83_FR_53018 83 FR 52816 - Supervisory Highlights: Summer 2018

83 FR 52816 - Supervisory Highlights: Summer 2018

BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 202 (October 18, 2018)

Page Range52816-52822
FR Document2018-22726

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52816-52822]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22726]



=======================================================================

-----------------------------------------------------------------------



BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION




Supervisory Highlights: Summer 2018



AGENCY: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.



ACTION: Supervisory Highlights; notice.



-----------------------------------------------------------------------



SUMMARY: The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is 

issuing its seventeenth edition of its Supervisory Highlights. In this 

issue of Supervisory Highlights, we report examination findings in the 

areas of auto finance lending; credit card account management; debt 

collection; deposits; mortgage servicing; mortgage origination; service 

providers; short-term, small-dollar lending; remittances; and fair 

lending. As in past editions, this report includes information on the 

Bureau's use of its supervisory and enforcement authority, recently 

released examination procedures, and Bureau guidance.



DATES: The Bureau released this edition of the Supervisory Highlights 

on its website on September 06, 2018.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adetola Adenuga, Consumer Financial 

Protection Analyst, Office of Supervision Policy, at (202) 435-9373. If 

you require this document in an alternative electronic format, please 

contact [email protected].



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:



1. Introduction



    The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is committed 

to a consumer financial marketplace that is free, innovative, 

competitive, and transparent, where the rights of all parties are 

protected by the rule of law, and where consumers are free to choose 

the products and services that best fit their individual needs. To 

effectively accomplish this, the Bureau remains committed to sharing 

with the public key findings from its supervisory work to help industry 

limit risks to consumers and comply with Federal consumer financial 

law.

    The findings included in this report cover examinations in the 

areas of automobile loan servicing, credit cards, debt collection, 

mortgage servicing, payday lending, and small business lending that 

were generally completed between December 2017 and May 2018 (unless 

otherwise stated).

    It is important to keep in mind that institutions are subject only 

to the requirements of relevant laws and regulations. The information 

contained in Supervisory Highlights is disseminated to help 

institutions better understand how the Bureau examines institutions for 

compliance with those requirements. This document does not impose any 

new or different legal requirements. In addition, the legal violations 

described in this and previous issues of Supervisory Highlights are 

based on the particular facts and circumstances reviewed by the Bureau 

as part of its examinations. A conclusion that a legal violation exists 

on the facts and circumstances



[[Page 52817]]



described here may not lead to such a finding under different facts and 

circumstances. We invite readers with questions or comments about the 

findings and legal analysis reported in Supervisory Highlights to 

contact us at [email protected].



2. Supervisory Observations



    Recent supervisory observations are reported in the areas of 

automobile loan servicing, credit cards, debt collection, mortgage 

servicing, payday lending, and, for the first time, small business 

lending.



2.1 Automobile Loan Servicing



    The Bureau continues to examine auto loan servicing activities, 

primarily to assess whether servicers have engaged in unfair, 

deceptive, or abusive acts or practices prohibited by the Consumer 

Financial Protection Act of 2010 (CFPA). Recent auto loan servicing 

examinations identified deceptive and unfair acts or practices related 

to billing statements and wrongful repossessions.



2.1.1 Billing Statements Showing Paid-Ahead Status After Applying 

Insurance Proceeds



    One or more examinations observed instances in which notes required 

that insurance proceeds from a total vehicle loss be applied as a one-

time payment to the loan with any remaining balance to be collected 

according to the consumer's regular billing schedule. However, in some 

instances after consumers experienced a total vehicle loss, the 

servicers sent billing statements showing that the insurance proceeds 

had been applied to the loan payments so that the loan was paid ahead 

and that the next payment on the remaining balance was due many months 

or years in the future. Servicers then treated consumers who failed to 

pay by the next month as late and in some cases also reported the 

negative information to consumer reporting agencies.

    The examination found that servicers engaged in a deceptive 

practice by sending billing statements indicating that consumers did 

not need to make a payment until a future date when in fact the 

consumer needed to make a monthly payment.\1\ The billing statements 

contained due dates inconsistent with the note and the servicer's 

insurance payment application. Such information would mislead 

reasonable consumers to think they did not need to make the next 

monthly payment. The misrepresentation is material because it likely 

affected consumers' conduct with regard to auto loans. Consumers would 

have been more likely to make a monthly payment if they knew that not 

doing so would result in a late fee, delinquency notice, or adverse 

credit reporting. In response to examination findings, the servicers 

are sending billing statements that accurately reflect the account 

status of the loan after applying insurance proceeds from a total 

vehicle loss.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \1\ 12 U.S.C. 5531, 5536.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



2.1.2 Repossessions



    Many auto servicers provide options to consumers to avoid 

repossession once a loan is delinquent or in default. Servicers may 

offer formal extension agreements that allow consumers to forbear 

payments for a certain period of time or may cancel a repossession 

order once a consumer makes a payment.

    One or more recent examinations found that servicers repossessed 

vehicles after the repossession was supposed to be cancelled. In these 

instances, the servicers incorrectly coded the account as remaining 

delinquent or customer service representatives did not timely cancel 

the repossession order after the consumer's agreement with the 

servicers to avoid repossession. The examinations identified this as an 

unfair practice.\2\ The practice of wrongfully repossessing vehicles 

causes substantial injury because it deprives borrowers of the use of 

their vehicles and potentially leads to additional associated harm, 

such as lost wages and adverse credit reporting. Such injury is not 

reasonably avoidable when consumers take action they believed would 

halt the repossession and there is no additional action the borrower 

can take to prevent it. Finally, the injury is not outweighed by 

countervailing benefits to the consumer or to competition. No benefits 

to competition are apparent from erroneous repossessions. And the 

expense to better monitor repossession activity is unlikely to be 

substantial enough to affect institutional operations or pricing. In 

response to the examination findings, the servicers are stopping the 

practice, reviewing the accounts of consumers affected by a wrongful 

repossession, and removing or remediating all repossession-related 

fees.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \2\ Id.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



2.2 Credit Cards



    The Bureau continues to examine the credit card account management 

operations of one or more supervised entities. Typically, examinations 

assess advertising and marketing, account origination, account 

servicing, payments and periodic statements, dispute resolution, and 

the marketing, sale and servicing of credit card add-on products. With 

some notable exceptions, the examinations found that supervised 

entities generally are complying with applicable Federal consumer 

financial laws.



2.2.1 Periodic Re-Evaluation of Rate Increases



    Regulation Z, as revised to implement the Card Accountability 

Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, requires credit card issuers 

to periodically re-evaluate consumer credit card accounts subjected to 

certain increases in the applicable Annual Percentage Rate(s) (APR or 

rate) to assess whether it is appropriate to reduce the account's 

APR(s).\3\ Issuers must first re-evaluate each such account no later 

than six months after the rate increase and at least every six months 

thereafter.\4\ In re-evaluating each account, the issuer must apply 

either (a) the factors on which the rate increase was originally based 

or (b) the factors the issuer currently considers when determining the 

APR applicable to similar, new consumer credit card accounts.\5\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \3\ 12 CFR 1026.59(a).

    \4\ 12 CFR 1026.59(c).

    \5\ 12 CFR 1026.59(d)(1).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    One or more examinations between January and July 2018 found that 

entities: (a) Failed to re-evaluate all eligible accounts, (b) failed 

to consider the appropriate factors when re-evaluating eligible 

accounts, or (c) failed to appropriately reduce the rates of accounts 

eligible for rate reduction. In one or more instances, the issuers 

failed to re-evaluate all eligible accounts because they inadvertently 

excluded some eligible accounts from the pool of accounts they re-

evaluated. In one or more instances, the issuers failed to consider the 

appropriate factors because they inappropriately conflated re-

evaluation factors, among other reasons. In one or more instances, the 

issuers failed to appropriately reduce the rates for eligible accounts 

because they effectively imposed additional criteria for a rate 

reduction. The issuers have undertaken, or developed plans to 

undertake, remedial and corrective actions in response to these 

examination findings.



2.3 Debt Collection



    The Bureau's Supervision program has authority to examine certain 

entities that engage in consumer debt collection activities, including 

nonbanks that are larger participants in the consumer debt collection 

market. Recent examinations



[[Page 52818]]



of larger participants identified one or more violations of the Fair 

Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).\6\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 1692-1692p.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



2.3.1 Failure To Obtain and Mail Debt Verification Before Engaging in 

Further Collection Activities



    Section 809(b) of the FDCPA requires a debt collector, upon receipt 

of a written debt validation request from a consumer, to cease 

collection of the debt until it obtains verification of the debt and 

mails it to the consumer.\7\ Examinations found that one or more debt 

collectors routinely failed to mail debt verifications before engaging 

in further collections activities. Instead, one or more debt collectors 

forwarded consumer debt validation requests to originating creditors; 

the creditors then reviewed the debts and mailed responses directly to 

consumers. One or more debt collectors accepted creditor determinations 

that the debt was owed by the relevant consumer for the amount claimed 

without receiving information verifying the debt and without mailing 

the required verification to consumers. One or more debt collectors 

then continued collection activities on accounts in violation of 

section 809(b) of the FDCPA.\8\ In response to these examination 

findings, one or more debt collectors are revising their debt 

validation policies, procedures, and practices to ensure both that they 

obtain appropriate verification of the debt when requested and that 

they mail the verification to consumers prior to engaging in further 

collection activities.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 1692g(b).

    \8\ Id.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



2.4 Mortgage Servicing



    Bureau examinations continue to focus on the loss mitigation 

process and, in particular, on how servicers handle trial modifications 

where consumers are paying as agreed. One or more recent mortgage 

servicing examinations observed unfair acts or practices relating to 

conversion of trial modifications to permanent status and initiation of 

foreclosures after consumers accepted loss mitigation offers. Recent 

examinations also identified unfair acts or practices when institutions 

charged consumers amounts not authorized by modification agreements or 

by mortgage notes.



2.4.1 Converting Trial Modifications to Permanent Status



    Past editions of Supervisory Highlights discussed how one or more 

servicers failed to place consumers who successfully completed trial 

modifications into permanent modifications in a timely manner.\9\ Such 

delays may harm consumers when interest accrues at a higher non-

modified rate or when servicers report consumers as delinquent or still 

in trial modifications to consumer reporting agencies during the delay. 

