CFPB, Federal Agencies, State Agencies, and Attorneys General
The FDIC is urging financial institutions it supervises to voluntarily submit self-assessments of their diversity policies and practices to the agency by Oct. 31, 2024.
The agency said that the self-assessment is not an examination requirement and that the results are not shared with examiners. The results also have no impact on an institution’s safety and soundness, its consumer compliance ratings or its Community Reinvestment Act performance evaluation, the agency said.… Continue Reading
As expected, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Students for Fair Admissions Inc.’s lawsuit against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, which challenged the constitutionality of the universities’ race conscious admission policies, has quickly created a division along ideological lines as to what the ruling means for workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including in the financial services industry.… Continue Reading
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (“CFPB”) Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (“OMWI”) has released guidance and recommendations for small, midsize, and large organizations to demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion (“D&I”), taking size and resources into account. The guidance and recommendations are contained in a Report on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) within Financial Services (the “Report”), and are designed to both support the implementation of Section 342 of the Dodd Frank Act as outlined in the Joint Standards for Assessing Diversity Policies and Practices of Entities (the “Standards”), and reflect the CFPB’s efforts to further the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equality and Support for Underserved Communities.… Continue Reading
On March 15, 2021, the FDIC’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) released a Financial Institution Letter regarding diversity self-assessments. In accordance with Section 342 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the FDIC is calling on its supervised institutions with 100 or more employees to submit voluntary self-assessments of their diversity policies and practices. … Continue Reading
On March 23, 2020, the FDIC’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) announced that it will request 2019 diversity self-assessments from FDIC-regulated financial institutions. The FDIC regulates insured state banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System and insured state thrifts. This year’s self-assessment application is presented on a new automated platform designed to increase efficiency and encourage more participation from the institutions. … Continue Reading
Following hearings this past spring, Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, released a statement that the Committee finds more work is needed to improve diversity at megabanks. The statement, released on August 13, included data gathered from eight of the nation’s largest banks in response to letters to those institutions from Chairwoman Waters and Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH).… Continue Reading
We recently learned that several clients have received letters from the CFPB’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) indicating that the Bureau will be inviting them to submit a self-assessment of their diversity and inclusion (D&I) policies and practices and requesting contact information for the individuals leading their D&I efforts.… Continue Reading
One of the first actions taken by Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters upon becoming Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee was to announce the creation of a new Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I).
According to Politico, the new subcommittee held its inaugural hearing earlier this week at which the focus was a review of diversity trends in the finance industry, specifically a GAO report that found the representation of African-Americans and women in management roles had lagged in recent years. … Continue Reading
The CFPB’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) has issued its annual report to Congress covering the OMWI’s activities in FY 2016. The Dodd-Frank Act required the CFPB and various other federal agencies, including the Fed, OCC, FDIC, NCUA, and SEC, to establish an OMWI, and also requires each OMWI to submit an annual report to Congress.… Continue Reading
Women in the real estate financing sector have a new opportunity to connect with others in their field and to access and exchange information about the industry. On October 18, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced the launch of mPower, a professional networking platform that aims to create “a strong, diverse network of women” in the real estate financial industry. … Continue Reading
