On July 25, 2019, the CFPB issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the definition of a “qualified mortgage” under its ability-to-repay/qualified mortgage rule. The ANPR states that the Bureau does not intend to extend the temporary qualified mortgage (QM) classification for loans eligible to be purchased or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, which is scheduled to sunset no later than January 10, 2021. Because the majority of home purchase loans originated…

The California legislature is poised to cap rates on larger consumer installment loans. Assembly Bill 539 has passed the state Assembly and the state Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions. Although directed only to California Financing Law (CFL) licensees, the bill has broader implications for consumer installment lending in California. Read our client alert.…

The CFPB extended the deadline for public comments on its advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) relating to the Bureau’s 2015 Rule addressing the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). The ANPR, issued on May 2, requested comments by July 8, 2019, on whether the CFPB should revise the data points lenders must report under the Bureau’s 2015 Rule, and the types of transactions covered by the 2015 Rule. We discuss how the CFPB is seeking additional…

Recent Congressional activity reflects increasing concern in the fair lending implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in credit underwriting. Congress and regulatory agencies are likely to press financial services providers to better understand the AI they use and to ensure that its use does not result in unfair treatment of minorities and other protected groups through the employment of seemingly neutral criteria that have a disproportionate impact on protected classes of consumers. Read our client alert.…

On May 15, 2019, the CFPB published a Request for Comment on the Regulation E provisions that require consumers to opt in to overdraft fees on one-time debit card and ATM transactions. The Request for Comment is made under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which requires an agency to review rules within 10 years after their adoption. Read our client alert.…

On May 7, 2019, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued proposed rules (“Proposed Rules”) under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and its authority under the Dodd-Frank Act. If finalized, the Proposed Rules will be the first substantive regulations for debt collection practices since the FDCPA was enacted in 1977. The Proposed Rules would clarify the application of the FDCPA to current market conditions, most notably by permitting the use of text messages, emails, and social…

On February 6, 2019, amidst strong opposition from representatives of consumer groups and some members of Congress, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a proposed rule to revise its controversial November 2017 small-dollar loan rule (2017 Rule). The proposed rule would effectively rescind the 2017 Rule’s requirement that lenders determine a borrower’s ability to repay prior to extending small-dollar and certain other types of covered loans. Read our client alert.…