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FDIC releases September enforcement actions, including breaches of fiduciary duty and BSA violations
On October 26, the FDIC announced a list of administrative enforcement actions taken against banks and individuals in September. Included among the actions is a removal and prohibition and civil money penalty assessment issued against a bank’s president, CEO and board chairman (in his individual capacity as an institution-affiliated party) of a Florida-based bank for allegedly engaging in unsafe or unsound practices and breaches of fiduciary duty while employed by the bank. Among other claims, the respondent allegedly created a conflict of interest when he operated a consumer finance company, which he personally owned, out of one of the bank's branches. The FDIC contends that the respondent (i) operated the company through the utilization of bank property and staff without reimbursing the bank; (ii) issued loans to bank customers through the company; (iii) repaid the company using overdraft funds from customers’ bank accounts; and (iv) “caused the release and sale of bank collateral without full repayment to the bank when a portion of the sale proceeds were being used to pay on a finance company loan.” According to the FDIC, the respondent failed to disclose his actions to the bank’s board of directors as required by state law and a consent order the bank entered into in July 2010.
Additionally, a consent order was issued to a South Carolina bank related to alleged weaknesses in its Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) compliance program. The bank was ordered to, among other things, (i) revise and implement internal controls and policies and procedures for BSA compliance, including suspicious activity monitoring and reporting and customer due diligence procedures; (ii) perform an enhanced risk assessment of the bank’s operations; and (iii) take necessary steps to correct or eliminate all cited violations, such as conducting independent testing and implement effective BSA training programs.
There are no administrative hearings scheduled for November 2018. The FDIC database containing all 24 enforcement decisions and orders may be accessed here.
CFPB releases Remittance Rule assessment report
On October 26, the CFPB released an assessment report of its Remittance Rule, in accordance with the Dodd-Frank Act’s requirements that the Bureau conduct an assessment of each significant rule within five years of the rule’s effective date. The Bureau’s 2013 Remittance Rule (Rule), including its subsequent amendments, requires providers to (i) give consumers disclosures showing costs, fees and other information before they pay for a remittance transfer; (ii) provide cancellation and refund rights; and (iii) investigate disputes and remedy certain errors. The assessment was conducted using the Bureau’s own research and external sources. Key findings of the assessment include:
- Money services businesses (MSBs) conduct 95.6 percent of all remittance transfers and the volume of transfers from these businesses was increasing before the effective date of the Rule and continued to increase afterwards at the same or higher rate.
- The average price of remittances was declining before the Rule took effect and has continued to do so.
- Initial compliance costs for the Rule were between $86 million, based on analysis at the time of the rulemaking, and $92 million, based on estimates from a survey of industry conducted by the Bureau.
- Ongoing compliance costs are estimated between $19 million per year and $102 million per year.
- Consumers cancel between 0.3 percent and 4.5 percent of remittance transfers, according to available data sources, and there is evidence of some banks initiating a delay in the transfer to make it easier to provide a refund if a consumer cancels within the 30-minute cancellation window permitted under the Rule.
- Approximately 80 percent of banks and 75 percent of credit unions that offer remittance transfers are below the 100-transfer threshold in a given year and are therefore, not subject to the Rule’s requirements.
Federal Reserve enters into written compliance agreement with Oklahoma state bank
On October 22, the Federal Reserve Board (Board) entered into a written agreement with an Oklahoma state chartered bank, which outlines a compliance proposal to “maintain the financial soundness” of the bank. The agreement requires the bank to submit, within 60 days, written plans to improve various aspects of the bank’s functions including, but not limited to, (i) internal controls; (ii) credit risk management; (iii) liquidity and funds management; (iv) interest rate risk management; (v) information technology/cybersecurity; and (vi) BSA/AML compliance. The agreement also prevents the bank from extending, renewing, or restructuring any credit for any borrower whose loans or other extensions of credit were part of the Board’s examination critiques, without prior approval from the board of directors, who are required to document the reasons for the credit extension and certify its compliance with the terms of the agreement.
CFPB imposes $200,000 fine on small dollar lender for deceptive debt collection practices
On October 24, the CFPB announced a settlement with a Tennessee-based small dollar lender, resolving allegations that the lender violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA). Specifically, as stated in the consent order, the CFPB alleges that the lender (i) deceptively threatened to sue consumers on time-barred debts; (ii) misled consumers that the lender would report late payments to credit reporting agencies when the lender did not; and (iii) abusively set-off previous loans by telling its employees not to tell check-cashing consumers that it would deduct previous amounts owed from the check proceeds. Consequently, the Bureau alleged that the lender took “unreasonable advantage of the consumers’ lack of understanding” that the lender would take a portion of the check they intended to cash and physically kept the check away from consumers until the transaction was complete, which “nullified” any written set-off disclosures when the consumer signed his or her agreement. In addition to the $200,000 civil money penalty, the consent order requires the lender to (i) pay approximately $32,000 in restitution to consumers, and (ii) establish a compliance plan with detailed steps and timelines for complying with applicable laws.
