Tag Archives: Fair Lending

CFPB COVID-19 Policy Rescissions and What That Means to You

When COVID-19 first made its appearance, it affected every part of our lives, including our financial health and well-being. The pandemic also caused a monumental pivot on how we conducted business. The financial industry’s shift to digital and drain on resources could become a compliance nightmare as more and more people and businesses sought relief through loans and other considerations.

To alleviate the strain and ensure that funding would continue to reach those who needed it, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released seven Statements of Policy that affected how banks handle their compliance responsibilities. For example, one revision temporarily created a hold on citing or enforcing any action against a financial institution that did not keep up with reporting their Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data quarterly. Another stated that the CFPB “…does not intend to cite a violation in an examination or bring an enforcement action against a creditor that takes longer than required by the regulation to resolve a billing error.”

These temporary measures allowed financial institutions to tend to their customers’ needs without placing an undue burden upon their employees. Banks and credit unions would still need to acquire the same data and follow the same regulations; they just had more time and increased flexibility.

Now that the country is opening up, the CFPB has determined it is time to get back to business as usual. On April 1, 2021, the Bureau rescinded these temporary Statements of Policy. However, business as usual will not be the same as experienced over the last four years. Under the new administration, the CFPB will be looking for non-compliance issues more “actively and aggressively” than the previous administration.

What does this mean for you and your financial institution? It means that when it comes to reporting time, your data must be clean and up-to-date. From your Compliance Management System (CMS) to considerations taken on approving and declining loans, you still have to present the necessary data to support your actions. You have to identify issues occurring over the past year and a half and create a plan that addresses correcting them. You have to be able to tell your story accurately and with confidence.

As banks, credit unions and mortgage companies return to their physical facilities, the drain on resources continues. While the CDC’s eviction moratorium was slated to end on July 31, 2021, President Biden announced on July 29 that federal agencies should use their authority to extend their respective eviction moratoria. Therefore, the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Federal Housing Administration extended their eviction moratoria through September 30 for foreclosed borrowers and other occupants. Meanwhile, more than $46 billion in emergency rental assistance has already been allocated by Congress and awaits distribution.

The influx of mortgage forbearance cases was supposed to begin in October of 2021. Financial institutions are still reallocating and training their employees as they continue to adapt to the changing landscape.

Even if your compliance team is still intact, the constantly changing regulations and Statement of Policy rescissions can put more pressure on already stressed team members. Partnering with compliance experts can help see you through the first hurdle – returning to pre-pandemic protocols and procedures.

Marquis Software Solutions offers a suite of compliance solutions to help you through your compliance issues. With CenTrax NEXT, you’ll have all you need for Fair Lending, HMDA and CRA. This Marquis flagship compliance software comes with customizable dashboards, intuitive reporting tools, advanced mapping technology, security management and demographics analysis to ensure accurate submissions and exams.

To pull everything together, Marquis compliance experts offer an array of services from HMDA/CRA file review, risk assessments, Compliance Management System reviews and self-assessments. We’ve stayed on top of how special considerations brought on by the pandemic affect compliance and what that means to your financial institution. We’ll give you all the support you need to tell your story and face regulators with confidence.

To learn more about Marquis’ comprehensive compliance solutions, contact us at [email protected].

NOTE: COVID-19 and the Delta variant continue to impact the ability of home-owners and renters to meet their obligations. Marquis will continue to monitor the situation and how that impacts your compliance efforts.

The End of the Moratorium on Mortgage Foreclosures and How It Affects Your Financial Institution

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we had no idea of the effect it would have on the financial services industry. But we all knew one thing for sure: with so many people losing their jobs or having to endure a reduction in their hours, mortgage payments were going to fall behind on a massive scale. The government stepped up with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, putting a moratorium on foreclosures for federally funded mortgages until June 30, 2021.

What this means for financial institutions is there will be an influx of forbearance cases maturing in the fall of 2021. Unless the moratorium is extended once again, and there have been steps taken in that direction, an unprecedented 1.7 million cases will exit forbearance programs in the fall. Financial institutions will need to be ready to hit the ground running by September 2021 with properly trained personnel, resources and guidance in place.

In addition, the new administration has committed to increased scrutiny over Fair Lending and Fair Servicing practices. According to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) bulletin, the CFPB will “closely monitor how servicers engage with borrowers, respond to borrower requests and process applications for loss mitigation.” The CFPB has strongly encouraged financial institutions to be proactive, work with borrowers, address language access issues, fairly evaluate income, promptly handle inquiries and, above all, prevent avoidable foreclosures. “Our first priority is ensuring struggling families get the assistance they need,” stated CFPB Acting Director, Dave Uejio. “Servicers who put struggling families first have nothing to fear from our oversight, but we will hold accountable those who cause harm to homeowners and families.”

Over the past year, banks and credit unions of all sizes have developed new programs and practices to deal with the influx of forbearance cases. For some, the large number of cases, drain on resources and adaptation to a digital environment may have caused difficulty keeping up with standard compliance practices. A vital step in that direction is developing a standardized relief assessment program with well-defined, consistent eligibility requirements. With a standardized program, servicers across the enterprise will have the guidance they need to service those exiting forbearance and meet Fair Servicing criteria. Of course, there will always be cases that will deviate from standards. In those cases, the exceptions and reasoning behind them should be fully documented.

To further mitigate risk, conduct a review and analysis of your Fair Lending and Fair Servicing protocols and practices, even if a review is not scheduled at this time. This will allow you to identify any potential risk factors, address them early and tell your story with confidence. However, conducting a comprehensive review can cause undue stress and pressure on already overworked resources. Marquis can help.

The Marquis Compliance Professional Services team, known for their expertise and personal service, are well-versed in all aspects of compliance, including Fair Lending and Fair Servicing. They can perform audits and assessments to ensure you have the necessary policies, processes and procedures in place and define areas that need attention. Our turnkey solution combines industry-leading CenTrax NEXT compliance software with the experience and intuitive skills of the Marquis Compliance Professional Services experts. This powerful combination of data and specialists will enable you to identify risk factors and address them before they become an issue.

As Uejio stated, “There is no time to waste, and no excuse for inaction. No one should be surprised by what is coming.” Contact Marquis to learn more about our compliance solutions and how they can help you prepare your financial institution for the flood of maturing forbearance cases and the increased scrutiny that will follow.