Where a servicer does not provide full financial remediation to the 

consumer for such a delay, one or more examinations have identified an 

unfair practice.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \9\ See, e.g., Issue 11 of Supervisory Highlights, section 3.2, 

available at, https://www.consumerfinance.gov/documents/509/Mortgage_Servicing_Supervisory_Highlights_11_Final_web_.pdf.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    One or more recent examinations reviewed the practices of servicers 

with policies providing for permanent modifications of loans if 

consumers made four timely trial modification payments. However, for 

nearly 300 consumers who successfully completed the trial modification, 

the servicers delayed processing the permanent modification for more 

than 30 days. During these delays, consumers accrued interest and fees 

that would not have been accrued if the permanent modification had been 

processed. The servicers did not remediate all of the affected 

consumers nor did they have policies or procedures for remediating 

consumers in such circumstances. The servicers attributed the 

modification delays to insufficient staffing.

    As a result, one or more examinations identified an unfair act or 

practice. Consumers experienced substantial injury that could not be 

reasonably avoided. The accrued fees and interest that the servicers 

failed to fully remediate were likely significant because the delays 

were more than 30 days. And consumers could not reasonably avoid these 

injuries. They could neither control the processing of their loan 

modifications nor compel remediation from the servicers. The harm to 

consumers outweighs the cost to consumers or to competition, given that 

the servicers acknowledged that the delay was in error and did not 

indicate that the cost of remediation was burdensome. In response to 

examination findings, the servicers are fully remediating affected 

consumers and developing and implementing policies and procedures to 

timely convert trial modifications to permanent modifications where the 

consumers have met the trial modification conditions.\10\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \10\ 12 U.S.C. 5531, 5536.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    In September 2017, examinations also found that one or more 

servicers mitigated the potential consumer harm associated with trial 

conversion delays by maintaining communication with consumers during 

the delay and by proactively remediating individual consumers for the 

costs associated with the delay after eventually making the consumers' 

modifications permanent.



2.4.2 Charging Consumers Unauthorized Amounts



    One or more examinations found instances in which mortgage 

servicers charged consumers more than the amounts authorized by their 

loan modification agreements. The overcharges were caused by data 

errors affecting the modified loan's starting balance, step-rate and 

interest-rate changes, deferred interest, and amortization maturity 

date when the loan was entered into the servicing system. The 

examinations identified this as an unfair practice.\11\ The overcharges 

resulted in substantial injury to consumers when consumers made 

payments higher than those stipulated in the modification agreements or 

when they made payments for a term longer than stipulated in the 

modification agreements. Consumers could not reasonably avoid this 

injury, which was caused by errors in the servicers' systems. The 

injury to consumers is not outweighed by any countervailing benefits to 

consumers or to competition. No benefits to competition are apparent 

from the systemic errors that resulted in erroneous billing statements. 

And the expense of instituting validation procedures for loan-

modification data is unlikely to be substantial enough to affect 

institutional operations or pricing. In response to the examination 

findings, the servicers are remediating affected consumers and 

correcting loan modification terms in their systems.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \11\ 12 U.S.C. 5531, 5536.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



2.4.3 Representations Regarding Initiation of Foreclosure



    When one or more mortgage servicers approved borrowers for a loss 

mitigation option on a non-primary residence, the servicers represented 

to borrowers that the servicers would not initiate foreclosure if the 

borrower accepted loss mitigation offers in writing or by phone by a 

specified date. However, the servicers then initiated foreclosure even 

if borrowers had called or written to accept the loss mitigation offers 

by that date. Examinations identified this as a deceptive act or 

practice.

    The misrepresentations were likely to mislead borrowers when the 

servicers expressly indicated that the servicers would not initiate 

foreclosure proceedings if borrowers accepted the



[[Page 52819]]



loss mitigation offers. The borrowers' interpretation of the 

misrepresentations was reasonable in this circumstance, i.e., that the 

servicers would not initiate foreclosure after the borrowers accepted 

the loss mitigation offers. The misrepresentations were material 

because they were likely to prompt borrowers to accept the loss 

mitigation offers to avoid the initiation of foreclosure proceedings.



2.4.4 Representations Regarding Foreclosure Sales



    Examinations observed that when borrowers submitted complete loss 

mitigation applications less than 37 days from a scheduled foreclosure 

sale date, one or more servicers sent the borrowers notices indicating 

that the applications were complete and stating that the servicer(s) 

would notify the borrowers of the decision on the applications in 

writing within 30 days. But after sending these notices, the servicers 

proceeded to conduct the scheduled foreclosure sales without making a 

decision on the borrowers' loss mitigation applications.

    The examinations did not find that this conduct amounted to a legal 

violation but observed that it could pose a risk of a deceptive 

practice. The notices could potentially mislead borrowers by stating 

that the borrowers would receive a decision on their loss mitigation 

applications. Borrowers reasonably could take that statement to mean 

that foreclosure sales would be postponed until a decision was reached.



2.5 Payday Lending



    The Bureau's Supervision program covers entities that offer or 

provide payday loans. Examinations of payday lenders identified unfair 

and deceptive acts or practices as well as violations of Regulation 

E.\12\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \12\ 12 CFR 1005.10(b).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



2.5.1 Misleading Collection Letters



    Examinations observed one or more entities engaging in a deceptive 

act or practice in their collection letters. These entities represented 

in their letters that they will, or may have no choice but to, 

repossess consumers' vehicles if the consumers fail to make payments or 

contact the entities. This was despite the fact that these entities did 

not have business relationships with any party to repossess vehicles 

and, as a general matter, did not repossess vehicles. Given these 

facts, the examination concluded that the net impression of these 

representations in the context of each letter was to mislead consumers 

to believe that these entities would repossess or were likely to 

repossess consumers' vehicles. The representations were material 

because they were likely to affect the behavior of consumers who were 

misled. The representations were likely to induce consumers to make 

payments to these entities, as opposed to allocating their funds toward 

other expenses. In response to the examination findings, the entity or 

entities are ensuring that their collection letters do not contain 

deceptive content.



2.5.2 Debiting Consumers' Accounts Without Valid Authorization by Using 

Account Information Previously Provided for Other Purposes



    Examinations observed one or more entities using debit card numbers 

or Automated Clearing House (ACH) credentials that consumers had not 

validly authorized the entities to use to debit funds in connection 

with a single-payment or installment loan in default. Upon a consumer's 

failure to repay the loan obligation as agreed, one or more entities 

attempted to initiate electronic fund transfers (EFTs) using debit card 

numbers or ACH credentials that borrowers had identified on 

authorization forms executed in connection with the defaulted loan at 

issue. If those attempts were unsuccessful, the entities would then 

seek to collect balances due and owing via EFTs using debit card 

numbers or ACH credentials that the borrowers had supplied to the 

entities for other purposes, such as when obtaining other loans or 

making one-time payments on other loans or the loan at issue. Through 

these invalidly authorized EFTs, the entities sought payment of up to 

the entire amount due on the loan.

    The examinations identified these as unfair acts or practices and 

also, in some cases, as violations of Regulation E. With respect to 

unfairness, the invalidly authorized debits caused substantial injury 

in the form of debits that consumers could not anticipate, leading to 

potential fees. Because the credentials were provided to the entities 

for other purposes, such as account information consumers provided in 

previous credit applications, consumers could not anticipate that the 

entities would use them for the defaulted loan at issue and thus could 

not reasonably avoid such injury. Finally, the injury was not 

outweighed by any countervailing benefits to consumers, such as 

satisfying their debts, or to competition, such as passing on lower 

costs to consumers derived from easier debt collection. By giving an 

unfair advantage over other entities that obtain authorization to 

initiate debits from consumers pursuant to clear and readily 

understandable terms, the unfair acts or practices likely harmed 

competition.\13\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \13\ 12 U.S.C. 5531, 5536.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    With respect to loans for which the consumer entered into 

preauthorized EFTs that recurred at substantially regular intervals, 

the examinations identified this practice as a violation of Regulation 

E, which requires that preauthorized EFTs from a consumer's account be 

authorized only by a writing signed or similarly authenticated by the 

consumer.\14\ Here, the loan agreements and EFT authorization forms 

failed to provide clear and readily understandable terms regarding the 

entities' use of debit card numbers or ACH credentials that consumers 

provided for other purposes. Accordingly, the entities did not obtain 

valid preauthorized EFT authorizations for the debits they initiated 

using debit card numbers or ACH credentials consumers provided for 

other purposes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \14\ 12 CFR 1005.10(b).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    In response to examination findings, the entity or entities are 

ceasing the violations, remediating borrowers impacted by the invalid 

EFTs, and revising loan agreement templates and ACH authorization 

forms.



2.6 Small Business Lending



    The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) prohibition against 

discrimination is not limited to consumer transactions; it also applies 

to business-purpose credit transactions, including credit extended to 

small businesses. In 2016 and 2017, the Bureau began conducting 

supervision work to assess ECOA compliance in institutions' small 

business lending product lines, focusing in particular on the risks of 

an ECOA violation in underwriting, pricing, and redlining. The Bureau 

anticipates an ongoing dialogue with supervised institutions and other 

stakeholders as the Bureau moves forward with supervision work in small 

business lending.



2.6.1 Supervisory Observations



    In the course of conducting ECOA small business lending reviews, 

Bureau examination teams have observed instances in which one or more 

financial institutions effectively managed the risks of an ECOA 

violation in their small business lending programs.

    Examinations at one or more institutions observed that the board of 

directors and management maintained active oversight over the 

institutions' compliance management system (CMS) framework. 

Institutions developed and



[[Page 52820]]



implemented comprehensive risk-focused policies and procedures for 

small business lending originations and actively addressed the risks of 

an ECOA violation by conducting periodic reviews of small business 

lending policies and procedures and by revising those policies and 

procedures as necessary. Examinations also observed that one or more 

institutions maintained a record of policy and procedure updates to 

ensure that they were kept current.

    With regard to self-monitoring, one or more institutions 

implemented small business lending monitoring programs and conducted 

semi-annual ECOA risk assessments that include assessments of small 

business lending. In addition, one or more institutions actively 

monitored pricing-exception practices and volume through a committee.

    When examinations included file reviews of manual underwriting 

overrides at one or more institutions, they found that credit decisions 

made by the institutions were consistent with the requirements of ECOA, 

and thus the examinations did not find any violations of ECOA.

    At one or more institutions, however, examinations observed that 

institutions collect and maintain (in useable form) only limited data 

on small business lending decisions. Limited availability of data could 

impede an institution's ability to monitor and test for the risks of 

ECOA violations through statistical analyses.



3. Remedial Actions



3.1 Public Enforcement Actions



    The Bureau's supervisory activities resulted in or supported the 

following public enforcement actions.



3.1.1 Citibank N.A.



    On June 29, 2018, the Bureau announced an enforcement action 

against Citibank, N.A., (Citibank or Bank). The Bureau found Citibank 

violated the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and its implementing 

regulation, Regulation Z, by failing to properly periodically re-

evaluate and reduce the Annual Percentage Rates (rates) applicable to 

credit card accounts that had been subject to certain rate increases 

between 2011 and 2017 and by failing to have in place reasonable 

written policies and procedures to do so.

