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  • CFPB Fines Mortgage Servicers $28 Million, Claims Failure to Provide Foreclosure Relief

    Courts

    On January 23, the CFPB announced that it had entered consent orders (2017-CFPB-0004 , 2017-CFPB-0005), against two affiliated mortgage servicers, claiming the companies had misled homeowners seeking foreclosure relief. One of the respondent companies is alleged to have, among other things, burdened consumers with excessive and unnecessary paperwork demands in response to foreclosure relief applications thereby violating both RESPA and the Dodd-Frank Act’s prohibition on deceptive acts or practices. The Bureau is therefore requiring the company to pay an estimated $17 million to compensate affected consumers and to pay a civil penalty of $3 million.

    As for the second respondent, the CFPB alleged that it failed to consider payment deferment applicants for foreclosure relief options, misled consumers about the impact of deferring payments, charged certain borrowers for credit insurance that should have been cancelled, prematurely cancelled credit insurance for other borrowers, provided inaccurate information to credit reporting agencies, and failed to investigate consumer disputes. Finding violations under RESPA,  FCRA, and various “deceptive acts or practices,” the Bureau is requiring the second company to refund approximately $4.4 million to consumers and to pay a civil penalty of $4.4 million.

    Courts Mortgages Consumer Finance CFPB Dodd-Frank FCRA RESPA

  • Ninth Circuit Orders Tribal Lenders to Comply with CFPB Investigative Demands

    Courts

    On January 20, the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion affirming the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California’s 2014 order enforcing the investigative demands against three tribal lending entities. The investigative demands are centered on determining whether small-dollar online lenders or other persons have engaged or are engaging in unlawful acts or practices relating to the advertising, marketing, provision, or collection of small-dollar loan products, in violation the Dodd-Frank Act and other Federal consumer financial laws. According to the opinion, the court claims that in “the Consumer Financial Protection Act, a generally applicable law, Congress did not expressly exclude tribes from the Bureau’s enforcement authority” and thereby, the tribes cannot claim tribal sovereign immunity.

    Courts Consumer Finance CFPB Dodd-Frank Ninth Circuit

  • CFPB Releases Annual Report to Congress on Transparency, Accountability in 2016

    Federal Issues

    On January 3, the CFPB announced the release of its annual report to the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations for 2016. The report—which covers October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016—identifies the specific responsibilities that the Dodd-Frank Act tasked to the CFPB and explains how the Bureau has attempted to meet those responsibilities. Among other things, the report describes Bureau regulations and guidance related to the Dodd-Frank Act including, but not limited to: (i) a proposed rule on arbitration; (ii) a proposed rule related to payday loans, vehicle title loans, and other similar credit products; (iii) a final rule to amend various provisions of the mortgage servicing rules implementing the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and the Truth in Lending Act; and (iv) a final rule amending Regulation C, implementing the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. The report also includes descriptions of the Bureau’s supervisory activities and enforcement actions undertaken by in the 2016 fiscal year.

    Federal Issues Mortgages Consumer Finance CFPB Dodd-Frank RESPA HMDA U.S. Senate U.S. House Regulation C TILA

  • FHFA Finalizes Amendments to Regulations Governing FHLBs' Acquired Member Asset Programs

    Federal Issues

    On December 19, the FHFA published a final rule modifying, reorganizing and relocating the current regulation governing the Federal Home Loan Banks’ (FHLBs) Acquired Member Asset (AMA) programs. As required by the Dodd-Frank Act, the final rule removes and replaces references in the current regulation to ratings issued by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Ratings Organization. The rule also provides the FHLBs with greater flexibility in choosing a model for estimating the credit enhancement required for AMA loans. The final rule adds a provision allowing an FHLB to authorize the transfer of mortgage servicing rights on AMA loans to any institution, including a non-member of the FHLB System. The new rule also allows FHLBs to acquire mortgage loans that exceed the conforming loan limits where such loans are guaranteed or insured by a department or agency of the U.S. government. The final rule excludes a proposed provision that would have eliminated the use of private, loan-level, supplemental mortgage insurance in the member credit enhancement structure required for the AMA programs, but the final version does require FHLBs to establish financial and operational standards that insurers must meet before offering insurance on AMA loans. The new final rule goes into effect on January 18, 2017.

    Also on December 19, FHFA issued another final rule (i) limiting the scope of “business activities” that would trigger an FHLB’s obligation to file a “new business activity” notice, (ii) modifying the submission requirements, and (iii) establishing new timelines for agency review and approval of such notices. The rule “narrows the scope of the [new business activity] regulation in two ways: (1) By limiting it to activities that introduce new material risks to the [FHLB]; and (2) By eliminating the need to file an NBA notice prior to accepting new types of collateral.” This new rule similarly goes into effect on January 18, 2017.

    Federal Issues Mortgages Dodd-Frank FHFA FHLB AMA

  • CFPB Takes Action Against Pawnbrokers for Misleading Annual Percentage Rates

    Federal Issues

    On December 19, the CFPB announced it had filed enforcement actions (3:16cv987, 3:16cv988, 1:16cv1566, 1: 16cv1567) in federal district court against four Virginia pawnbrokers for misleading customers through deceptively low annual percentage rates that intentionally omit or hide certain fees and charges. In each Complaint, the Bureau alleges both TILA violations and unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices under Dodd-Frank and the CPA. The complaints seek injunctive relief ordering the pawnbrokers to stop the allegedly illegal practices, restitution for consumers, and statutory penalties.

