Mortgage Servicing – Page 9 – Consumer Financial Services Watch

GSE Loan Repurchase Policies Impede Economic Recovery

Jan 10 2012

The loan repurchase policies of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are one of the factors that have exacerbated the U.S. housing crisis and impeded economic recovery, according to two recent releases by notable federal government actors. These reports call into question whether the aggressive repurchase stance of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as conservator of the GSEs, to reduce short-term losses to U.S. taxpayers instead might work to the long-term detriment of such taxpayers. Lenders reportedly responded by saying: “like, duh!” Read More

CFPB Puts Inherited Consumer Financial Protection Regulations on the Table

Dec 23 2011

By: David A. Tallman

Adding to its already full plate, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (the “CFPB” or the “Bureau”) recently requested public comment on its review of the various consumer financial protection regulations it has inherited from other agencies. The request signals that the Bureau does not intend for its higher-profile mortgage finance initiatives to overshadow its mandate to update, modify (or even eliminate) outdated, unduly burdensome, or unnecessary existing regulations. It also suggests that the CFPB is contemplating that its initial review of the inherited regulations may extend beyond mere technical corrections to more significant substantive changes.

HAMP Handbook Version 3.4 Arrives Just in Time for the Holidays

Dec 16 2011

By: Kerri M. Smith

Followers of Treasury’s HAMP program will need to update their shortcuts to the latest version of the HAMP Handbook, Version 3.4. Treasury issued the latest HAMP Handbook, the consolidated guidance related to HAMP for non-GSE mortgage loans, on December 15, 2011. Version 3.4 of the Handbook includes all of the prior Supplemental Directives, including those with effective dates after the publication of Version 3.3. In addition to these updates, Treasury announced that Version 3.4 includes certain clarifications addressing: (1) ARM loan eligibility; (2) Timing of response to initial packages; and (3) “Escalated Cases” and pending litigation. We explain these changes below. Read More

CFPB Now Accepting Mortgage Complaints from Consumers

Dec 07 2011

By: Kathryn M. Baugher

On December 1, 2011, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau began accepting mortgage complaints from consumers through the agency’s home page. This development follows the Bureau’s October announcement that it would be expanding the coverage of its consumer complaint portal to include products such as mortgages and student loans. Consumers have been able to submit credit card complaints through the Bureau’s web site since last July. Read More

The CFPB Mortgage Servicing Examination Procedures Fail to Harmonize – Isn’t it Ironic?

Nov 07 2011

By: Jonathan D. Jaffe, Steven M. Kaplan, David I. Monteiro, David A. Tallman

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (the “Bureau” or the “CFPB”) was designed to provide a single, integrated federal approach to consumer financial protection. But with the October 13, 2011, release of its new Mortgage Servicing Examination Procedures (the “Procedures”), the CFPB appears to leave it up to scores of individual examiners to decide in their subjective judgment whether a company’s loan servicing practices raise “unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices” (“UDAAP”) concerns. A federal government that is supposed to sing in one voice has not yet harmonized its employees.

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Catagory:Mortgage Servicing