Fair Lending Shake-Ups: CFPB Vacates Townstone Settlement, FHFA Ends GSEs' Special Purpose Credit Programs — The Consumer Finance Podcast
The Latest on Junk Fees and New York's Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act — The Consumer Finance Podcast
The Latest on HUD's Disparate Impact Rule - The Consumer Finance Podcast
Title Insurance and Your Transaction
Law Brief®: Robert Wolf, Alexander Tiktin and Richard Schoenstein Discuss the Continuing Foreclosure/Eviction Moratorium
Credit Eco to Go Podcast - Not a Normal Mortgage Crisis: How the Mortgage Industry Weathered the Pandemic
Not a Normal Mortgage Crisis: How the Mortgage Industry Weathered the Pandemic
Recently, a complaint was filed against loanDepot.Com, LLC (“loanDepot”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland alleging violations of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA)/Regulation Z loan originator compensation...more
Our Financial Services Group reviews the Maryland Secondary Market Stability Act, which overrides the Office of Financial Regulation’s requirement that passive trusts holding Maryland loans in residential mortgage-backed...more
In a highly anticipated and welcome development, on April 22, 2025, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed into law the Maryland Secondary Market Stability Act of 2025 (emergency measures HB 1516 and its companion SB 1026) with...more
In the previous 3 articles of this 4-part series I identified and explained three types of fatal flaws in the 2023 CRA rule: 1. The unreliable and sometimes misleading performance ratings based on unrealistic assessment...more
In our latest roundup, Wells Fargo sues JPMorgan Chase, mortgage rates drop, and the life science RE market falters, and more!...more
Welcome to the latest edition of the Spectrum, covering hot-topic issues in the structured finance markets in the U.S. and UK. This edition features a close look at business development companies, an introduction to project...more
AT A GLANCE - In response to market concerns regarding licensing guidance for assignees of certain residential mortgage loans and installment loans released by the Maryland Office of Financial Regulation in January, that...more
On January 10, 2025, the Maryland Office of Financial Regulation issued emergency regulations revised to clarify that “passive trusts” holding residential mortgage loans must obtain a Mortgage Lender License and if the trusts...more
Led by the California Mortgage Bankers Association, five lenders have made commitments to provide mortgage relief for the victims of the California wildfires....more
In a recent decision, the Supreme Court in Queens County denied lender’s motion for summary judgment and appointment of a referee to compute in a foreclosure action, finding triable issues of fact, underscoring the importance...more
A recent study, Government Litigation Risk and the Decline in Low-Income Mortgage Lending, provides further evidence that the law of unintended consequences reigns supreme, particularly in the realm of public policy. The...more
As previously reported, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in connection with single-family residential mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and Fannie Mae and Freddie...more
Washington recently enacted significant changes to its Consumer Loan Act that may bring certain nonbank loan marketers and program managers within its scope. The Consumer Loan Act requires a license to make consumer loans of...more
What Happened? On June 20, 2024, a group of federal regulators published a rule addressing for the use of automated valuation models (AVMs) in mortgage origination and secondary market transactions....more
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently proposed rules under its home loan guaranty program regarding adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) loans, hybrid ARM (h-ARM) loans and temporary buydown agreements. Comments are...more
On May 30, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) issued a request for information (Request) regarding alleged “junk fees” in closing costs charged by mortgage lenders and related settlement service...more
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently issued a press release announcing a 2023 update to its Equity Action Plan. The Equity Action Plan is part of HUD’s efforts to implement President Biden’s...more
On December 18, the CFPB posted a blog entry regarding cash-out refinance mortgages and their borrowers between 2013 to 2023. According to the entry, which noted reflects the authors’ views, and not those of the CFPB,...more
The CFPB recently released results of a study of residential mortgage refinance loans from the first quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2023, focusing on differences between cash-out and non-cash-out (or rate and term)...more
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced the 2024 loan limits for FHA insured forward mortgage loans and FHA insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs). The announcements were made...more
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced the conforming loan limits for residential mortgage loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2024. Fannie Mae addresses the limits in Lender Letter 2023-09....more
A&B Abstract: On June 9, Illinois became the latest state in a growing trend to authorize remote work for mortgage loan originators and mortgage company employees. This makes five states joining the list of jurisdictions...more
The following newsletter provides a roundup summarizing enforcement actions, guidance, rulemakings, and other public statements taken by a federal and/or state financial services regulatory agency, specifically focusing on:...more
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling ending race-based admissions at colleges and universities could have a ripple effect on unrelated fields. Our Financial Services & Products Group explores how the Harvard decision could change...more
The CFPB recently released a report entitled Data Point: 2022 Mortgage Market Activity and Trends based on 2022 data reported by lenders under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA)....more