Fair Lending Shake-Ups: CFPB Vacates Townstone Settlement, FHFA Ends GSEs' Special Purpose Credit Programs — The Consumer Finance Podcast
To keep you informed of recent activities, below are several of the most significant federal and state events that have influenced the Consumer Financial Services industry over the past week....more
In a significant policy shift under the Trump administration, the new Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte issued an order on March 25, 2025 terminating special purpose credit programs (SPCPs) supported...more
On Wednesday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) released a long-awaited report on its review of the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) System. The FHFA first announced its FHLB System at 100 initiative in August of...more
The shuttered storefronts and grounded airplanes that by now have become an all too familiar image of the COVID-19 pandemic are quickly creating a ripple effect through the U.S. economy. As unemployment rises and Americans...more
FHFA Announces Increase in Maximum Conforming Loan Limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2017 - On November 23, 2016, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced an increase in the maximum conforming loan...more
Agencies Issue Proposal on Method to Adjust Threshold for Exempting Small Loans from Special Appraisal Requirements - On July 22, 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Reserve Board and the Office...more
The Federal Housing Finance Agency Releases Final Rule on Federal Home Loan Bank Membership - On January 12, 2016, the Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") issued a final rule establishing new requirements for...more
By recently releasing yet another revised representation and warranty framework, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continued their efforts to assuage the concerns of the lending industry that a default by a borrower poses an unfair...more
On August 27, 2015, the CFPB issued two Technical Reports: one on the National Mortgage Database (NMDB), and the other on the National Survey of Mortgage Borrowers (NSMB). The NMDB project is a joint undertaking by the FHFA...more
On September 2, the FHFA proposed a rule that would revise the requirements for financial institutions to apply for and retain membership in one of the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks (Banks). The proposed rule would revise FHFA’s...more
Around 34% of all loan officers responding to a Fed survey indicated the CFPB’s Ability-to-Repay and Qualified Mortgage Standards under the Truth in Lending Act (the ATR/QM rule) makes it more difficult to get conforming...more
New York's Highest Court Will Review First Department Decision on RMBS Putback Statute of Limitations - On June 27, the Court of Appeals for the State of New York agreed to review the First Department's December 2013...more
Agencies Apply Increased Leverage Ratio to Large U.S. Banks - On April 8, the Fed, FDIC and OCC adopted the final rule to increase the leverage ratio for the largest U.S. banks. The final rule applies to U.S. bank...more
Final Rules Implementing the Volcker Rule - On December 10, the Fed, CFTC, FDIC, OCC and SEC issued final rules to implement Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act (the Volcker Rule), which prohibit insured depository...more
The Fed Approves New Fee Schedules - On October 31, the Fed announced new fee schedules, effective January 2, 2014, for payment services the Federal Reserve Banks provide to depository institutions (priced services). ...more
FHFA Statement on Freddie Mac Risk-Sharing Transaction - On July 24, the FHFA announced that Freddie Mac is nearing completion of its first risk-sharing transaction, a direct debt issuance, that will assist Freddie Mac...more