The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued a second version of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (Regulation C) Small Entity Compliance Guide.  The updated version incorporates various changes to the HMDA rule that were issued in August 2017 and published in the September 13, 2017 Federal Register, which we reported on previously. … Continue Reading

A recent flurry of FTC enforcement activity targeting companies offering student loan debt relief services suggests such companies could be the subject of the announcement scheduled for tomorrow “of a major coordinated consumer fraud enforcement initiative” between the FTC and state attorneys general.

The announcement was originally scheduled to be made on October 11 at a press conference in Chicago, Illinois featuring Thomas Pahl, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. … Continue Reading

The CFPB recently released a revised version of the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule Small Entity Compliance Guide.

The revised version incorporates the recent amendments to the rule that became effective on October 10, 2017.  Compliance with the amendments will be required for applications received on or after October 1, 2018.

The amendments also clarified that the separate escrow cancellation notice and partial payment disclosure requirements under Regulation Z will apply to all covered loans on October 1, 2018, regardless of when the application is received.… Continue Reading

An Assistant Illinois Attorney General, in a letter sent to Experian’s CEO on behalf of the Illinois AG and the AGs of 35 other states and the District of Columbia, has asked Experian not to charge any credit freeze-related fees.

In the letter, which references the recent Equifax data breach, the Assistant Illinois AG notes that seven states currently prohibit consumer reporting agencies from charging fees to place a credit freeze and at least two others have introduced legislation that would require CRAs to offer free credit freezes.… Continue Reading

The CFPB has filed an amicus brief in Regions Bank v. Legal Outsource PA, a case on appeal to the Eleventh Circuit that involves two important issues under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): whether the ECOA provides a cause of action to loan guarantors and whether a business entity can assert a marital status discrimination claim under the ECOA.… Continue Reading

Hours after the CFPB released its final payday/auto title/high-rate installment loan rule on October 5, 2017, the OCC rescinded its guidance on deposit advance products.  That guidance, entitled Supervisory Concerns and Expectations Regarding Deposit Advance Products published in November 2013 (OCC Bulletin 2013-40), and substantially identical guidance issued by the FDIC on the same day, had effectively precluded banks subject to OCC and FDIC supervision from offering deposit advance products. … Continue Reading

A group of Democratic House members led by Rep. Maxine Waters has introduced H.R. 3937, the “Megabank Accountability and Consequences Act of 2017,” that would require federal bank regulators to consider the revocation of a bank’s charter and deposit insurance if the bank is found to have engaged in a “pattern or practice” of violations of federal consumer protection laws. … Continue Reading

Among the more than 20 bills that the House Financial Services Committee is scheduled to mark-up this Wednesday, October 11, is a bill to provide a “Madden fix” as well as several others relevant to consumer financial services providers.

These bills are the following:

  • H.R. 3299, “Protecting Consumers’ Access to Credit Act of 2017. 
… Continue Reading

It will take a while to digest the CFPB’s nearly 1,700-page release on payday, title and high-rate installment lending but, naturally, I have a number of preliminary observations:

  1. It remains highly uncertain that the Rule will ever go into effect.  Once Director Cordray leaves office, his successor may have very different views on the costs and benefits of these products and may, at a minimum, want to assure himself or herself that there is a strong basis for the Rule. 
… Continue Reading

The CFPB issued its final payday loan rule yesterday in a release running 1,690 pages.  Lenders covered by the rule include nonbank entities as well as banks and credit unions. In addition to payday loans, the rule covers auto title loans, deposit advance products, and certain high-rate installment and open-end loans. … Continue Reading