Section 1473(q) of the Dodd-Frank Act (now codified at 12 U.S.C. § 3354(q)) amended the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (“FIRREA”) to instruct the CFPB, Fed, OCC, FDIC, NCUA, and FHFA (collectively, the “agencies”) to jointly develop regulations for quality control standards for automated valuation models (“AVMs”), defined as “any computerized […]
Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)
Modern-Day Redlining Enforcement: A New Baseline
On October 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced an aggressive new initiative, in collaboration with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to combat the practice of redlining. Three days prior, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was said to be hiring up to 30 new enforcement attorneys to focus on redlining and […]
CFPB Issues Warning to Mortgage Servicing Industry
A&B ABstract: On April 1, 2021, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB” or “Bureau”) issued a Compliance Bulletin and Policy Guidance (the “Bulletin”) on the Bureau’s supervision and enforcement priorities with regard to housing insecurity in light of heightened risks to consumers needing loss mitigation assistance once COVID-19 foreclosure moratoriums and forbearances end. The Bulletin […]
CFPB Institutes Redlining Action Against Non-Bank Mortgage Lender
A&B ABstract: Recently, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) brought its first ever redlining case against a non-depository institution. While the CFPB has yet to issue guidance regarding how it would evaluate a non-bank lender’s activities for potential redlining, the CFPB’s allegations in this case provide some insight to mortgage lenders regarding compliance expectations. Discussion […]
FTC Brings its First Case Alleging ECOA Violations in More than a Decade
A&B ABstract: On May 27, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a complaint and settlement against a New York auto dealer alleging that it charged higher rates to African American and Hispanic customers, advertised prices it refused to honor, and fabricated fees in violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), Truth in Lending […]