortgage servicing rights to a servicer or a sub-servicer. According to the CFPB, after significant changes were made to Regulation X (RESPA) that took effect in 2014, the Bureau found weaknesses in the management of mortgage transfers. The new guidance provides “a roadmap for servicers that will prevent consumer harm,” and notes that when transferring a loan, “servicers should have policies and procedures reasonably designed to transfer all of the information and documents in their possession or control relating to a transferred mortgage loan, such as, a unique identifier for each loan, the terms of the loan, current unpaid principal balance as of a specific date, information concerning any escrow, and copies of any loss mitigation applications submitted by a borrower and of any loss mitigation agreements agreed to with a borrower.” According to the Bureau’s press release, servicers should also consider: (i) developing a servicing transfer plan, including an escalation plan for potential problems; (ii) engaging in quality control work to validate data; (iii) determining servicing responsibilities for legacy accounts; (iv) conducting post-transfer reviews to determine the effectiveness of a transfer plan; (v) monitoring consumer complaints and loss mitigation performance metrics; and (vi) identifying defaulted loans, active foreclosures, bankruptcies, or any forbearance agreements entered into with a borrower, and including loss mitigation activity for each loan where applicable.
The Bureau recognizes that entities may face particular challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and states it intends to consider such challenges, including operational and time constraints related to the transfer, and will “be sensitive to good-faith efforts demonstrably designed to transfer the servicing without adverse impact to consumers.”
FFIEC releases APR, APY computational tools
On April 16, the FFIEC, on behalf of its member agencies, announced the release of two computational tools for annual percentage rates (APR) and annual percentage yields (APY). These web-based tools are intended to assist financial institutions when complying with consumer protection laws and regulations.
The APR Computational Tool is intended to help examiners and financial institutions verify finance charges and APRs included on consumer loan disclosures subject to TILA and Regulation Z, including calculations “related to unsecured and secured installment and construction loans, including real estate-secured loans.” The tool can also be used to verify military annual percentage rates for loans subject to the Military Lending Act. The APY Computational Tool is designed to support the verification of APYs on consumer deposit account disclosures, including advertisements and periodic statements, subject to the Truth in Savings Act and Regulation DD. See FDIC FIL-45-2020 and OCC Bulletin 2020-40 regarding the release of these tools.
FFIEC updates BSA/AML examination manual
On April 15, the FFIEC published the updated Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering Examination Manual (Manual). According to an interagency statement, revisions were made throughout the updated sections to incorporate regulatory changes since the Manual was last updated in 2014 and “to ensure language clearly distinguishes between mandatory regulatory requirements and supervisory expectations.” The revisions can be identified by a 2020 date in the table of contents and include:
- Examiners should tailor Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering (BSA/AML) examinations to a bank’s risk profile.
- Examiners should assess the adequacy of an institution’s BSA/AML compliance program and risk assessment processes. This includes identifying specific risk categories unique to a bank and analyzing the identified information to asses risks within these categories. The Manual notes, however, that there is no particular format or method for a bank to use for its risk assessment process, and reiterates that risk categories may vary based on a bank’s size, complexity, and organizational structure and that “updates may occur as necessary to align the risk assessment with a significant change in a bank’s risk profile.”
- Examiners should be mindful that banks have flexibility when designing a BSA/AML compliance program and that “minor weaknesses, deficiencies, and technical violations alone are not indicative of an inadequate program.”
The agencies acknowledge that they “are aware of the uncertainty faced by financial institutions during this unprecedented time” and emphasize that the updated Manual, “which supports tailored examination work, has been in process for an extended period and should not be interpreted as new instructions or as a new or increased focus.” Additional updates to the remaining Manual sections will be released in phases at a later date.
CFPB raises HMDA reporting thresholds
On April 16, the CFPB issued a final rule permanently raising coverage thresholds for collecting and reporting data about closed-end mortgage loans and open-end lines of credit under HMDA. As previously covered by InfoBytes, these changes were first proposed by the Bureau last May. The final rule, which amends Regulation C, increases the permanent threshold from 25 to 100 loans starting July 1, 2020 and is applicable to both depository and nondepository institutions. The Bureau states in an executive summary that newly excluded institutions can stop collecting HMDA data on their closed-end mortgage loans beginning July 1, 2020; however, these institutions may still be obligated to collect home loan activity information required by other regulations. Under the final rule, newly excluded institutions are still required to record closed-end data for the first quarter of 2020; however because these institutions would not otherwise report the data until early 2021, the final rule relieves newly excluded institutions of the March 1, 2021 reporting obligation on data collected in 2020 (including closed-end mortgage loan data collected in 2020 prior to July 1, 2020). The Bureau notes that newly excluded institutions “may voluntarily report HMDA data on closed-end mortgage loans in 2021 as long as the institution reports data for the full calendar year 2020.”
The final rule also increases the permanent threshold for collecting and reporting data about open-end lines of credit from 100 to 200, however this change will not take effect until January 1, 2022, when the current temporary threshold of 500 open-end lines of credit expires (covered by InfoBytes here). Beginning in 2022, both depository and nondepository institutions that meet this threshold must report data on open-end lines of credit by March 1 of the following calendar year.
Additional resources, including a timeline of key dates and institutional/transactional coverage charts are available here. “The Bureau recognizes the operational challenges confronted by institutions due to the current COVID-19 pandemic,” the CFPB states in its press release. “The Bureau anticipates that this final rule, once effective, will reduce regulatory burden on smaller institutions to help those institutions to focus on responding to consumers in need now and in the longer term.”
FDIC extends brokered deposit comment period
On April 3, the FDIC announced the extension of public comment on its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) on revisions to the agency’s brokered deposit regulations. Due to challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, the deadline for submitting comments is now June 9. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the NPR would modernize and establish a new framework to ensure the “classification of a deposit as brokered appropriately reflects changes in the banking system, including banks’ use of new technologies to engage and interact with their customers.”