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  • FHA proposes private flood insurance option

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance

    On November 10, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) issued a proposed rule which would allow mortgagors the option to purchase private flood insurance on FHA-insured mortgages for properties located in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). Under the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, property owners located in an SFHA, and a community participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, are required to purchase flood insurance as a condition of receiving a mortgage backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Department of Agriculture, or the FHA. The proposed rule would allow the purchase of private mortgage insurance for properties in SFHAs for the first time. Additionally, the proposed rule seeks comment on a compliance aid, which would “help mortgagees evaluate whether a flood insurance policy meets the definition of ‘private flood insurance.’” According to the FHA, between three and five percent of FHA borrowers could obtain a private flood insurance policy if the option becomes available.

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance FHA Flood Disaster Protection Act Flood Insurance

  • Fed targets flood insurance violations

    Federal Issues

    On November 10, the Federal Reserve Board (Fed) announced an enforcement action against an Arkansas-based bank for alleged violations of the National Flood Insurance Act (NFIA) and Regulation H, which implements the NFIA. The consent order assesses a $12,000 penalty against the bank for an alleged pattern or practice of violations of Regulation H, but does not specify the number or the precise nature of the alleged violations. The maximum civil money penalty under the NFIA for a pattern or practice of violations is $2,000 per violation.

    Federal Issues Federal Reserve Flood Insurance Enforcement National Flood Insurance Act Regulation H

  • Fed targets flood insurance violations

    Federal Issues

    On October 15, the Federal Reserve Board announced an enforcement action against a New York-based bank for alleged violation of the National Flood Insurance Act (NFIA) and Regulation H, which implements the NFIA. The consent order assessed a $546,000 penalty against the bank for an alleged pattern or practice of violations of Regulation H, but did not specify the number or the precise nature of the alleged violations. The maximum civil money penalty under the NFIA for a pattern or practice of violations is $2,000 per violation.

    Federal Issues Enforcement Flood Insurance National Flood Insurance Act Regulation H

  • OCC releases recent enforcement actions

    Federal Issues

    On July 16, the OCC released a list of recent enforcement actions taken against national banks, federal savings associations, and individuals currently and formerly affiliated with such entities. Included among the actions is a June 23 consent order, which resolves OCC claims that a California-based bank violated a 2016 consent order concerning Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering compliance program deficiencies. According to the OCC, the bank failed to timely comply with the 2016 consent order and is required to pay a $100,000 civil money penalty. The list also includes a July 25 civil money penalty order against a New York-based bank, which requires the payment of $43,000 for an alleged pattern or practice of violations of the Flood Disaster Protection Act and its implementing regulations.

    Additionally, an Iowa-based bank and the OCC reached a formal agreement on June 16 for alleged unsafe or unsound practices related to, among other things, credit underwriting, credit administration, problem loan management, and real estate valuation practices. Among other conditions, the agreement requires the bank to (i) appoint a compliance committee to ensure adherence to the agreement’s provisions; (ii) establish a three-year strategic plan outlining goals and objectives related to the bank’s risk profile and liability structure; (iii) submit a commercial and retail credit underwriting and administration program to ensure the bank “analyzes credit and collateral information sufficient to identify, monitor, and report the [b]ank’s credit risk, properly account for loans, and assign accurate risk ratings in a timely manner”; (iv) implement programs providing for an annual review of loans, loan level stress testing, and problem loan management; (v) implement an exception tracking and reporting system; and (vi) establish an appraisal and evaluation program.

    Federal Issues OCC Enforcement Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Flood Insurance Underwriting

  • Fed enforcement action targets flood insurance

    Federal Issues

    On July 2, the Federal Reserve Board announced an enforcement action against a West Virginia-based bank for alleged violations of the National Flood Insurance Act (NFIA) and Regulation H, which implements the NFIA. The consent order assesses a $24,500 penalty against the bank for an alleged pattern or practice of violations of Regulation H, but does not specify the number or the precise nature of the alleged violations. The maximum civil money penalty under the NFIA for a pattern or practice of violations is $2,000 per violation.

    Federal Issues Federal Reserve Enforcement Flood Insurance National Flood Insurance Act Regulation H

  • Fed issues enforcement action for flood insurance violations

    Federal Issues

    On June 30, the Federal Reserve Board announced an enforcement action against a Virginia-based bank for alleged violations of the National Flood Insurance Act (NFIA) and Regulation H, which implements the NFIA. The consent order assesses an $8,500 penalty against the bank for an alleged pattern or practice of violations of Regulation H, but does not specify the number or the precise nature of the alleged violations. The maximum civil money penalty under the NFIA for a pattern or practice of violations is $2,000 per violation.

    Federal Issues Federal Reserve Enforcement Flood Insurance National Flood Insurance Act

  • Agencies propose updates to Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Flood Insurance

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance

    On July 6, the FDIC, OCC, Federal Reserve Board, NCUA, and the Farm Credit Administration published a request for public comments on proposed new questions and answers to be included in the Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Flood Insurance, following changes made to flood insurance regulations under the agencies’ joint rule regarding loans in special flood hazard areas. The proposal updates interagency questions and answers last updated in 2011, and is intended to reduce compliance burdens for lenders related to flood insurance laws. Among the new questions and answers are those related to (i) the “escrow of flood insurance premiums”; (ii) the “detached structure exemption to the mandatory purchase of flood insurance requirement”; and (iii) force-placement of flood insurance procedures. The proposal also revises and reorganizes several existing questions and answers to improve clarity and user functionality. Comments are due September 4.

    Additionally, FDIC FIL 67-2020 states that the agencies are currently drafting new Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Flood Insurance related to the 2019 private flood insurance rule (covered by InfoBytes here), which will be proposed at a later date.

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance FDIC Flood Insurance Mortgages Force-placed Insurance

  • FDIC adds flood insurance penalty information to enforcement manual

    Federal Issues

    On June 18, the FDIC announced an update to its “Formal and Informal Enforcement Actions Manual,” regarding the assessment of mandatory civil money penalties for certain pattern and practice violations of the National Flood Insurance Act (Act). The Act requires the FDIC to assess a penalty of up to $2,000 (adjusted annually for inflation) for each violation per loan against an insured depository institution. The FDIC will use the following two-step process to calculate the mandatory penalties for violations: (i) determine the base penalty, which takes into account the type and repeat nature of the violations; and (ii) apply the Institution Asset Size Factor, which takes into account the institution’s asset size based on the last Call Report. The manual also describes the difference between “Tier 1” violations and “Tier 2” violations and the base penalty for each.

    Federal Issues FDIC Enforcement Flood Insurance

  • Fed issues enforcement action for flood insurance violations

    Federal Issues

    On June 9, the Federal Reserve Board announced an enforcement action against a California-based bank for alleged violations of the National Flood Insurance Act (NFIA) and Regulation H, which implements the NFIA. The consent order assesses a $129,108 penalty against the bank for an alleged pattern or practice of violations of Regulation H, but does not specify the number or the precise nature of the alleged violations. The maximum civil money penalty under the NFIA for a pattern or practice of violations is $2,000 per violation.

    Federal Issues Federal Reserve Enforcement Flood Insurance National Flood Insurance Act

  • FDIC updates Covid-19 FAQs

    Federal Issues

    On May 7, the FDIC updated its list of frequently asked questions for financial institutions affected by Covid-19.  The recent updates include the addition of one FAQ describing amendments to Regulation D that remove the six-per-month limit on transfers and withdrawals from savings deposits and one FAQ that discusses additional grace periods for force-placed flood insurance.

    Federal Issues Covid-19 FDIC Deposits Flood Insurance Mortgages Consumer Finance

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