    Federal Issues Consumer Finance CFPB TILA Dodd-Frank CPA

  • Obama Signs Into Law SEC Small Business Advocate Act

    Federal Issues

    On December 16, President Obama signed into law H.R. 3784, the SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016. The legislation, which had broad bipartisan support in the House and Senate, establishes (within the SEC) an Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation and a Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. Both the Office of the Advocate and the Advisory Committee will be tasked with the dual role of helping small businesses navigate the securities laws and advocate against the application of overly burdensome regulations to small businesses. The small-business advocate is modeled after the SEC’s office of the investor advocate, which was created under the Dodd-Frank Act as a voice for investors.

    Federal Issues Securities Dodd-Frank SEC Obama

  • OFR Releases 2016 Annual Report to Congress; Reveals Credit Extended Through "Shadow Banking" Exceeds That of Traditional Banks

    Federal Issues

    On December 13, the Office of Financial Research (OFR) announced the release of both its 2016 Annual Report to Congress and its 2016 Financial Stability Report. The reports met the reporting requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act, including an analysis of: (i) threats to U.S. financial stability; (ii) key findings and insights from the OFR’s research; and (iii) the status of OFR efforts in meeting its mission. Among other things, the report noted the increasingly prominent role of shadow banking — “the extension of credit by nonbank companies, or credit funded by liabilities susceptible to runs because they are payable on demand and lack a government backstop.” According to the OFR, credit provided by the so-called shadow banking sector is presently higher than that of established banks. Indeed, OFR research indicates that credit from nonbank companies reached about $15.1 trillion as of the first quarter of 2016, thus making it "the major source of credit to U.S. businesses and households" — providing 38 percent of credit compared with banks' 32 percent.

    Federal Issues Banking Dodd-Frank OFR Congress

  • Division of Corporation Finance Director Keith Higgins to Leave SEC; Shelley Parratt to Become Acting Director

    Federal Issues

    In a December 6 press release, the SEC announced that Keith F. Higgins, Director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, plans to leave the SEC in early January. Since joining the SEC in 2013, Mr. Higgins led the Division’s implementation of significant rulemaking and other responsibilities under the Dodd-Frank Act, Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act), and Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act). Upon Mr. Higgins’ departure, Shelley Parratt, Deputy Director for the Division of Corporation Finance, will become the acting Director. Ms. Parratt has served previously as acting Director. Ms. Parratt has served as Deputy Director of the Division since 2003, and has been responsible for assisting in strategic planning and developing Division policies and procedures and overseeing the disclosure review program. Ms. Parratt came to the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance in 1986. She received her M.B.A. from Syracuse University and her B.A. from St. Lawrence University.

    Federal Issues Securities Dodd-Frank SEC Agency Rule-Making & Guidance

  • GAO Report Recommends Additional Actions to Help Achieve Dodd-Frank Stress Test Goals

    Federal Issues

    On November 15, the GAO released its report entitled Federal Reserve: Additional Actions Could Help Ensure the Achievement of Stress Test Goals. The report had been requested in September 2014 by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling in order to determine the costs, benefits, effectiveness and transparency of the Fed’s stress tests. Highlights of the Report can be found here.

    The GAO was asked to review and assess the effectiveness of each of the Fed’s two stress test programs for certain banking institutions. Accordingly, the GAO analyzed Fed rules, guidance, and internal policies and procedures and assessed practices against federal internal control standards and other criteria. The GAO also interviewed Federal Reserve staff and officials at 19 banking institutions. The report sets forth 15 recommendations that the GAO believes will help improve the effectiveness of the Fed’s stress test programs. The recommendations include, among other things, improving disclosures and communications to firms, expanding model risk management, and reconsidering potential consequences of the Fed’s scenario design choices. The GAO has reported that the Fed “generally agreed with the recommendations and highlighted select ongoing and future efforts.”

    In a November 15 press release, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling used the GAO report to critique the Fed’s lack of transparency with regard to certain activities under the Dodd-Frank Act. Among other things, Rep. Hensarling stated, “[t]he GAO report confirms the secrecy surrounding the stress tests makes it almost impossible to measure the effectiveness of the Fed’s regulatory oversight or the integrity of the tests’ findings. When it comes to the Fed’s stress tests, not only are they not transparent, they are often duplicative and impose unnecessary costs and burdens on financial institutions that are ultimately passed on to consumers.” Rep Hensarling cautioned further that “[t]he changes recently proposed by the Federal Reserve to its stress testing process are inadequate,” and the GAO report “demonstrates the absolute need for the new President to designate a Vice-Chairman for Supervision at the Federal Reserve who will have the power to ‘oversee the supervision and regulation’ of financial firms supervised by the Federal Reserve.”

    Federal Issues Consumer Finance Dodd-Frank Federal Reserve GAO Stress Test

  • OCC Seeks Comments on Volcker Rule Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Disclosure Requirements

    Federal Issues

    On November 18, OCC published a notice seeking comments on various reporting, recordkeeping, and disclosure requirements associated with its regulations that implemented the Volcker Rule. Among other things, the OCC is seeking comments on: (i) whether the information sought is necessary for the OCC to perform its supervisory functions; (ii) the accuracy of the OCC’s estimate of the information collection burden; (iii) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected while also minimizing the collection burdens on respondents; and (iv) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide the information. Comments must be submitted on or before January 17, 2017.

    Federal Issues Banking Consumer Finance Dodd-Frank OCC Disclosures Volcker Rule

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