    In 2016, Citibank initiated a significant compliance review program 

across its credit cards line of business. That review led to Citibank's 

self-identifying several deficiencies and errors in its rate re-

evaluation methodologies. After the Bank promptly self-disclosed the 

violations, the Bureau ultimately found through its supervisory process 

that Citibank violated TILA by failing to reevaluate and reduce the 

APRs for approximately 1.75 million consumer credit card accounts and 

thereby imposed on those accounts excess interest charges of $335 

million.

    Under the terms of the resulting consent order, Citibank was 

required to correct these practices and pay $335 million in restitution 

to the impacted consumers.\15\ The Bureau did not assess civil money 

penalties based on a number of factors, including Citibank's self-

identifying and self-reporting the violations to the Bureau and its 

self-initiating remediation to affected consumers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \15\ See Citibank Consent Order available at, https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/bureau-consumer-financial-protection-settles-citibank-na/.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



3.1.2 Triton Management Group



    On July 19, 2018, the Bureau entered into a consent order with 

Triton Management Group, Inc., a payday lender that operates in 

Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina under several names including 

``Always Money'' and ``Quik Pawn Shop.'' The Bureau found that Triton 

violated the CFPA and the disclosure requirements of TILA by failing to 

properly disclose finance charges associated with their auto title 

loans in Mississippi. The Bureau also found that Triton used 

advertisements that failed to disclose the annual percentage rate and 

other information in violation of TILA. The consent order bars Triton 

from misrepresenting the costs of its loans and requires Triton to 

remediate consumers $1,522,298. Based on Triton's inability to pay, it 

will remediate consumers $500,000.\16\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \16\ See Triton Management Group Consent Order available at, 

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/bureau-consumer-financial-protection-settles-triton-management-group/.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



Supervision Program Developments



3.2 Recent Bureau Rules and Guidance



3.2.1 Mortgage Servicing Final Rule



    On March 8, 2018, the Bureau issued a final rule to help mortgage 

servicers communicate with certain borrowers facing bankruptcy. The 

final rule gives mortgage servicers a clearer and more straightforward 

standard for providing periodic statements to consumers entering or 

exiting bankruptcy by amending the Bureau's 2016 mortgage servicing 

rule. Specifically, the final rule provides a clear single-statement 

exemption for servicers to make the transition, superseding the single-

billing-cycle exemption included in the 2016 rule. The effective date 

for the rule was April 19, 2018.\17\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \17\ See Mortgage Service Rules under the Truth in Lending Act 

(Regulation Z), 83 FR 10553 (Mar. 8, 2018), https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_mortgage-servicing_final-rule_2018-amendments.pdf.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



3.2.2 2017-2018 Amendments of the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule



    On August 11, 2017, the Bureau published a final rule \18\ in the 

Federal Register amending the Federal mortgage disclosure requirements 

under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and the Truth 

in Lending Act (TILA) as implemented by Regulation Z (2017 TILA-RESPA 

Rule). These amendments are intended to provide greater certainty and 

clarity to the 2013 TILA-RESPA Rule, which went into effect on October 

3, 2015. Changes and clarifications in the 2017 TILA-RESPA Rule include 

creating a tolerance for the total of payments disclosure, clarifying 

the partial exemption for housing assistance lending, expanding 

coverage of the disclosure rule to include operative units regardless 

of whether State law considers the units real property or personal 

property, and clarifying when disclosures may be shared with third 

parties. Additionally, the 2017 TILA-RESPA Rule includes several 

additional clarifications and technical changes addressing various 

parts of the 2013 TILA-RESPA Rule, including the calculating cash to 

close table, construction-to-permanent lending, principal reductions, 

rounding requirements, and simultaneous second lien loans. The 2017 

TILA-RESPA Rule became effective October 10, 2017. However, compliance 

with the 2017 TILA-RESPA Rule is mandatory only with respect to 

transactions for which a creditor or mortgage broker receives an 

application on or after October 1, 2018 (except for compliance with the 

escrow cancellation notice \19\ and compliance with the partial payment 

policy disclosure requirements,\20\ which will become mandatory on 

October 1, 2018, regardless of when an application was received).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \18\ Amendments to Federal Mortgage Disclosure Requirements 

under the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z), 82 FR (Aug. 11, 

2017).

    \19\ 12 CFR 1026.20(e).

    \20\ 12 CFR 1026.39(d)(5).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    On May 2, 2018, the Bureau published a final rule in the Federal 

Register amending the Federal mortgage disclosure requirements to 

address when a creditor may use a Closing Disclosure to determine if an 

estimated closing cost was disclosed in good faith



[[Page 52821]]



and within tolerance (2018 TILA-RESPA Rule).\21\ The 2013 TILA-RESPA 

Rule in effect as of October 3, 2015 included a timing restriction 

limiting the use of the Closing Disclosure to reset tolerances to a 

period relative to the date of consummation, resulting in a creditor's 

inability to pass through closing cost increases \22\ to the consumer 

in certain limited circumstances. The 2018 TILA-RESPA Rule removes this 

timing restriction, permitting the use of the Closing Disclosure to 

establish good faith and reset tolerances regardless of when the 

Closing Disclosure is provided relative to consummation. The final rule 

took effect on June 1, 2018.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \21\ Federal Mortgage Disclosure Requirements under the Truth in 

Lending Act (Regulation Z), 83 FR 19159 (May 2, 2018).

    \22\ 12 CFR 1026.19(e)(3)(iv).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



3.3 Fair Lending Developments



3.3.1 HMDA Implementation and New Data Submission Platform



    On December 21, 2017, the Bureau provided the following statement 

regarding HMDA implementation:

    Recognizing the impending January 1, 2018 effective date of the 

Bureau's amendments to Regulation C and the significant systems and 

operational challenges needed to adjust to the revised regulation, for 

HMDA data collected in 2018 and reported in 2019 the Bureau does not 

intend to require data resubmission unless data errors are material. 

Furthermore, the Bureau does not intend to assess penalties with 

respect to errors in data collected in 2018 and reported in 2019. 

Collection and submission of the 2018 HMDA data will provide financial 

institutions an opportunity to identify any gaps in their 

implementation of amended Regulation C and make improvements in their 

HMDA CMS for future years. Any examinations of 2018 HMDA data will be 

diagnostic to help institutions identify compliance weaknesses and will 

credit good faith compliance efforts. The Bureau intends to engage in a 

rulemaking to reconsider various aspects of the 2015 HMDA Rule such as 

the institutional and transactional coverage tests and the rule's 

discretionary data points. For data collected in 2017, financial 

institutions will submit their reports in 2018 in accordance with the 

current Regulation C using the Bureau's HMDA Platform.\23\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \23\ CFPB Issues Public Statement on Home Mortgage Disclosure 

Act Compliance (December 21, 2017), available at https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-issues-public-statement-home-mortgage-disclosure-act-compliance/.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    On July 5, 2018, the Bureau provided the following statement 

regarding recent HMDA amendments:

    The President signed the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and 

Consumer Protection Act (the Act) on May 24, 2018, a section of which 

amends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). The Act provides 

partial exemptions for some insured depository institutions and insured 

credit unions from certain HMDA requirements.\24\ The partial 

exemptions are generally available to insured depository institutions 

and insured credit unions:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \24\ Public Law 115-174, section 104(a) (to be codified at 12 

U.S.C. 2803).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    [ssquf] For closed-end mortgage loans if the institution originated 

fewer than 500 closed-end mortgage loans in each of the two preceding 

calendar years.

    [ssquf] For open-end lines of credit if the institution originated 

fewer than 500 open-end lines of credit in each of the two preceding 

calendar years.

    For closed-end mortgage loans or open-end lines of credit subject 

to the partial exemptions, the Act states that the ``requirements of 

[HMDA section 304(b)(5) and (6)]'' shall not apply. Accordingly, for 

these transactions, those institutions are exempt from the collection, 

recording, and reporting requirements for some, but not all, of the 

data points specified in current Regulation C.

    The Bureau expects to provide further guidance soon on the 

applicability of the Act to HMDA data collected in 2018.\25\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \25\ The partial exemptions are not available to insured 

depository institutions that do not meet certain Community 

Reinvestment Act performance evaluation rating standards. Guidance 

will include information on how this provision will be implemented.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    For all institutions filing HMDA data collected in 2018, the Act 

will not affect the format of the LARs:

    [ssquf] LARs will be formatted according to the previously released 

2018 Filing Instructions Guide for HMDA Data Collected in 2018 (2018 

FIG).\26\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \26\ https://s3.amazonaws.com/cfpb-hmda-public/prod/help/2018-hmda-fig.pdf.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    [ssquf] If an institution does not report information for a certain 

data field due to the Act's partial exemptions, the institution will 

enter an exemption code for the field specified in a revised 2018 FIG 

that the Bureau expects to release later this summer.

    [ssquf] All LARs will be submitted to the same HMDA Platform. A 

beta version of the HMDA Platform for submission of data collected in 

2018 will be available later this year for filers to test.



3.3.2 Small Business Lending Review Procedures



    Each ECOA small business lending review includes a fair lending 

assessment of the institution's CMS related to small business lending. 

To conduct this portion of the review, examinations use Module II of 

the ECOA Baseline Review Modules. CMS reviews include assessments of 

the institution's board and management oversight, compliance program 

(policies and procedures, training, monitoring and/or audit, and 

complaint response), and service provider oversight.

    Examinations also use the Interagency Fair Lending Examination 

Procedures, which have been adopted in the Bureau's Supervision and 

Examination Manual. In some ECOA small business lending reviews, 

examination teams may evaluate an institution's fair lending risks and 

controls related to origination or pricing of small business lending 

products. Some reviews may include a geographic distribution analysis 

of small business loan applications, originations, loan officers, or 

marketing and outreach, in order to assess potential redlining risk.

    As with other in-depth ECOA reviews, ECOA small business lending 

reviews may include statistical analysis of lending data in order to 

identify fair lending risks and appropriate areas of focus during the 

examination. Notably, statistical analysis is only one factor taken 

into account by examination teams that review small business lending 

for ECOA compliance. Reviews typically include other methodologies to 

assess compliance, including policy and procedure reviews, interviews 

with management and staff, and reviews of individual loan files.



