CFPB

CFPB: Natural Disaster Assistance Is Reported on a Minority of Credit Records Among Potentially Affected Consumers

Today the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) released the latest quarterly consumer credit trends report, this time focusing on the reporting of natural disasters in credit reports. This report explores how financial institutions furnish natural disaster assistance to credit reporting agencies, and summarizes trends in natural disaster reporting for consumers in the Greater Houston area…

Joint Release: Agencies Announce Threshold for Smaller Loan Exemption from Appraisal Requirements for Higher-Priced Mortgage Loans

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today announced that the threshold for exempting loans from special appraisal requirements for higher-priced mortgage loans during 2019 will increase from $26,000 to $26,700. The threshold amount will be effective Jan. 1, 2019, and is based…

CFPB: Three Ways to Enjoy the Holidays Without Going into Debt

The holidays are a time of giving, from traveling to see family and friends to shopping for gifts. For many people, all of this spending can add up quickly. During the 2017 holiday season, American credit card debt rose at the second-fastest pace in 10 years according to the Federal Reserve. You can ease some…

BCFP & FHFA: National Survey of Mortgage Originations Dataset Released for Public Use

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released for public use a new loan-level dataset collected through the National Survey of Mortgage Originations (NSMO) that provides insights into borrowers’ experiences in getting a residential mortgage. The NSMO is a component of the National Mortgage Database (NMDB®), the…

CFPB: New Financial Education Resources to Help Teachers Bring Youth Financial Capability into the Classroom

As children grow, their potential to manage money and understand financial concepts grows as well. The knowledge, skills, and behaviors kids learn when they’re young lay the groundwork for their financial well-being as adults. Schools and teachers play a critical role in financial education. But, we know there are challenges to bringing financial education into…

CFPB: How to Tell the Difference Between a Legitimate Debt Collector and Scammers

Dealing with debt collection issues can be challenging—especially when you’re not sure if the person you’re being contacted by is legitimate or trying to scam you. When an account like a credit card, auto loan, or cell phone bill becomes past due, the original creditor may attempt to collect the amount owed. The creditor may…

CFPB: Fall 2018 Rulemaking Agenda

The Bureau’s general purpose, as specified in section 1021 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), is to implement and enforce Federal consumer financial law consistently for the purpose of ensuring that all consumers have access to markets for consumer financial products and services and that markets for consumer financial…

CFPB: Free Credit Freezes Now Available

Free credit freezes and year-long fraud alerts are here, starting Sept. 21, 2018, thanks to a new federal law. Here’s what you should know. Free credit freezes Security freezes, also known as credit freezes, restrict access to your credit file, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Starting Sept….

CFPB: Bureau to Open Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) today announced it will be relocating its southeast regional office from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, Georgia. The Bureau already has regional offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco that are used mostly by supervision staff but also house enforcement attorneys and other Bureau personnel. Since the Bureau’s…

CFPB: New Research Report on the Geography of Credit Invisibility

Creditworthy consumers can face difficulties accessing credit if they lack a credit record that is treated as “scorable” by widely used credit scoring models. These consumers include those who are “credit invisible,” meaning that they do not have a credit record maintained by one of the nationwide consumer reporting agencies (NCRAs). They also include those…