Archive

Final SAFE Act Regulations Published

The first of two final steps for implementation of the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act (the SAFE Act) has been completed. The final regulations are now in place; but we are still waiting for the Registry to open. FINAL REGULATIONS On July 28, 2010 the Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Thrift Supervision, Farm Credit Administration, and National Credit Union Administration (jointly referred to as […]

New RESPA Settlement Cost Booklet

Rumor: HUD has published a new Settlement Cost Booklet This rumor is true. The new booklet appeared on HUD’s website on July 15th. Rumor: We have to throw out our existing supply of booklets and start using the new booklet immediately. This rumor is false. You may use the versions of the booklet published in December 2009 or January 2010, or you may use the new booklet. When you exhaust your existing supply of booklets […]

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Congress has completed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act). Next, the 2,300 page bill moves to the White House for the President’s signature, which is expected by July 21st. Then the real action begins: • An entire bureaucracy must be built for the new Bureau of Financial Protection and the new Financial Stability Oversight Counsel; and • Thousands of pages of regulations will be written. An area of particular concern […]

July 12, 2010 Lending Compliance Update

In a recent blog I reported my belief that work on the financial reform bill would be completed by the July 4 holiday. But obviously I was wrong. Congress did get some work done before the holiday. They renamed the bill the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. They also fought a battle over funding. The bill would have resulted in $18 billion in new fees on large banks. Some in the Senate […]