3.3.3 FFIEC HMDA Examiner Transaction Testing Guidelines Effective Date



    On August 22, 2017, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination 

Council (FFIEC) members, including the Bureau, announced new FFIEC Home 

Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) Examiner Transaction Testing Guidelines 

for all financial institutions that report HMDA data.\27\ The 

Guidelines apply to the examination of HMDA data collected beginning in



[[Page 52822]]



2018, which financial institutions must report to the Bureau by March 

1, 2019.\28\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



    \27\ The Guidelines were published by the FFIEC member agencies 

including the Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the 

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the National 

Credit Union Administration, the Office of the Comptroller of the 

Currency, and the State Liaison Committee. These new Guidelines are 

available at https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/201708_cfpb_ffiec-hmda-examiner-transaction-testing-guidelines.pdf.

    \28\ For HMDA data collected in 2017 and submitted in 2018, the 

Bureau will follow the HMDA resubmission guidelines published on 

October 9, 2013 and available at http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201310_cfpb_hmda_resubmission-guidelines_fair-lending.pdf.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



3.3.4 Upstart No-Action Letter



    The Bureau is continuing to monitor Upstart Network, Inc. (Upstart) 

regarding its compliance with the terms of the no-action letter (NAL) 

it received from Bureau staff. As part of its request for a NAL, 

Upstart agreed to conduct ongoing fair lending testing of its 

underwriting model, notify the Bureau before new variables are 

considered eligible for use in production, and maintain a robust model-

related compliance management system.

    In addition to the ongoing fair lending testing discussed above, 

Upstart agreed as part of its request for a NAL to employ other 

consumer safeguards. These safeguards, which are described in the 

application materials posted on the Bureau's website, include ensuring 

compliance with requirements to provide adverse action notices under 

Regulation B and the Fair Credit Reporting Act and its implementing 

regulation, Regulation V, and ensuring that all of its consumer-facing 

communications are timely, transparent, and clear, and use plain 

language to convey to consumers the type of information that will be 

used in underwriting. Upstart has committed to monitoring the 

effectiveness of all safeguards and sharing the results of its testing, 

along with other relevant information, with the Bureau during the term 

of the NAL.

    On July 18, 2018, the Bureau announced the creation of its Office 

of Innovation, to foster consumer-friendly innovation, which is now a 

key priority for the Bureau. The Office of Innovation is in the process 

of revising the Bureau's NAL and trial disclosure policies, in order to 

increase participation by companies seeking to advance new products and 

services.



4. Conclusion



    The Bureau expects that the publication of Supervisory Highlights 

will continue to aid Bureau-supervised entities in their efforts to 

comply with Federal consumer financial law. The report shares 

information regarding general supervisory and examination findings 

(without identifying specific institutions, except in the case of 

public enforcement actions), communicates operational changes to the 

program, and provides a convenient and easily accessible resource for 

information on the Bureau's guidance documents.



    Dated: September 6, 2018.

Mick Mulvaney,

Acting Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection.

[FR Doc. 2018-22726 Filed 10-17-18; 8:45 am]

 BILLING CODE 4810-AM-P





                                               52816                       Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2018 / Notices

                                               ACTION:   Notice.                                            Resilience of the internet and                   Supervisory Highlights. In this issue of
                                                                                                            Communications Ecosystem                         Supervisory Highlights, we report
                                               SUMMARY:    The Information Security and                     Against Botnets and Other                        examination findings in the areas of
                                               Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB) will                          Automated, Distributed Threats                   auto finance lending; credit card
                                               meet Thursday, November 01, 2018                             (May 22, 2018),                                  account management; debt collection;
                                               from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Eastern                    —Presentation and discussion on                    deposits; mortgage servicing; mortgage
                                               Time, and Friday, November 02, 2018                          cybersecurity and privacy issues                 origination; service providers; short-
                                               from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Eastern                       related to Quantum Computing,                    term, small-dollar lending; remittances;
                                               Time. All sessions will be open to the                     —Presentation and discussion on the                and fair lending. As in past editions,
                                               public.                                                      NIST privacy framework program,                  this report includes information on the
                                               DATES: The meeting will be held on                           and                                              Bureau’s use of its supervisory and
                                               Thursday, November 01, 2018, from                          —Updates on NIST Information                       enforcement authority, recently released
                                               9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time,                     Technology Laboratory                            examination procedures, and Bureau
                                               and Friday, November 02, 2018, from                          cybersecurity work.                              guidance.
                                               9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.                    Note that agenda items may change                  DATES: The Bureau released this edition
                                               ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at                  without notice. The final agenda will be              of the Supervisory Highlights on its
                                               the American University Washington                      posted on the website indicated above.                website on September 06, 2018.
                                               College of Law, 4300 Nebraska Ave.                      Seating will be available for the public              FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                               NW, Washington, DC, 20016.                              and media. Pre-registration is not                    Adetola Adenuga, Consumer Financial
                                               FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff                   required to attend this meeting.                      Protection Analyst, Office of
                                               Brewer, Information Technology                             Public Participation: The ISPAB                    Supervision Policy, at (202) 435–9373. If
                                               Laboratory, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive,                     agenda will include a period, not to                  you require this document in an
                                               Stop 8930, Gaithersburg, MD 20899–                      exceed thirty minutes, for oral                       alternative electronic format, please
                                               8930, Telephone: (301) 975–2489, Email                  comments from the public (Thursday,                   contact CFPB_Accessibility@cfpb.gov.
                                               address: jeffrey.brewer@nist.gov.                       November 01, 2018, between 4:30 p.m.
                                                                                                                                                             SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                                               SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                              and 5:00 p.m.). Speakers will be
                                                 Pursuant to the Federal Advisory                      selected on a first-come, first-served                1. Introduction
                                               Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C.                     basis. Each speaker will be limited to                   The Bureau of Consumer Financial
                                               App., notice is hereby given that the                   five minutes. Questions from the public               Protection (Bureau) is committed to a
                                               ISPAB will meet Thursday, November                      will not be considered during this                    consumer financial marketplace that is
                                               01, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.,               period. Members of the public who are                 free, innovative, competitive, and
                                               Eastern Time, and Friday, November 02,                  interested in speaking are requested to               transparent, where the rights of all
                                               2018 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.                     contact Jeff Brewer at the contact                    parties are protected by the rule of law,
                                               Eastern Time. All sessions will be open                 information indicated in the FOR                      and where consumers are free to choose
                                               to the public. The ISPAB is authorized                  FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of                the products and services that best fit
                                               by 15 U.S.C. 278g–4, as amended, and                    this notice.                                          their individual needs. To effectively
                                               advises the National Institute of                          Speakers who wish to expand upon                   accomplish this, the Bureau remains
                                               Standards and Technology (NIST), the                    their oral statements, those who had                  committed to sharing with the public
                                               Secretary of Homeland Security, and the                 wished to speak but could not be                      key findings from its supervisory work
                                               Director of the Office of Management                    accommodated on the agenda, and those                 to help industry limit risks to
                                               and Budget (OMB) on information                         who were unable to attend in person are               consumers and comply with Federal
                                               security and privacy issues pertaining to               invited to submit written statements. In              consumer financial law.
                                               Federal government information                          addition, written statements are invited                 The findings included in this report
                                               systems, including thorough review of                   and may be submitted to the ISPAB at                  cover examinations in the areas of
                                               proposed standards and guidelines                       any time. All written statements should               automobile loan servicing, credit cards,
                                               developed by NIST. Details regarding                    be directed to the ISPAB Secretariat,                 debt collection, mortgage servicing,
                                               the ISPAB’s activities are available at                 Information Technology Laboratory, 100                payday lending, and small business
                                               http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/ispab/                  Bureau Drive, Stop 8930, National                     lending that were generally completed
                                               index.html.                                             Institute of Standards and Technology,                between December 2017 and May 2018
                                                 The agenda is expected to include the                 Gaithersburg, MD 20899–8930.                          (unless otherwise stated).
                                               following items:                                        Kevin A. Kimball,                                        It is important to keep in mind that
                                                 —Deliberations and discussions by                     Chief of Staff.
                                                                                                                                                             institutions are subject only to the
                                                    the ISPAB on security and privacy                                                                        requirements of relevant laws and
                                                                                                       [FR Doc. 2018–22735 Filed 10–17–18; 8:45 am]
                                                    issues,                                                                                                  regulations. The information contained
                                                                                                       BILLING CODE 3510–13–P
                                                 —Presentation and discussion on                                                                             in Supervisory Highlights is
                                                    NIST cybersecurity standards and                                                                         disseminated to help institutions better
                                                    guidance,                                                                                                understand how the Bureau examines
                                                 —Briefings from the Department of                     BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL                          institutions for compliance with those
                                                    Homeland Security National Risk                    PROTECTION                                            requirements. This document does not
                                                    Management Center,                                                                                       impose any new or different legal
                                                                                                       Supervisory Highlights: Summer 2018
                                                                                                                                                             requirements. In addition, the legal
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES




                                                 —Presentation and discussion on
                                                    supply chain risk management                       AGENCY:  Bureau of Consumer Financial                 violations described in this and
                                                    programs,                                          Protection.                                           previous issues of Supervisory
                                                 —Briefing from NIST on Internet of                    ACTION: Supervisory Highlights; notice.               Highlights are based on the particular
                                                    Things (IOT) guidance,                                                                                   facts and circumstances reviewed by the
                                                 —Presentation and discussion on the                   SUMMARY:   The Bureau of Consumer                     Bureau as part of its examinations. A
                                                    draft roadmap from the Report to                   Financial Protection (Bureau) is issuing              conclusion that a legal violation exists
                                                    the President on Enhancing the                     its seventeenth edition of its                        on the facts and circumstances


                                          VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:28 Oct 17, 2018   Jkt 247001   PO 00000   Frm 00017   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM   18OCN1


                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2018 / Notices                                           52817

