Tag Archives: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced proposed revisions to its ability-to-repay rule, mortgage servicing rules, and rules regarding consumer protections. One of the clarifications specified in the announcement is the definition of a loan originator. The CFPB also clarified rules relating to loss mitigation.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) plans to grow its staff in order to meet its strategic goals and stay in compliance with its mandate to protect consumers, according to a written testimony from Stephen Agostini, CFO at the bureau. Agostini, who gave testimony before the House Financial Services Committee Tuesday, stated that over the next two fiscal years, CFPB expects its staff to increase from 1,214 employees in the Fiscal Year 2013 to 1,545 employees in 2014.

From new regulations to increasing fines, financial institutions--both large and small--reported feeling more squeezed by compliance and risk management pressures since the start of the year, according to survey results from Wolters Kluwer Financial Services. In January, the Indicator began with a baseline score of 100 after the company surveyed 400 banks and credit unions. After surveying 430 similar institutions in April, Wolters Kluwer Financial Services reported a score of 136.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released updated procedures for examinations of financial institutions and mortgage lenders, which will begin taking place in January of next year. The new procedures, which will be published in the manuals for the Truth in Lending Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, cover a range of topics, including compensation for loan originators, qualification standards for mortgage professionals, consumer rights, arbitration, and appraisals.

According to the CFPB, Wednesday's amendments are the result of months of input offered by industry groups and the public at large. The Ability-to-Repay rule, set to take effect January 10, 2014, establishes basic requirements designed to ensure consumers don't take on loans they can't pay back. The new amendments exempt certain nonprofit and community-based lenders who work to help low- and moderate-income consumers get into affordable housing.

A former attorney for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has joined Venable LLP as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to limit future loan purchases to those that meet the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) criteria for ""qualified mortgage"" loans. In a release, FHFA said that beginning January 10, 2014, the GSEs will no longer purchase loans subject to CFPB's ""ability to repay"" rule if those loans are not fully amortizing, have terms of longer than 30 years, or include points and fees in excess of 3 percent.

ISGN CorporationTM (ISGN), a Florida-based provider of end-to-end technology solutions and services to the mortgage industry, teamed up with TRUPOINT Partners, an independent regulatory compliance organization, to offer a comprehensive Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Mock Audit.

A day before Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) director Richard Cordray testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs to deliver his semi-annual report, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), chair of the House Committee on Financial Services--which was also slated to hear from Cordray--announced his committee cannot accept Cordray's testimony as Cordray's appointment is not legal. Hensarling intends to ""conduct rigorous oversight"" of the agency until the leadership issue is resolved, but he does not accept Cordray's continuation of his position as director.

Although credit scores play a crucial role in the homebuying process, a recent FindLaw.com survey found nearly a quarter of Americans have never bothered to check their credit report. Overall, 22 percent of the 1,000 adults surveyed said they've never checked their credit report even though credit reporting agencies are required to provide free copies when requested. Out of the 78 percent who said they have checked their credit report, 46 percent checked within the last year.