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FFIEC and HUD Release HMDA Filing Guides; CFPB Updates Resources for HMDA Filers Page
On July 13, the CFPB announced that the FFIEC and HUD had published new resources for financial institutions required to file data pursuant to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) and Regulation C, as amended by the CFPB’s October 2015 final rule, which revised and expanded the scope of HMDA reporting requirements. Accordingly, the CFPB updated its “Resources for HMDA filers” page to include the following new FFIEC and HUD resources: (i) a Technology Preview, which provides an initial summary for how HMDA filers will interact with the HMDA Platform, a web-based data submission and edit-check system that filers will use to submit HMDA data collected in or after 2017; (ii) Filing Instructions Guide (FIG) for HMDA data collected in 2017, which outlines changes to the submission process for data collected in 2017, 2017 file specifications, and 2017 edit specifications; and (iii) FIG for HMDA data collected in 2018. The 2018 FIG includes field definitions for the many additional or modified data points required for data collected in 2018 and 2018 file format and edit specifications. The technical specifications in the FIG will allow lenders and vendors of HMDA data-preparation software to begin making the systems changes needed to collect data in 2018 for submission in 2019. The CFPB’s HMDA resource page also includes FFIEC HMDA FAQs and reminds financial institutions to visit the FFIEC website for resources to submit data collected in or before 2016.
FinCEN Issues FAQs Regarding Customer Due Diligence Requirements
On July 19, FinCEN issued FAQs to clarify the scope of the May 2016 Customer Due Diligence (CDD) final rule. As previously covered by InfoBytes, and as outlined in Question 2 of the recently-released FAQs, the final rule imposes standardized CDD requirements for federally regulated banks and federally insured credit unions, mutual funds, brokers or dealers in securities, futures commission merchants, and introducing brokers in commodities (collectively, covered financial institutions). While the FAQs provide a detailed description of the CDD requirements, they state that, “[i]n short, covered financial institutions are now required to obtain, verify, and record the identities of the beneficial owners of legal entity customers.” Notably, Question 5 of the FAQs clarifies that the CDD rule amends the AML program requirements to explicitly require covered financial institutions to implement and maintain risk-based procedures for conducting ongoing customer due diligence, including, but not limited to, (i) understanding the nature and purpose of the customer relationship; and (ii) conducting ongoing monitoring to identify and report suspicious transactions, as well as maintain and update customer information on a risk basis. The FAQs also note that covered financial institutions must include CDD procedures in their AML compliance program. In addition to discussing definitions for certain terms within the CDD rule, such as “account” and “beneficial owner,” the FAQs outline, among other things, the type of beneficial ownership information that covered financial institutions must collect for legal entity customers. Finally, as reiterated in the FAQs, the CDD rule has an effective date of July 11, 2016 and an applicability date of May 11, 2018.
OFAC Updates Cuba-Related FAQs
On July 8, OFAC updated its list of frequently asked questions related to Cuba to add two new FAQs regarding the use of U.S. dollars in certain transactions. New FAQ number 43 clarifies that persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction may use the U.S. dollar to conduct transactions in Cuba or with Cuban nationals if the activity is authorized by or exempt from the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR). FAQ 43 further clarifies that under 31 CFR § 515.584(d), commonly known as the “U-turn” general license, U.S. banking institutions are authorized to process transactions originating and terminating outside the United States provided that neither the originator nor the beneficiary is a person subject to U.S. jurisdiction. This means that transactions related to third-country commerce involving Cuba or Cuban nationals may be processed in U.S. dollars through the U.S. financial system via financial institutions located in the United States that serve as intermediary banks. New FAQ 50 relates to correspondent accounts. Pursuant to a general license in the CACR, U.S. depository institutions are permitted to maintain correspondent accounts at financial institutions that are nationals of Cuba, provided such accounts are used only for transactions that are authorized or exempt under the CACR. FAQ 50 explains that such accounts may be maintained in U.S. dollars, and that transactions necessary to establish and maintain such accounts – including processing funds transfers in U.S. dollars - are authorized. Finally, FAQ 50 notes that financial institutions that are nationals of Cuba remain prohibited from opening correspondent accounts at a U.S. financial institution.
OFAC Updates Iran-Related FAQs
On June 8, OFAC updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Relating to the Lifting of Certain U.S. Sanctions Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In addition to adding nine FAQs related to Foreign Entities Owned or Controlled by U.S. Persons (see, K.14 through K.22), OFAC added two FAQs, C.15 and C.16, regarding Financial and Banking Measures. Specifically, C.15 clarifies that U.S. financial institutions “can transact with, including by opening or maintaining correspondent accounts for, non-U.S., non-Iranian financial institutions that maintain correspondent banking relationships or otherwise transact with Iranian financial institutions that are not on the SDN List.” Non-U.S. financial institutions remain prohibited from routing Iran-related transactions through U.S. financial institutions or involve U.S. persons in such transactions, unless the transactions are exempt from regulation or licensed by OFAC. FAQ C.16 addresses whether or not a non-U.S., non-Iranian entity may engage in transactions with Iranian persons not on the SDN List if one or more U.S. persons serve on the non-Iranian entity’s Board of Directors or senior managers. While the presence of one or more U.S. persons on the Board of Directors or serving as a senior manager does not, according to C.16, necessarily preclude the entity from transacting with Iranian persons not on the SDN List, OFAC stresses that “U.S. persons must be walled off or “ring-fenced” from Iran-related business.” OFAC recommended that non-U.S., non-Iranian entities consider implementing broad recusal policies to wall off U.S. persons for the institution’s Iran-related business.