                                               described here may not lead to such a                     regard to auto loans. Consumers would                 and periodic statements, dispute
                                               finding under different facts and                         have been more likely to make a                       resolution, and the marketing, sale and
                                               circumstances. We invite readers with                     monthly payment if they knew that not                 servicing of credit card add-on products.
                                               questions or comments about the                           doing so would result in a late fee,                  With some notable exceptions, the
                                               findings and legal analysis reported in                   delinquency notice, or adverse credit                 examinations found that supervised
                                               Supervisory Highlights to contact us at                   reporting. In response to examination                 entities generally are complying with
                                               cfpb_Supervision@cfpb.gov.                                findings, the servicers are sending                   applicable Federal consumer financial
                                                                                                         billing statements that accurately reflect            laws.
                                               2. Supervisory Observations
                                                                                                         the account status of the loan after
                                                  Recent supervisory observations are                                                                          2.2.1 Periodic Re-Evaluation of Rate
                                                                                                         applying insurance proceeds from a
                                               reported in the areas of automobile loan                                                                        Increases
                                                                                                         total vehicle loss.
                                               servicing, credit cards, debt collection,                                                                          Regulation Z, as revised to implement
                                               mortgage servicing, payday lending,                       2.1.2 Repossessions                                   the Card Accountability Responsibility
                                               and, for the first time, small business                      Many auto servicers provide options                and Disclosure (CARD) Act, requires
                                               lending.                                                  to consumers to avoid repossession once               credit card issuers to periodically re-
                                                                                                         a loan is delinquent or in default.                   evaluate consumer credit card accounts
                                               2.1 Automobile Loan Servicing
                                                                                                         Servicers may offer formal extension                  subjected to certain increases in the
                                                 The Bureau continues to examine                         agreements that allow consumers to                    applicable Annual Percentage Rate(s)
                                               auto loan servicing activities, primarily                 forbear payments for a certain period of              (APR or rate) to assess whether it is
                                               to assess whether servicers have                          time or may cancel a repossession order               appropriate to reduce the account’s
                                               engaged in unfair, deceptive, or abusive                  once a consumer makes a payment.                      APR(s).3 Issuers must first re-evaluate
                                               acts or practices prohibited by the                          One or more recent examinations                    each such account no later than six
                                               Consumer Financial Protection Act of                      found that servicers repossessed                      months after the rate increase and at
                                               2010 (CFPA). Recent auto loan servicing                   vehicles after the repossession was                   least every six months thereafter.4 In re-
                                               examinations identified deceptive and                     supposed to be cancelled. In these                    evaluating each account, the issuer must
                                               unfair acts or practices related to billing               instances, the servicers incorrectly                  apply either (a) the factors on which the
                                               statements and wrongful repossessions.                    coded the account as remaining                        rate increase was originally based or (b)
                                                                                                         delinquent or customer service                        the factors the issuer currently considers
                                               2.1.1 Billing Statements Showing Paid-
                                                                                                         representatives did not timely cancel                 when determining the APR applicable
                                               Ahead Status After Applying Insurance
                                                                                                         the repossession order after the                      to similar, new consumer credit card
                                               Proceeds
                                                                                                         consumer’s agreement with the servicers               accounts.5
                                                  One or more examinations observed                      to avoid repossession. The examinations                  One or more examinations between
                                               instances in which notes required that                    identified this as an unfair practice.2               January and July 2018 found that
                                               insurance proceeds from a total vehicle                   The practice of wrongfully repossessing               entities: (a) Failed to re-evaluate all
                                               loss be applied as a one-time payment                     vehicles causes substantial injury                    eligible accounts, (b) failed to consider
                                               to the loan with any remaining balance                    because it deprives borrowers of the use              the appropriate factors when re-
                                               to be collected according to the                          of their vehicles and potentially leads to            evaluating eligible accounts, or (c) failed
                                               consumer’s regular billing schedule.                      additional associated harm, such as lost              to appropriately reduce the rates of
                                               However, in some instances after                          wages and adverse credit reporting.                   accounts eligible for rate reduction. In
                                               consumers experienced a total vehicle                     Such injury is not reasonably avoidable               one or more instances, the issuers failed
                                               loss, the servicers sent billing                          when consumers take action they                       to re-evaluate all eligible accounts
                                               statements showing that the insurance                     believed would halt the repossession                  because they inadvertently excluded
                                               proceeds had been applied to the loan                     and there is no additional action the                 some eligible accounts from the pool of
                                               payments so that the loan was paid                        borrower can take to prevent it. Finally,             accounts they re-evaluated. In one or
                                               ahead and that the next payment on the                    the injury is not outweighed by                       more instances, the issuers failed to
                                               remaining balance was due many                            countervailing benefits to the consumer               consider the appropriate factors because
                                               months or years in the future. Servicers                  or to competition. No benefits to                     they inappropriately conflated re-
                                               then treated consumers who failed to                      competition are apparent from                         evaluation factors, among other reasons.
                                               pay by the next month as late and in                      erroneous repossessions. And the                      In one or more instances, the issuers
                                               some cases also reported the negative                     expense to better monitor repossession                failed to appropriately reduce the rates
                                               information to consumer reporting                         activity is unlikely to be substantial                for eligible accounts because they
                                               agencies.                                                 enough to affect institutional operations             effectively imposed additional criteria
                                                  The examination found that servicers                   or pricing. In response to the                        for a rate reduction. The issuers have
                                               engaged in a deceptive practice by                        examination findings, the servicers are               undertaken, or developed plans to
                                               sending billing statements indicating                     stopping the practice, reviewing the                  undertake, remedial and corrective
                                               that consumers did not need to make a                     accounts of consumers affected by a                   actions in response to these examination
                                               payment until a future date when in fact                  wrongful repossession, and removing or                findings.
                                               the consumer needed to make a monthly                     remediating all repossession-related
                                               payment.1 The billing statements                          fees.                                                 2.3 Debt Collection
                                               contained due dates inconsistent with                                                                             The Bureau’s Supervision program
                                               the note and the servicer’s insurance                     2.2 Credit Cards
                                                                                                                                                               has authority to examine certain entities
                                               payment application. Such information                       The Bureau continues to examine the
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                                                               that engage in consumer debt collection
                                               would mislead reasonable consumers to                     credit card account management                        activities, including nonbanks that are
                                               think they did not need to make the                       operations of one or more supervised                  larger participants in the consumer debt
                                               next monthly payment. The                                 entities. Typically, examinations assess              collection market. Recent examinations
                                               misrepresentation is material because it                  advertising and marketing, account
                                               likely affected consumers’ conduct with                   origination, account servicing, payments                3 12 CFR 1026.59(a).
                                                                                                                                                                 4 12 CFR 1026.59(c).
                                                 1 12   U.S.C. 5531, 5536.                                 2 Id.                                                 5 12 CFR 1026.59(d)(1).




                                          VerDate Sep<11>2014     17:28 Oct 17, 2018   Jkt 247001   PO 00000   Frm 00018   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM   18OCN1


                                               52818                          Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2018 / Notices

                                               of larger participants identified one or                  modifications into permanent                          by maintaining communication with
                                               more violations of the Fair Debt                          modifications in a timely manner.9 Such               consumers during the delay and by
                                               Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).6                        delays may harm consumers when                        proactively remediating individual
                                                                                                         interest accrues at a higher non-                     consumers for the costs associated with
                                               2.3.1 Failure To Obtain and Mail Debt
                                                                                                         modified rate or when servicers report                the delay after eventually making the
                                               Verification Before Engaging in Further
                                                                                                         consumers as delinquent or still in trial             consumers’ modifications permanent.
                                               Collection Activities
                                                                                                         modifications to consumer reporting
                                                 Section 809(b) of the FDCPA requires                                                                          2.4.2 Charging Consumers
                                                                                                         agencies during the delay. Where a
                                               a debt collector, upon receipt of a                                                                             Unauthorized Amounts
                                                                                                         servicer does not provide full financial
                                               written debt validation request from a                    remediation to the consumer for such a                   One or more examinations found
                                               consumer, to cease collection of the debt                 delay, one or more examinations have                  instances in which mortgage servicers
                                               until it obtains verification of the debt                 identified an unfair practice.                        charged consumers more than the
                                               and mails it to the consumer.7                               One or more recent examinations                    amounts authorized by their loan
                                               Examinations found that one or more                       reviewed the practices of servicers with              modification agreements. The
                                               debt collectors routinely failed to mail                  policies providing for permanent                      overcharges were caused by data errors
                                               debt verifications before engaging in                     modifications of loans if consumers                   affecting the modified loan’s starting
                                               further collections activities. Instead,                  made four timely trial modification                   balance, step-rate and interest-rate
                                               one or more debt collectors forwarded                     payments. However, for nearly 300                     changes, deferred interest, and
                                               consumer debt validation requests to                      consumers who successfully completed                  amortization maturity date when the
                                               originating creditors; the creditors then                 the trial modification, the servicers                 loan was entered into the servicing
                                               reviewed the debts and mailed                             delayed processing the permanent                      system. The examinations identified
                                               responses directly to consumers. One or                   modification for more than 30 days.                   this as an unfair practice.11 The
                                               more debt collectors accepted creditor                    During these delays, consumers accrued                overcharges resulted in substantial
                                               determinations that the debt was owed                     interest and fees that would not have                 injury to consumers when consumers
                                               by the relevant consumer for the amount                   been accrued if the permanent                         made payments higher than those
                                               claimed without receiving information                     modification had been processed. The                  stipulated in the modification
                                               verifying the debt and without mailing                    servicers did not remediate all of the                agreements or when they made
                                               the required verification to consumers.                   affected consumers nor did they have                  payments for a term longer than
                                               One or more debt collectors then                          policies or procedures for remediating                stipulated in the modification
                                               continued collection activities on                        consumers in such circumstances. The                  agreements. Consumers could not
                                               accounts in violation of section 809(b)                   servicers attributed the modification                 reasonably avoid this injury, which was
                                               of the FDCPA.8 In response to these                       delays to insufficient staffing.                      caused by errors in the servicers’
                                               examination findings, one or more debt                       As a result, one or more examinations              systems. The injury to consumers is not
                                               collectors are revising their debt                        identified an unfair act or practice.                 outweighed by any countervailing
                                               validation policies, procedures, and                      Consumers experienced substantial                     benefits to consumers or to competition.
                                               practices to ensure both that they obtain                 injury that could not be reasonably                   No benefits to competition are apparent
                                               appropriate verification of the debt                      avoided. The accrued fees and interest                from the systemic errors that resulted in
                                               when requested and that they mail the                     that the servicers failed to fully                    erroneous billing statements. And the
                                               verification to consumers prior to                        remediate were likely significant                     expense of instituting validation
                                               engaging in further collection activities.                because the delays were more than 30                  procedures for loan-modification data is
                                                                                                         days. And consumers could not                         unlikely to be substantial enough to
                                               2.4 Mortgage Servicing                                    reasonably avoid these injuries. They                 affect institutional operations or pricing.
                                                  Bureau examinations continue to                        could neither control the processing of               In response to the examination findings,
                                               focus on the loss mitigation process and,                 their loan modifications nor compel                   the servicers are remediating affected
                                               in particular, on how servicers handle                    remediation from the servicers. The                   consumers and correcting loan
                                               trial modifications where consumers are                   harm to consumers outweighs the cost                  modification terms in their systems.
                                               paying as agreed. One or more recent                      to consumers or to competition, given
                                                                                                         that the servicers acknowledged that the              2.4.3 Representations Regarding
                                               mortgage servicing examinations                                                                                 Initiation of Foreclosure
                                               observed unfair acts or practices relating                delay was in error and did not indicate
                                               to conversion of trial modifications to                   that the cost of remediation was                         When one or more mortgage servicers
                                               permanent status and initiation of                        burdensome. In response to examination                approved borrowers for a loss mitigation
                                               foreclosures after consumers accepted                     findings, the servicers are fully                     option on a non-primary residence, the
                                               loss mitigation offers. Recent                            remediating affected consumers and                    servicers represented to borrowers that
                                               examinations also identified unfair acts                  developing and implementing policies                  the servicers would not initiate
                                               or practices when institutions charged                    and procedures to timely convert trial                foreclosure if the borrower accepted loss
                                               consumers amounts not authorized by                       modifications to permanent                            mitigation offers in writing or by phone
                                               modification agreements or by mortgage                    modifications where the consumers                     by a specified date. However, the
                                               notes.                                                    have met the trial modification                       servicers then initiated foreclosure even
                                                                                                         conditions.10                                         if borrowers had called or written to
                                               2.4.1 Converting Trial Modifications to                      In September 2017, examinations also               accept the loss mitigation offers by that
                                               Permanent Status                                          found that one or more servicers                      date. Examinations identified this as a
                                                                                                         mitigated the potential consumer harm
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES




