Fair Lending

HUD: “Discriminatory Effects” Rule Restored

Department to rescind 2020 Fair Housing Act rule and restore 2013 policy to eradicate discriminatory practices from housing market Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it has submitted to the Federal Register for publication a Final Rule entitled Restoring HUD’s Discriminatory Effects Standard. The Final Rule rescinds the Department’s 2020…

HUD: Step Announced Towards Addressing Bias in the Home Appraisal Process for People Seeking FHA Financing

A preview of the policy update is available for public feedback on FHA’s Drafting Table web page Today, at an event at the Brookings Institute, HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge announced that HUD, through the Federal Housing Administration, is creating a process that people seeking FHA financing can use to request a review of their appraisal…

OCC: Revisions to Fair Lending Booklet Issued

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today issued a revised version of the “Fair Lending” booklet of the Comptroller’s Handbook. The “Fair Lending” booklet provides information and examination procedures to assist OCC examiners in assessing fair lending risk and evaluating compliance with the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), and…

FHFA: 2023 Scorecard for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Common Securitization Solutions Released

Today, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released the 2023 Scorecard for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (together, the Enterprises) and their joint venture, Common Securitization Solutions, LLC (CSS). Each year, FHFA releases an annual Scorecard to communicate and provide public awareness of its priorities and expectations for the Enterprises and CSS. “The annual Scorecard…

Congress: Congresswoman Waters Introduces Legislation to Strengthen the CRA and End Modern-Day Redlining

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services introduced H.R. 8833, the “Making Communities Stronger Through the Community Reinvestment Act.” This transformative piece of legislation is a part of Chairwoman Waters’ continuing efforts to root out discrimination in our modern-day banking system and close the racial wealth and homeownership gaps by making…

FHFA: Update to Servicers Announced to Maintain Fair Lending Data on Loans

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) will require servicers to obtain and maintain fair lending data on their loans, and for this data to transfer with servicing throughout the mortgage term. The fair lending data to be maintained includes borrowers’ age, race, ethnicity, gender, and…

CFPB: Agency Warns that Digital Marketing Providers Must Comply with Federal Consumer Finance Protections

Tech firms that use behavioral targeting of individual consumers regarding financial products are liable for violations Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an interpretive rule laying out when digital marketing providers for financial firms must comply with federal consumer financial protection law. Digital marketers that are involved in the identification or selection of…

CFPB: Justice Department and CFPB Caution Auto Finance Companies about Servicemember Protections

Joint Letter Reminds Auto Finance Companies of Key Federal Protections The Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a joint letter today reminding auto finance companies of their responsibilities to recognize important legal protections for military families under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). While servicemembers have the same rights as…

FFIEC: Availability of 2021 HMDA Data on Mortgage Lending Announced

The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) today announced the availability of data on 2021 mortgage lending transactions reported under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) by 4,338 U.S. financial institutions. Covered institutions include banks, savings associations, credit unions, and mortgage companies. The HMDA data are the most comprehensive publicly available information on mortgage market…