CFPB releases 50-state complaint snapshot
On October 23, the CFPB released its Complaint snapshot: 50 state report, which covers complaints received by the Bureau from January 2015 through June 2018. According to the report, the Bureau has received more complaints from consumers in California than any other state, followed by Florida and Texas. Other highlights of the report include: (i) issues related to credit reporting received the most complaints in 2017, comprising 31 percent of all submitted complaints; (ii) the Bureau averaged over 27,000 complaints per month from January 2017 through June 2018; and (iii) complaints about prepaid cards trended upward the beginning half of 2018, while student loan, payday loan, credit repair, and money transfer complaints all trended lower.
Freddie Mac guide features new chapter on disaster relief
On October 17, Freddie Mac released Guide Bulletin 2018-18, which announces selling updates, including a new chapter on properties affected by disasters. Effective November 19, the Freddie Mac Selling Guide will now include Chapter 4407, Properties Affected by Disasters, which outlines requirements and provides certain flexibilities for the origination of mortgages secured by properties impacted by disasters. The chapter also introduces a “major disaster plan,” which, if implemented by Freddie Mac, would allow for flexibilities in both documentation requirements and in value estimates for Freddie Mac Relief Refinance Mortgages.
The Bulletin also covers, among other things, (i) updates to the Loan Collateral Adviser for mortgages secured by condominium units; and (ii) updates to the requirements for Condominium Projects.
Fannie Mae issues mortgage industry alert to Southern California lenders
On October 16, Fannie Mae’s Mortgage Fraud Program issued an industry alert to mortgage companies operating in California identifying new, potentially false, employment information used by mortgage loan applicants in Southern California, Los Angeles County. As previously covered by InfoBytes, Fannie Mae issued industry alerts earlier this year covering “fictitious” employers whose existence could not be verified. This new alert provides common “red flags” to help lenders and originators identify potential mortgage fraud when reviewing employment information.
DOJ settles FCA allegations with mortgage lender for $13.2 million
On October 19, the DOJ announced a $13.2 million settlement with a mortgage lender resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by falsely certifying compliance with the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance requirements in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). Specifically, the government alleged that, between 2006 and 2011, the lender failed to follow proper mortgage underwriting and certification rules as a participant in the direct endorsement lender program and knowingly submitted loans for FHA insurance that did not qualify. Additionally, DOJ alleged that the lender “improperly incentivized underwriters and knowingly failed to perform quality control reviews.” Under the direct endorsement lender program, FHA does not review a loan for compliance with FHA requirements before it is endorsed for FHA insurance; accordingly lenders are required to follow rules designed to ensure that they are properly underwriting and certifying mortgages for FHA insurance. This settlement also resolves a related whistleblower lawsuit filed under the FCA, in which the former employee of a related entity will receive approximately $2 million.
FTC report outlines efforts to protect older consumers from fraud
On October 18, the FTC released a report to Congress outlining the agency’s comprehensive efforts to protect older consumers in the marketplace from fraud, identity theft, imposter scams, deceptive credit schemes, and other unlawful practices. The report, Protecting Older Consumers 2017-2018: A Report of the Federal Trade Commission, discusses (i) scams that target older consumers, including technical support scams; business imposter scams; prizes, sweepstakes, and lottery scams; and family or friend imposter scams; (ii) key FTC enforcement actions taken against companies that allegedly engaged in deceptive schemes that targeted or affected older consumers; and (iii) outreach and education efforts, including fraud prevention campaigns and resources for older consumers. Specifically, the report contains analysis of consumer complaint data from 2017, which revealed that older consumers (especially those over 80) were more likely to report fraud than younger people, and that when they reported losing money to fraud, they lost significantly more money than consumers in their twenties. (See previously InfoBytes coverage here on the FTC’s annual summary of consumer complaints received in 2017).
VA encourages loan holders to extend relief to borrowers impacted by Hurricane Michael
On October 15, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued Circular 26-18-23, requesting relief for homeowners impacted by Hurricane Michael. Among other things, the Circular encourages loan holders to (i) extend forbearance to borrowers in distress because of the storms; (ii) establish a 90-day moratorium from the date of the disaster on initiating new foreclosures on affected loans; (iii) waive late charges on affected loans; and (iv) suspend reporting affected loans to credit bureaus. The Circular is effective until October 1, 2019. Mortgage servicers and veteran borrowers are also encouraged to review the VA’s Guidance on Natural Disasters.
Find continuing InfoBytes coverage on disaster relief here.