                                                 Past editions of Supervisory                                                                                  deceptive act or practice.
                                               Highlights discussed how one or more                      associated with trial conversion delays                  The misrepresentations were likely to
                                               servicers failed to place consumers who                                                                         mislead borrowers when the servicers
                                               successfully completed trial
                                                                                                           9 See, e.g., Issue 11 of Supervisory Highlights,
                                                                                                                                                               expressly indicated that the servicers
                                                                                                         section 3.2, available at, https://                   would not initiate foreclosure
                                                                                                         www.consumerfinance.gov/documents/509/
                                                 6 15    U.S.C. 1692–1692p.                              Mortgage_Servicing_Supervisory_Highlights_11_         proceedings if borrowers accepted the
                                                 7 15    U.S.C. 1692g(b).                                Final_web_.pdf.
                                                 8 Id.                                                     10 12 U.S.C. 5531, 5536.                              11 12   U.S.C. 5531, 5536.



                                          VerDate Sep<11>2014     17:28 Oct 17, 2018   Jkt 247001   PO 00000   Frm 00019   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM    18OCN1


                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2018 / Notices                                          52819

                                               loss mitigation offers. The borrowers’                    repossess or were likely to repossess                 consumers pursuant to clear and readily
                                               interpretation of the misrepresentations                  consumers’ vehicles. The                              understandable terms, the unfair acts or
                                               was reasonable in this circumstance,                      representations were material because                 practices likely harmed competition.13
                                               i.e., that the servicers would not initiate               they were likely to affect the behavior of              With respect to loans for which the
                                               foreclosure after the borrowers accepted                  consumers who were misled. The                        consumer entered into preauthorized
                                               the loss mitigation offers. The                           representations were likely to induce                 EFTs that recurred at substantially
                                               misrepresentations were material                          consumers to make payments to these                   regular intervals, the examinations
                                               because they were likely to prompt                        entities, as opposed to allocating their              identified this practice as a violation of
                                               borrowers to accept the loss mitigation                   funds toward other expenses. In                       Regulation E, which requires that
                                               offers to avoid the initiation of                         response to the examination findings,                 preauthorized EFTs from a consumer’s
                                               foreclosure proceedings.                                  the entity or entities are ensuring that              account be authorized only by a writing
                                                                                                         their collection letters do not contain               signed or similarly authenticated by the
                                               2.4.4 Representations Regarding
                                                                                                         deceptive content.                                    consumer.14 Here, the loan agreements
                                               Foreclosure Sales
                                                                                                         2.5.2 Debiting Consumers’ Accounts                    and EFT authorization forms failed to
                                                  Examinations observed that when                                                                              provide clear and readily
                                               borrowers submitted complete loss                         Without Valid Authorization by Using
                                                                                                         Account Information Previously                        understandable terms regarding the
                                               mitigation applications less than 37                                                                            entities’ use of debit card numbers or
                                               days from a scheduled foreclosure sale                    Provided for Other Purposes
                                                                                                                                                               ACH credentials that consumers
                                               date, one or more servicers sent the                         Examinations observed one or more                  provided for other purposes.
                                               borrowers notices indicating that the                     entities using debit card numbers or                  Accordingly, the entities did not obtain
                                               applications were complete and stating                    Automated Clearing House (ACH)                        valid preauthorized EFT authorizations
                                               that the servicer(s) would notify the                     credentials that consumers had not                    for the debits they initiated using debit
                                               borrowers of the decision on the                          validly authorized the entities to use to             card numbers or ACH credentials
                                               applications in writing within 30 days.                   debit funds in connection with a single-              consumers provided for other purposes.
                                               But after sending these notices, the                      payment or installment loan in default.                 In response to examination findings,
                                               servicers proceeded to conduct the                        Upon a consumer’s failure to repay the                the entity or entities are ceasing the
                                               scheduled foreclosure sales without                       loan obligation as agreed, one or more                violations, remediating borrowers
                                               making a decision on the borrowers’                       entities attempted to initiate electronic             impacted by the invalid EFTs, and
                                               loss mitigation applications.                             fund transfers (EFTs) using debit card                revising loan agreement templates and
                                                  The examinations did not find that                     numbers or ACH credentials that                       ACH authorization forms.
                                               this conduct amounted to a legal                          borrowers had identified on
                                               violation but observed that it could pose                 authorization forms executed in                       2.6 Small Business Lending
                                               a risk of a deceptive practice. The                       connection with the defaulted loan at                   The Equal Credit Opportunity Act
                                               notices could potentially mislead                         issue. If those attempts were                         (ECOA) prohibition against
                                               borrowers by stating that the borrowers                   unsuccessful, the entities would then                 discrimination is not limited to
                                               would receive a decision on their loss                    seek to collect balances due and owing                consumer transactions; it also applies to
                                               mitigation applications. Borrowers                        via EFTs using debit card numbers or                  business-purpose credit transactions,
                                               reasonably could take that statement to                   ACH credentials that the borrowers had                including credit extended to small
                                               mean that foreclosure sales would be                      supplied to the entities for other                    businesses. In 2016 and 2017, the
                                               postponed until a decision was reached.                   purposes, such as when obtaining other                Bureau began conducting supervision
                                                                                                         loans or making one-time payments on                  work to assess ECOA compliance in
                                               2.5 Payday Lending                                        other loans or the loan at issue. Through             institutions’ small business lending
                                                 The Bureau’s Supervision program                        these invalidly authorized EFTs, the                  product lines, focusing in particular on
                                               covers entities that offer or provide                     entities sought payment of up to the                  the risks of an ECOA violation in
                                               payday loans. Examinations of payday                      entire amount due on the loan.                        underwriting, pricing, and redlining.
                                               lenders identified unfair and deceptive                      The examinations identified these as               The Bureau anticipates an ongoing
                                               acts or practices as well as violations of                unfair acts or practices and also, in                 dialogue with supervised institutions
                                               Regulation E.12                                           some cases, as violations of Regulation               and other stakeholders as the Bureau
                                                                                                         E. With respect to unfairness, the                    moves forward with supervision work
                                               2.5.1 Misleading Collection Letters                       invalidly authorized debits caused                    in small business lending.
                                                 Examinations observed one or more                       substantial injury in the form of debits
                                               entities engaging in a deceptive act or                   that consumers could not anticipate,                  2.6.1 Supervisory Observations
                                               practice in their collection letters. These               leading to potential fees. Because the                   In the course of conducting ECOA
                                               entities represented in their letters that                credentials were provided to the entities             small business lending reviews, Bureau
                                               they will, or may have no choice but to,                  for other purposes, such as account                   examination teams have observed
                                               repossess consumers’ vehicles if the                      information consumers provided in                     instances in which one or more
                                               consumers fail to make payments or                        previous credit applications, consumers               financial institutions effectively
                                               contact the entities. This was despite                    could not anticipate that the entities                managed the risks of an ECOA violation
                                               the fact that these entities did not have                 would use them for the defaulted loan                 in their small business lending
                                               business relationships with any party to                  at issue and thus could not reasonably                programs.
                                               repossess vehicles and, as a general                      avoid such injury. Finally, the injury                   Examinations at one or more
                                               matter, did not repossess vehicles.                       was not outweighed by any
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                                                               institutions observed that the board of
                                               Given these facts, the examination                        countervailing benefits to consumers,                 directors and management maintained
                                               concluded that the net impression of                      such as satisfying their debts, or to                 active oversight over the institutions’
                                               these representations in the context of                   competition, such as passing on lower                 compliance management system (CMS)
                                               each letter was to mislead consumers to                   costs to consumers derived from easier                framework. Institutions developed and
                                               believe that these entities would                         debt collection. By giving an unfair
                                                                                                         advantage over other entities that obtain               13 12   U.S.C. 5531, 5536.
                                                 12 12   CFR 1005.10(b).                                 authorization to initiate debits from                   14 12   CFR 1005.10(b).



                                          VerDate Sep<11>2014     17:28 Oct 17, 2018   Jkt 247001   PO 00000   Frm 00020   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM    18OCN1


                                               52820                       Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2018 / Notices

