Archive

AMENDMENTS TO REGULATION X AND Z SERVICING RULES

Recently the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published an interim final rule that amends existing final servicing rules contained in Regulation X and Z. Comments will be accepted until November 22, 2013. The rule is effective January 10, 2014. The changes to changes routine is wearing thin, but these changes are helpful and do not significantly increase the compliance burden. Among other changes the amendments clarify the specific disclosures that must be provided before counseling […]

MORE FINAL REVISED RULES – REGULATIONS B, X, AND Z

On September 13 the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published it latest revisions to final rules that were published last January. The 274-page final rule: Revises error resolution procedures and information requests (§§ 1024.35 and 1024.36), and loss mitigation (§ 1024.41). With respect to loss mitigation, two of the revisions concern the requirement in § 1024.41(b)(2)(i) that a servicer review a borrower’s loss mitigation application within five days and provide a notice to the borrower acknowledging […]

NETTING AN ESCROW BALANCE AGAINST THE PAYOFF AMOUNT

Can a servicer offset the balance in an escrow account against the payoff balance quoted to the borrower? The answer depends on whether the transaction occurs today or after January 10, 2014. Today – If the transaction occurs today, Section 1024.17 (i)(4)(iii) states, “If a borrower pays off a mortgage loan during the escrow account computation year, the servicer shall submit a short year statement to the borrower within 60 days after receiving the pay-off funds. […]

CFPB PROPOSES CHANGES TO REGULATIONS B, X, AND Z

On June 24, 2013 the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published proposed changes to several final rules originally published in January 2013. The proposal would: Provide procedures for obtaining follow-up information on loss-mitigation applications; Make it easier for servicers to offer short-term forbearance plans; Revise the definitions of “rural” and “underserved” and provide interim rules until the revised definitions are complete; Provide clarification about financing credit insurance; Clarify the definition of “loan originator;” Clarify the definition […]

CFPB PROPOSES MORE CHANGES TO THE QM AND SERVICING CHANGES

On April 19th the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed changes to the Qualified Mortgage (QM) and Servicing Rules. The proposal addresses five topics: Debt-to-Income Ratio Under the Ability to Repay rule, a lender may make a qualified mortgage (QM), a loan for which certain features are prohibited and fees that can be charged are limited. The rule provides for different types of QMs, the main type requiring that a consumer’s debt-to-income ratio (DTI) show […]