We first review the origins of mortgage redlining and discuss the concept of reverse redlining and new theories of redlining.  We then look at a wide range of topics including: the application of redlining enforcement to non-banks; the use of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and Fair Housing Act to challenge redlining; activity at state level targeting redlining; the types of evidence regulators will look for when examining for redlining or bringing an enforcement action; potential penalties for redlining violations; what steps may be required for remediation of redlining; and how a bank or non-bank can build a compliance program to avoid redlining.… Continue Reading

With 72% voting in favor, Arizonans approved Proposition 209 decreasing the maximum lawful annual interest rate on “medical debt” from 10% to 3%, and increasing the amount of the homestead and other exemptions. These changes, which are effective immediately following certification of the vote and issuance of a proclamation by the governor (the governor does not have the authority to veto), only apply prospectively.… Continue Reading

Pointing to a growth in consumer complaints related to crypto-assets, on November 10th, 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) released a Complaint Bulletin, which analyzed in excess of 8,300 consumer complaints that the CFPB had received related to crypto-assets.  The CFPB reviewed complaints submitted to it during the period of October 2018 to September 2022, but noted that the majority of the complaints it received were submitted over the last two years, with the greatest number of complaints submitted by consumers in California and Florida.… Continue Reading

The Treasury Department has released a report entitled “Assessing the Impact of New Entrant Non-bank Firms on Competition in Consumer Finance Markets.”  The report was issued in response to President Biden’s July 2021 Executive Order on promoting competition.  That Order directed the Secretary of the Treasury to issue a report assessing how the entry of large technology firms and other non-banks into consumer finance markets has affected competition.… Continue Reading

The U.S. Department of Housing Urban Development (HUD) recently issued a final rule permitting the use of private flood insurance policies with FHA-insured mortgage loans.  HUD also issued Mortgagee Letter 2022-18 addressing with regard to FHA-insured loans general flood insurance requirements, flood insurance requirements for condominiums, manufactured homes and home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) loans (i.e.,… Continue Reading

I am delighted to share with our blog readers a new initiative to feature more women as guests on weekly episodes of our Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast.  We are launching the initiative with an episode this week featuring special guest Abby Hogan, a regulatory attorney and former analyst in the Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.… Continue Reading

The CFPB has released the Fall 2022 edition of its Supervisory Highlights.  The report discusses the Bureau’s examinations in the areas of auto servicing, consumer reporting, credit card account management, debt collection, deposits, mortgage origination, mortgage servicing, and payday lending that were completed between January 1, 2022 and June 31, 2022. … Continue Reading

Every year, state courts process millions of low-dollar but highly consequential cases that shape the lives of Americans. Debt collection, eviction, foreclosure, and child support actions have long dominated civil court dockets and case volume is on the rise. Debt collection claims have more than doubled over the past twenty years as unsecured consumer credit became more widely available.… Continue Reading

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Henderson v. Source For Pub. Data, L.P., No. 21-1678, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 30534 (4th Cir. Nov. 3, 2022) found that the protections of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act did not extend to a public data aggregation company.  The ruling reversed the district court’s order dismissing all claims in a putative class action alleging Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) violations against the data aggregator, PublicData.com… Continue Reading

After reviewing the background of the current moratorium on federal student loan payments and the Biden Administration’s decision to grant loan forgiveness, we discuss two recent decisions that have paused the Administration’s ability to proceed with forgiveness.  We first analyze the Texas federal district court decision vacating the forgiveness program, including the court’s standing analysis and application of the “major questions doctrine.” … Continue Reading