                                               implemented comprehensive risk-                         methodologies. After the Bank promptly                transition, superseding the single-
                                               focused policies and procedures for                     self-disclosed the violations, the Bureau             billing-cycle exemption included in the
                                               small business lending originations and                 ultimately found through its supervisory              2016 rule. The effective date for the rule
                                               actively addressed the risks of an ECOA                 process that Citibank violated TILA by                was April 19, 2018.17
                                               violation by conducting periodic                        failing to reevaluate and reduce the
                                                                                                                                                             3.2.2 2017–2018 Amendments of the
                                               reviews of small business lending                       APRs for approximately 1.75 million
                                                                                                                                                             TILA–RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule
                                               policies and procedures and by revising                 consumer credit card accounts and
                                               those policies and procedures as                        thereby imposed on those accounts                        On August 11, 2017, the Bureau
                                               necessary. Examinations also observed                   excess interest charges of $335 million.              published a final rule 18 in the Federal
                                               that one or more institutions maintained                   Under the terms of the resulting                   Register amending the Federal mortgage
                                               a record of policy and procedure                        consent order, Citibank was required to               disclosure requirements under the Real
                                               updates to ensure that they were kept                   correct these practices and pay $335                  Estate Settlement Procedures Act
                                               current.                                                million in restitution to the impacted                (RESPA) and the Truth in Lending Act
                                                  With regard to self-monitoring, one or               consumers.15 The Bureau did not assess                (TILA) as implemented by Regulation Z
                                               more institutions implemented small                     civil money penalties based on a                      (2017 TILA–RESPA Rule). These
                                               business lending monitoring programs                    number of factors, including Citibank’s               amendments are intended to provide
                                               and conducted semi-annual ECOA risk                     self-identifying and self-reporting the               greater certainty and clarity to the 2013
                                               assessments that include assessments of                 violations to the Bureau and its self-                TILA–RESPA Rule, which went into
                                               small business lending. In addition, one                initiating remediation to affected                    effect on October 3, 2015. Changes and
                                               or more institutions actively monitored                 consumers.                                            clarifications in the 2017 TILA–RESPA
                                               pricing-exception practices and volume                                                                        Rule include creating a tolerance for the
                                                                                                       3.1.2    Triton Management Group                      total of payments disclosure, clarifying
                                               through a committee.
                                                  When examinations included file                         On July 19, 2018, the Bureau entered               the partial exemption for housing
                                               reviews of manual underwriting                          into a consent order with Triton                      assistance lending, expanding coverage
                                               overrides at one or more institutions,                  Management Group, Inc., a payday                      of the disclosure rule to include
                                               they found that credit decisions made                   lender that operates in Alabama,                      operative units regardless of whether
                                               by the institutions were consistent with                Mississippi, and South Carolina under                 State law considers the units real
                                               the requirements of ECOA, and thus the                  several names including ‘‘Always                      property or personal property, and
                                               examinations did not find any                           Money’’ and ‘‘Quik Pawn Shop.’’ The                   clarifying when disclosures may be
                                               violations of ECOA.                                     Bureau found that Triton violated the                 shared with third parties. Additionally,
                                                  At one or more institutions, however,                CFPA and the disclosure requirements                  the 2017 TILA–RESPA Rule includes
                                               examinations observed that institutions                 of TILA by failing to properly disclose               several additional clarifications and
                                               collect and maintain (in useable form)                  finance charges associated with their                 technical changes addressing various
                                               only limited data on small business                     auto title loans in Mississippi. The                  parts of the 2013 TILA–RESPA Rule,
                                               lending decisions. Limited availability                 Bureau also found that Triton used                    including the calculating cash to close
                                               of data could impede an institution’s                   advertisements that failed to disclose                table, construction-to-permanent
                                               ability to monitor and test for the risks               the annual percentage rate and other                  lending, principal reductions, rounding
                                               of ECOA violations through statistical                  information in violation of TILA. The                 requirements, and simultaneous second
                                               analyses.                                               consent order bars Triton from                        lien loans. The 2017 TILA–RESPA Rule
                                                                                                       misrepresenting the costs of its loans                became effective October 10, 2017.
                                               3. Remedial Actions                                     and requires Triton to remediate                      However, compliance with the 2017
                                               3.1     Public Enforcement Actions                      consumers $1,522,298. Based on                        TILA–RESPA Rule is mandatory only
                                                                                                       Triton’s inability to pay, it will                    with respect to transactions for which a
                                                 The Bureau’s supervisory activities
                                                                                                       remediate consumers $500,000.16                       creditor or mortgage broker receives an
                                               resulted in or supported the following
                                                                                                                                                             application on or after October 1, 2018
                                               public enforcement actions.                             Supervision Program Developments
                                                                                                                                                             (except for compliance with the escrow
                                               3.1.1    Citibank N.A.                                  3.2     Recent Bureau Rules and Guidance              cancellation notice 19 and compliance
                                                 On June 29, 2018, the Bureau                          3.2.1 Mortgage Servicing Final Rule                   with the partial payment policy
                                               announced an enforcement action                                                                               disclosure requirements,20 which will
                                                                                                          On March 8, 2018, the Bureau issued                become mandatory on October 1, 2018,
                                               against Citibank, N.A., (Citibank or                    a final rule to help mortgage servicers
                                               Bank). The Bureau found Citibank                                                                              regardless of when an application was
                                                                                                       communicate with certain borrowers                    received).
                                               violated the Truth in Lending Act                       facing bankruptcy. The final rule gives                  On May 2, 2018, the Bureau
                                               (TILA) and its implementing regulation,                 mortgage servicers a clearer and more                 published a final rule in the Federal
                                               Regulation Z, by failing to properly                    straightforward standard for providing                Register amending the Federal mortgage
                                               periodically re-evaluate and reduce the                 periodic statements to consumers                      disclosure requirements to address
                                               Annual Percentage Rates (rates)                         entering or exiting bankruptcy by                     when a creditor may use a Closing
                                               applicable to credit card accounts that                 amending the Bureau’s 2016 mortgage                   Disclosure to determine if an estimated
                                               had been subject to certain rate                        servicing rule. Specifically, the final               closing cost was disclosed in good faith
                                               increases between 2011 and 2017 and                     rule provides a clear single-statement
                                               by failing to have in place reasonable                  exemption for servicers to make the                     17 See Mortgage Service Rules under the Truth in
                                               written policies and procedures to do
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                                                             Lending Act (Regulation Z), 83 FR 10553 (Mar. 8,
                                               so.                                                       15 See Citibank Consent Order available at,         2018), https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/
                                                 In 2016, Citibank initiated a                         https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/             documents/cfpb_mortgage-servicing_final-rule_
                                               significant compliance review program                   newsroom/bureau-consumer-financial-protection-        2018-amendments.pdf.
                                                                                                                                                               18 Amendments to Federal Mortgage Disclosure
                                               across its credit cards line of business.               settles-citibank-na/.
                                                                                                         16 See Triton Management Group Consent Order        Requirements under the Truth in Lending Act
                                               That review led to Citibank’s self-                     available at, https://www.consumerfinance.gov/        (Regulation Z), 82 FR (Aug. 11, 2017).
                                               identifying several deficiencies and                    about-us/newsroom/bureau-consumer-financial-            19 12 CFR 1026.20(e).

                                               errors in its rate re-evaluation                        protection-settles-triton-management-group/.            20 12 CFR 1026.39(d)(5).




                                          VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:28 Oct 17, 2018   Jkt 247001   PO 00000   Frm 00021   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM   18OCN1


                                                                           Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2018 / Notices                                                  52821

                                               and within tolerance (2018 TILA–                           On July 5, 2018, the Bureau provided               3.3.2 Small Business Lending Review
                                               RESPA Rule).21 The 2013 TILA–RESPA                      the following statement regarding recent              Procedures
                                               Rule in effect as of October 3, 2015                    HMDA amendments:                                        Each ECOA small business lending
                                               included a timing restriction limiting                     The President signed the Economic                  review includes a fair lending
                                               the use of the Closing Disclosure to reset              Growth, Regulatory Relief, and                        assessment of the institution’s CMS
                                               tolerances to a period relative to the                  Consumer Protection Act (the Act) on                  related to small business lending. To
                                               date of consummation, resulting in a                    May 24, 2018, a section of which                      conduct this portion of the review,
                                               creditor’s inability to pass through                    amends the Home Mortgage Disclosure                   examinations use Module II of the
                                               closing cost increases 22 to the consumer               Act (HMDA). The Act provides partial                  ECOA Baseline Review Modules. CMS
                                               in certain limited circumstances. The                   exemptions for some insured depository                reviews include assessments of the
                                               2018 TILA–RESPA Rule removes this                       institutions and insured credit unions                institution’s board and management
                                               timing restriction, permitting the use of               from certain HMDA requirements.24 The                 oversight, compliance program (policies
                                               the Closing Disclosure to establish good                partial exemptions are generally                      and procedures, training, monitoring
                                               faith and reset tolerances regardless of                available to insured depository                       and/or audit, and complaint response),
                                               when the Closing Disclosure is provided                 institutions and insured credit unions:               and service provider oversight.
                                               relative to consummation. The final rule                   D For closed-end mortgage loans if the               Examinations also use the Interagency
                                               took effect on June 1, 2018.                            institution originated fewer than 500                 Fair Lending Examination Procedures,
                                                                                                       closed-end mortgage loans in each of the              which have been adopted in the
                                               3.3   Fair Lending Developments                                                                               Bureau’s Supervision and Examination
                                                                                                       two preceding calendar years.
                                               3.3.1 HMDA Implementation and New                          D For open-end lines of credit if the              Manual. In some ECOA small business
                                               Data Submission Platform                                institution originated fewer than 500                 lending reviews, examination teams
                                                                                                       open-end lines of credit in each of the               may evaluate an institution’s fair
                                                  On December 21, 2017, the Bureau                                                                           lending risks and controls related to
                                                                                                       two preceding calendar years.
                                               provided the following statement                                                                              origination or pricing of small business
                                               regarding HMDA implementation:                             For closed-end mortgage loans or
                                                                                                                                                             lending products. Some reviews may
                                                                                                       open-end lines of credit subject to the
                                                  Recognizing the impending January 1,                                                                       include a geographic distribution
                                                                                                       partial exemptions, the Act states that
                                               2018 effective date of the Bureau’s                                                                           analysis of small business loan
                                                                                                       the ‘‘requirements of [HMDA section
                                               amendments to Regulation C and the                                                                            applications, originations, loan officers,
                                                                                                       304(b)(5) and (6)]’’ shall not apply.
                                               significant systems and operational                                                                           or marketing and outreach, in order to
                                                                                                       Accordingly, for these transactions,
                                               challenges needed to adjust to the                                                                            assess potential redlining risk.
                                                                                                       those institutions are exempt from the                  As with other in-depth ECOA
                                               revised regulation, for HMDA data                       collection, recording, and reporting
                                               collected in 2018 and reported in 2019                                                                        reviews, ECOA small business lending
                                                                                                       requirements for some, but not all, of                reviews may include statistical analysis
                                               the Bureau does not intend to require                   the data points specified in current
                                               data resubmission unless data errors are                                                                      of lending data in order to identify fair
                                                                                                       Regulation C.                                         lending risks and appropriate areas of
                                               material. Furthermore, the Bureau does
                                                                                                          The Bureau expects to provide further              focus during the examination. Notably,
                                               not intend to assess penalties with
                                                                                                       guidance soon on the applicability of                 statistical analysis is only one factor
                                               respect to errors in data collected in
                                                                                                       the Act to HMDA data collected in                     taken into account by examination
                                               2018 and reported in 2019. Collection
                                                                                                       2018.25                                               teams that review small business
                                               and submission of the 2018 HMDA data
                                               will provide financial institutions an                     For all institutions filing HMDA data              lending for ECOA compliance. Reviews
                                               opportunity to identify any gaps in their               collected in 2018, the Act will not affect            typically include other methodologies to
                                               implementation of amended Regulation                    the format of the LARs:                               assess compliance, including policy and
                                               C and make improvements in their                           D LARs will be formatted according to              procedure reviews, interviews with
                                               HMDA CMS for future years. Any                          the previously released 2018 Filing                   management and staff, and reviews of
                                               examinations of 2018 HMDA data will                     Instructions Guide for HMDA Data                      individual loan files.
                                               be diagnostic to help institutions                      Collected in 2018 (2018 FIG).26                       3.3.3 FFIEC HMDA Examiner
                                               identify compliance weaknesses and                         D If an institution does not report                Transaction Testing Guidelines Effective
                                               will credit good faith compliance                       information for a certain data field due              Date
                                               efforts. The Bureau intends to engage in                to the Act’s partial exemptions, the
                                                                                                                                                               On August 22, 2017, the Federal
                                               a rulemaking to reconsider various                      institution will enter an exemption code
                                                                                                                                                             Financial Institutions Examination
                                               aspects of the 2015 HMDA Rule such as                   for the field specified in a revised 2018
                                                                                                                                                             Council (FFIEC) members, including the
                                               the institutional and transactional                     FIG that the Bureau expects to release
                                                                                                                                                             Bureau, announced new FFIEC Home
                                               coverage tests and the rule’s                           later this summer.
                                                                                                                                                             Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA)
                                               discretionary data points. For data                        D All LARs will be submitted to the                Examiner Transaction Testing
                                               collected in 2017, financial institutions               same HMDA Platform. A beta version of                 Guidelines for all financial institutions
                                               will submit their reports in 2018 in                    the HMDA Platform for submission of                   that report HMDA data.27 The
                                               accordance with the current Regulation                  data collected in 2018 will be available              Guidelines apply to the examination of
                                               C using the Bureau’s HMDA Platform.23                   later this year for filers to test.                   HMDA data collected beginning in
                                                 21 Federal Mortgage Disclosure Requirements             24 Public Law 115–174, section 104(a) (to be           27 The Guidelines were published by the FFIEC
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES




