Enforcement – Consumer Financial Services Watch

Trump has opportunity to restore balance in fair lending cases

Feb 14 2017

From the February 7, 2017 article in American Banker

With good cause, anxiety has been expressed regarding the direction of the Department of Justice’s civil rights division under the Trump administration.

Unfortunately, the past 16 years have seen the pendulum fly first to lax civil rights enforcement and improper politicization of the division under the Bush administration, and then to overreaching under the Obama administration. Trump administration officials would be wise to seek a balance. To get there, guidance is available from the division’s longer-range history — including during years that might not seem obvious, like under the Reagan administration. Balance would benefit both the nation and the future of the division.

To read the full article, click here.

What’s Old is New: CFPB Claims Captive Reinsurance Arrangements Violate RESPA

Nov 19 2013

By: Phillip L. Schulman, Andrew L. Caplan

Last week, the CFPB announced the filing of a complaint and proposed consent order with a North Carolina-based private mortgage insurer, Republic Mortgage Insurance Corporation (“RMIC”), which echoes previous enforcement positions taken years ago by HUD and state regulators. In this most recent enforcement action, the CFPB alleges that RMIC violated Section 8 of RESPA (the “anti-kickback” provision) through participation in captive reinsurance programs with mortgage lenders. These business arrangements are once again under scrutiny in 2013, as last week’s complaint and proposed consent order with RMIC marks the fifth such enforcement action this year. Read More

HUD Issues Self-Reporting Guidance

Nov 18 2013

By: Krista Cooley

Last Thursday, HUD issued Mortgagee Letter 2013-41 to clarify its self-reporting requirements for FHA-approved lenders. The Mortgagee Letter updates HUD’s prior guidance regarding an FHA-approved lender’s obligation to self-report instances of fraud, material misrepresentations, and material findings identified in connection with the origination, underwriting, or servicing of FHA-insured loans. New guidance set forth in this Mortgagee Letter includes direction on the timeframes to which lenders must adhere in reporting findings to senior management and to HUD, as well as clarification regarding what constitutes a “mitigated” finding in connection with the self-reporting requirements. Read More

Consumer Financial Services Industry, Meet Your New Regulator

Jul 07 2010

By: Melanie H. Brody, Stephanie C. Robinson

The centerpiece of the Dodd-Frank Act from a consumer protection standpoint is Title X, the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010. The Act will create a powerful consumer financial protection watchdog, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. The majority of existing federal consumer financial protection laws will come under the Bureau’s purview, and the Bureau will have broad authority to enforce those laws and to issue its own rules under the Act. This alert describes the Bureau, including its structure, objectives, functions, jurisdiction, rulemaking authority and enforcement powers.

To view the complete alert online, click here.

This client alert is part of a series of alerts focused on monitoring financial regulatory reform. Below is a list of other alerts in the series:

New Executive Compensation and Governance Requirements in Financial Reform Legislation – July 7, 2010

Financial Regulatory Reform – The Next Chapter: Unprecedented Rulemaking and Congressional Activity – July 7, 2010

Investor Protection Provisions of Dodd-Frank – July 1, 2010

Senate Financial Reform Bill Would Dramatically Step Up Regulation of U.S. and Non-U.S. Private Fund Advisers – June 8, 2010

Approaching the Home Stretch: Senate Passes “Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010” – June 8, 2010

Tag:Enforcement