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FDIC Publication Focuses on Interest Rate Risk
On December 18, the FDIC announced the release of its Winter 2014 issue of Supervisory Insights, which focuses on effective interest rate risk management at community and mid-size financial institutions. Specific articles included in the publication are (i) “Effective Governance Processes for Managing Interest Rate Risk,” (ii) “Developing the Key Assumptions for Analysis of Interest Rate Risk,” (iii) “Developing an In-House Independent Review of Interest Rate Risk Management Systems,” and (iv) “What to Expect During an Interest Rate Risk Review."
OCC Reports Continued Improvement in First-Lien Mortgage Performance
On December 19, the OCC announced the release of its quarterly Mortgage Metrics Report. The report highlights the mortgage performance of first-lien mortgages serviced by seven national banks and one federal savings association through September 30, 2014. Notably, the report showed 93 percent of mortgages were current and performing at the end of the quarter, compared with 92.9 percent at the end of the previous quarter and 91.4 percent a year earlier. Also, the report showed a 41.5 percent decrease in foreclosure activity in the last year. The mortgages included in this portfolio represent 46 percent of all residential mortgages in the U.S., approximately 24 million loans totaling $4.0 trillion in principal balances.
NCUA Files Latest Suit Over Purchased RMBS
On December 23, the NCUA announced its latest suit against a major bank. Filed in the SDNY, the 122-page complaint alleges that the bank violated state and federal laws by failing to fulfill its duties as trustee to 27 RMBS trusts. The NCUA is suing the bank in its capacity as liquidating agent for five failed federal credit unions who purchased the RMBS. This latest suit comes less than a week when the NCUA filed a similar suit against another large global bank.
SEC Publishes List of Rules Scheduled For Review
On December 29, pursuant to section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, the SEC published a list of rules scheduled for review by the agency. The list is intended to invite public comment on whether the rules should be continued, amended, or rescinded to minimize economic impact on small entities. Comments are due by January 28, 2015.
President Obama Nominates Deputy Attorney General
On December 22, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Sally Yates as the Deputy Attorney General. Since 2010, Yates has served as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. If confirmed, Yates would be second-highest ranking official at the DOJ.
NY Department of Financial Services Settles With Auto-Dealer
On December 19, the New York Department of Financial Services announced a recent settlement with a Long Island-based auto lender to resolve allegations of violations of several consumer protection laws including the DFA, TILA, NY Banking Law, and NY Financial Services Law. According to the consent judgment, the Defendants allegedly (i) failed to notify consumers who made overpayments on their accounts; (ii) miscalculated the interest charged to customers; and (iii) endangered the security of its customer information by leaving loan files openly around common areas. As part of the settlement, the auto dealer must (i) pay $3 million in penalties; (ii) pay full restitution plus nine percent interest to all affected customers; (iii) liquidate all remaining loans; and (iv) surrender its licenses in all states.
District Court Dismisses Class Action Against Payday Lender
On December 29, the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware dismissed a class action accusing a payday lender of consumer fraud. Zieger v. Advance America, No. 13-cv-1614 (D. Del. Dec. 29, 2014). Filed in 2013, the suit sought damages on behalf of borrowers who obtained loans from the lender on allegedly “unconscionable and incomprehensible” terms. Among these terms, from which the plaintiff had opted out, was a dispute resolution provision that effectively prohibits a borrower’s right to a jury trial. In its order, the Court ruled that the plaintiffs’ claims of the lender’s misrepresentations lacked specificity and that general attacks on payday lending were not sufficient to support fraud claims. The Court granted the lender’s motion to strike the class allegations and also granted the plaintiff leave to amend the complaint with class allegations pertaining to those similarly situated borrowers who may have also opted out of the dispute resolution clause.
CFPB & State Attorneys General Fine Retailer and Debt Collectors for Alleged Illegal Debt Collection Practices Against Military Servicemembers
On December 18, the CFPB and the Attorneys General of North Carolina and Virginia announced an enforcement action against three affiliated companies offering credit and financing services to military servicemembers. The complaint filed in the Eastern District of Virginia alleges that the companies used illegal tactics to collect debts in violation of Dodd-Frank, including by (i) filing illegal lawsuits; (ii) debiting consumers’ accounts without authorization; and (iii) contacting servicemembers’ commanding officers. The complaint also charges that one of the companies violated the EFTA by failing to properly disclose the terms of preauthorized transfers, while another company violated TILA by failing to properly disclose terms and interest rates on the loans it offered to servicemembers. The CFPB and the Attorneys General filed a consent order in the district court to require the companies and their owners and chief officers to provide over $2.5 million in consumer redress, pay a $100,000 civil penalty, and undergo ongoing compliance monitoring for a period of five years.
CFPB Announces Enforcement Action Against Telecommunications Company for Alleged Unauthorized Third-Party Charges
On December 17, the CFPB filed a complaint in the Southern District of New York against a telephone company for allegedly charging its customers tens of millions of dollars in unauthorized third-party charges. According to the CFPB’s press release, for roughly a decade the company “crammed” consumers’ wireless bills with illegal charges by outsourcing payment processing for digital purchases – such as apps, games, and movies – to vendors known as “billing aggregators.” The CFPB alleges that the company failed to properly monitor the aggregators’ billing of customers as a payment processor for the third parties, and violated Dodd-Frank and the CFPA by (i) allowing third party vendors to attach illegitimate charges to consumers’ bills; (ii) billing customers for the unauthorized charges without their consent; (iii) failing to heed red flags showing that the system “was a breeding ground for unauthorized charges”; and (iv) failing to respond to consumer complaints. The complaint seeks refunds for consumers and penalties.
CFPB Files Suit Against Texas Company for Alleged Deceptive Practices Targeting Union Workers
On December 17, the CFPB announced it filed suit against a Texas-based company for allegedly deceiving consumers into paying fees to sign up for a “sham” credit card. According to the complaint filed in the Northern District of Texas, the CFPB alleges that the company falsely advertised a general-use credit card that, in actuality, could only be used to buy products from the company. The CFPB further alleges that the company deceptively implied an affiliation with unions by, among other things, using pictures of nurses, firefighters, and other public servants in its advertising. The complaint seeks compensation for consumers, a civil penalty, and an injunction against the company.