                                               under the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z), 83       codified at 12 U.S.C. 2803).                          member agencies including the Bureau, the Federal
                                               FR 19159 (May 2, 2018).                                   25 The partial exemptions are not available to
                                                                                                                                                             Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Board of
                                                 22 12 CFR 1026.19(e)(3)(iv).                          insured depository institutions that do not meet      Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the
                                                 23 CFPB Issues Public Statement on Home               certain Community Reinvestment Act performance        National Credit Union Administration, the Office of
                                               Mortgage Disclosure Act Compliance (December 21,        evaluation rating standards. Guidance will include    the Comptroller of the Currency, and the State
                                               2017), available at https://                            information on how this provision will be             Liaison Committee. These new Guidelines are
                                               www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/              implemented.                                          available at https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/
                                               cfpb-issues-public-statement-home-mortgage-               26 https://s3.amazonaws.com/cfpb-hmda-public/       documents/201708_cfpb_ffiec-hmda-examiner-
                                               disclosure-act-compliance/.                             prod/help/2018-hmda-fig.pdf.                          transaction-testing-guidelines.pdf.



                                          VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:28 Oct 17, 2018   Jkt 247001   PO 00000   Frm 00022   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM   18OCN1


                                               52822                       Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 202 / Thursday, October 18, 2018 / Notices

                                               2018, which financial institutions must                 accessible resource for information on                    • Presentation on Physics Case for an
                                               report to the Bureau by March 1, 2019.28                the Bureau’s guidance documents.                            Electron Ion Collider
                                                                                                         Dated: September 6, 2018.                               • Presentation on Quantum
                                               3.3.4 Upstart No-Action Letter
                                                                                                       Mick Mulvaney,
                                                                                                                                                                   Information Science and Nuclear
                                                  The Bureau is continuing to monitor                                                                              Physics
                                               Upstart Network, Inc. (Upstart)                         Acting Director, Bureau of Consumer
                                               regarding its compliance with the terms                 Protection.                                               Note: The NSAC Meeting will be broadcast
                                               of the no-action letter (NAL) it received               [FR Doc. 2018–22726 Filed 10–17–18; 8:45 am]           live on the internet. You may find out how
                                               from Bureau staff. As part of its request               BILLING CODE 4810–AM–P                                 to access the broadcast by going to the
                                               for a NAL, Upstart agreed to conduct                                                                           following site prior to the start of the
                                                                                                                                                              meeting. A video record of the meeting,
                                               ongoing fair lending testing of its
                                                                                                                                                              including presentations that are made, will
                                               underwriting model, notify the Bureau                   DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY                                   be archived at this site after the meeting
                                               before new variables are considered                                                                            ends: http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/
                                               eligible for use in production, and                     DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory                       DOE/181102/.
                                               maintain a robust model-related                         Committee                                                 Public Participation: The meeting is open
                                               compliance management system.                                                                                  to the public. If you would like to file a
                                                  In addition to the ongoing fair lending              AGENCY: Office of Science, Department                  written statement with the Committee, you
                                               testing discussed above, Upstart agreed                 of Energy.                                             may do so either before or after the meeting.
                                               as part of its request for a NAL to                     ACTION: Notice of open meeting.                        If you would like to make oral statements
                                               employ other consumer safeguards.                                                                              regarding any of these items on the agenda,
                                                                                                       SUMMARY:   This notice announces a                     you should contact Brenda L. May, 301–903–
                                               These safeguards, which are described
                                               in the application materials posted on                  meeting of the DOE/NSF Nuclear                         0536 or Brenda.May@science.doe.gov (email).
                                                                                                       Science Advisory Committee (NSAC).                     You must make your request for an oral
                                               the Bureau’s website, include ensuring                                                                         statement at least five business days before
                                               compliance with requirements to                         The Federal Advisory Committee Act
                                                                                                       requires that public notice of these                   the meeting. Reasonable provision will be
                                               provide adverse action notices under                                                                           made to include the scheduled oral
                                               Regulation B and the Fair Credit                        meetings be announced in the Federal
                                                                                                                                                              statements on the agenda. The Chairperson of
                                               Reporting Act and its implementing                      Register.                                              the Committee will conduct the meeting to
                                               regulation, Regulation V, and ensuring                  DATES: Friday, November 2, 2018; 8:30                  facilitate the orderly conduct of business.
                                               that all of its consumer-facing                         a.m.–4:30 p.m.                                         Public comment will follow the 10-minute
                                               communications are timely, transparent,                 ADDRESSES: Crystal City Marriott at                    rule.
                                                                                                                                                                 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting will
                                               and clear, and use plain language to                    Reagan National Airport, 1999 Jefferson
                                                                                                                                                              be available for review after 60 days on the
                                               convey to consumers the type of                         Davis Highway, Potomac Ballroom,                       U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of
                                               information that will be used in                        Arlington, Virginia 22202, 703–413–                    Nuclear Physics website at: http://
                                               underwriting. Upstart has committed to                  5500.                                                  science.gov/np/nsac/meetings/.
                                               monitoring the effectiveness of all                     FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                               safeguards and sharing the results of its                                                                        Signed in Washington, DC on October 4,
                                                                                                       Brenda L. May, U.S. Department of                      2018.
                                               testing, along with other relevant                      Energy; SC–26/Germantown Building,
                                               information, with the Bureau during the                                                                        LaTanya Butler,
                                                                                                       1000 Independence Avenue SW,
                                               term of the NAL.                                        Washington, DC 20585–1290;                             Deputy Committee Management Officer.
                                                  On July 18, 2018, the Bureau                                                                                [FR Doc. 2018–22734 Filed 10–17–18; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                       Telephone: 301–903–0536 or email:
                                               announced the creation of its Office of
                                                                                                       brenda.may@science.doe.gov.                            BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
                                               Innovation, to foster consumer-friendly
                                                                                                         The most current information
                                               innovation, which is now a key priority
                                                                                                       concerning this meeting can be found
                                               for the Bureau. The Office of Innovation                                                                       DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
                                                                                                       on the website: http://science.gov/np/
                                               is in the process of revising the Bureau’s
                                                                                                       nsac/meetings/.                                        Distribution of Residual Citronelle
                                               NAL and trial disclosure policies, in
                                               order to increase participation by                      SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                             Settlement Agreement Funds
                                               companies seeking to advance new                          Purpose of the Board: The purpose of
                                                                                                       the Board is to provide advice and                     AGENCY:  Office of Hearings and Appeals,
                                               products and services.
                                                                                                       guidance on a continuing basis to the                  Department of Energy.
                                               4. Conclusion                                           Department of Energy and the National                  ACTION: Implementation of special
                                                  The Bureau expects that the                          Science Foundation on scientific                       refund procedures.
                                               publication of Supervisory Highlights                   priorities within the field of basic
                                               will continue to aid Bureau-supervised                  nuclear science research.                              SUMMARY:   The Office of Hearings and
                                               entities in their efforts to comply with                  Tentative Agenda: Agenda will                        Appeals (OHA) of the Department of
                                               Federal consumer financial law. The                     include discussions of the following:                  Energy (DOE) finalizes the procedures
                                               report shares information regarding                                                                            for the disbursement of residual funds
                                               general supervisory and examination                     Friday, November 2, 2018                               (totaling approximately $59,000)
                                               findings (without identifying specific                        • Perspectives from Department of                remaining in various Citronelle
                                               institutions, except in the case of public                      Energy and National Science                    Settlement Agreement escrow accounts
                                               enforcement actions), communicates                              Foundation                                     to the parties to the Agreement.
                                               operational changes to the program, and                       • Update from the Department of                  DATES: This plan is applicable October
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES




                                               provides a convenient and easily                                Energy and National Science                    18, 2018.
                                                                                                               Foundation’s Nuclear Physics                   ADDRESSES: Inquiries should be sent to
                                                  28 For HMDA data collected in 2017 and                       Office                                         the Office of Hearings and Appeals, U.S.
                                               submitted in 2018, the Bureau will follow the                 • Presentation of the Mo–99 Charge               Department of Energy, 1000
                                               HMDA resubmission guidelines published on
                                               October 9, 2013 and available at http://
                                                                                                             • Presentation of the Committee of               Independence Ave. SW, Washington,
                                               files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201310_cfpb_hmda_                   Visitors Charge                                DC 20585–0107, (202) 287–1550, Email:
                                               resubmission-guidelines_fair-lending.pdf.                     • NSAC Business/Discussions                      kristin.martin@hq.doe.gov.


                                          VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:28 Oct 17, 2018   Jkt 247001   PO 00000    Frm 00023   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM   18OCN1



Document Created: 2018-10-18 03:05:40
Document Modified: 2018-10-18 03:05:40
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionSupervisory Highlights; notice.
DatesThe Bureau released this edition of the Supervisory Highlights
ContactAdetola Adenuga, Consumer Financial
FR Citation83 FR 52816 

2025 Federal Register | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
USC | CFR | eCFR