OFAC Updates Cuba-Related Frequently Asked Questions
On April 21, OFAC updated its list of frequently asked questions related to Cuba. The updated document includes eight new FAQs clarifying (i) that Section 515.584(d) of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) permits authorized U-turn transactions to originate or terminate at foreign branches and subsidiaries of U.S. banking institutions; (ii) due diligence expectations for banks processing an authorized U-turn transaction from a sanctions compliance perspective; (iii) that the importation into the United States of goods previously exported to Cuba for servicing requires a specific license; (iv) requirements regarding the export and reexportation of mixed-origin goods to Cuba; (v) that persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction may provide insurance-related services to persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction and engaging in authorized activity in Cuba; (vi) OFAC license requirements for insurance-related services; (vii) that educational grants, scholarships, or awards may be given to a Cuban state-owned entity; and (viii) the circumstances under which a person subject to U.S. jurisdiction is authorized to purchase or lease real property in Cuba.
FinCEN Supplements 2011 FAQs Regarding Prepaid Access
On March 24, FinCEN issued FIN-2016-G002 to supplement guidance issued in 2011 regarding aspects of its Prepaid Access Final Rule. FIN-2016-G002 provides answers to a list of frequently asked questions related to the following areas: (i) the relationship between de minimis cash refund requirements under state law and the exemption in FinCEN’s regulations for closed loop prepaid access products; (ii) conditions under which the use of quick response codes and other technology would fall within the definition of closed loop prepaid access; (iii) whether the term “defined merchant” in the context of closed loop prepaid access is limited to a single merchant; (iv) policies and procedures reasonably adapted to avoid the threshold for being designated as a “seller” of prepaid access; and (v) listing sellers of prepaid access on the provider’s money services business (MSB) agent list.
OFAC Updates Cuban Assets Control Regulations
On March 15, OFAC issued a final rule updating the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR), 31 C.F.R. Part 515. The amendments advance policy changes announced by the Obama administration in 2014 by further facilitating travel to Cuba for authorized purposes, expanding the range of authorized financial transactions, and authorizing business and physical presence in Cuba. Regarding financial transactions, the final rule (i) amends section 515.584(d) to authorize certain U-turn payments through the U.S. financial system; (ii) adds new section 515.584(g) to allow U.S. banking institutions to process U.S. dollar monetary instruments presented indirectly by Cuban financial institutions; and (iii) adds new section 515.584(h) to “authorize banking institutions to open and maintain accounts solely in the name of a Cuban national located in Cuba for the purposes only of receiving payments in the United States in connection with transactions authorized pursuant to or exempt from the prohibitions of this part and remitting such payments to Cuba.”
OFAC’s amendments to the CACR were published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2016 and are effective immediately. OFAC simultaneously released a revised set of FAQs and a fact sheet regarding the changes set forth in the CACR.
OFAC Issues Amendments to Cuba Sanctions Regulations
On January 26, OFAC announced amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) to further implement policy changes announced by the Obama Administration on December 17, 2014. The regulatory changes will, among other things, “remove existing restrictions on payment and financing terms for authorized exports and reexports to Cuba of items other than agricultural items and commodities, and establish a case-by-case licensing policy for exports and reexports of items to meet the needs of the Cuban people, including those made to Cuban state-owned enterprises.” Significantly, under the amendments, U.S. depository institutions will be authorized to provide financing for authorized exports and reexports, including issuing a letter of credit. Prior to the amendments, cash-in-advance or third-country financing were the only financing options available for authorized exports.
OFAC issued new FAQs to address the amended CACR, which were published in the Federal Register on January 27, 2016 and are effective immediately.
Iran Sanctions: Treasury Comments on JCPOA Implementation Day
On January 16, the Department of the Treasury issued a statement regarding Implementation Day under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the plan reached between the P5+1 (the United States, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Germany), the European Union, and Iran concerning Iran’s nuclear program. In response to Iran taking the appropriate nuclear-related measures, the United States followed through on lifting nuclear-related “secondary sanctions” on Iran, which included certain financial and banking-related sanctions. To summarize the effect of Implementation Day, OFAC issued guidance and FAQs. As outlined in the FAQs and in addition to lifting the nuclear-related “secondary sanctions,” the United States removed more than 400 individuals and entities from OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List). Still, as Treasury Secretary Lew noted, “other than certain limited exceptions provided for in the JCPOA, the U.S. embargo broadly remains in place, meaning that U.S. persons, including U.S. banks, will still be prohibited from virtually all dealings with Iranian entities.”
Iran Sanctions: Treasury and White House Comment on JCPOA Adoption Day
On October 18, the Department of the Treasury released a statement on reaching the formal “Adoption Day” of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the plan reached between the P5+1, the European Union, and Iran regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Adoption Day is the day JCPOA participants will begin taking steps necessary to implement their JCPOA commitments. According to Treasury Secretary Lew, October 18 marks an “important milestone” as “Iran begins taking its nuclear-related measures and the United States and [its] partners prepare to lift nuclear-related sanctions in response.” Although this action means that the JCPOA’s effective date is October 18, 2015, no sanctions will be lifted until Implementation Day, which will occur after international inspectors confirm that Iran has met its commitments under the JCPOA. As decided in July and outlined in an OFAC press release, licenses with certain credentials will remain in effect in accordance with their terms until Implementation Day. OFAC also issued FAQs concerning Adoption Day. Commenting on the implications of Adoption Day, the White House likewise issued a Statement that it had directed the heads of all relevant executive departments and agencies of the United States to begin preparations to implement U.S. commitments under the JCPOA.