Residential servicers should note a greater emphasis in exams on the handling of consumer complaints…

The Congressman noted that outside of a study done in 2011, the administration has had little engagement with Congress on a path toward ending the conservatorships, which are almost eight years old...

The mortgages currently are being subserviced by a firm described as “DMI.”

Velocify, a provider of sales automation software, found that lenders that invest in technology to meet changing borrower expectations are more likely to grow.

A special edition of the CFPB’s supervision highlights report issued last week claims that some mortgage servicers continue to use failed technology that has already harmed consumers, putting such firms in violation of the agency’s servicing rules, which were released in 2013. “Mortgage servicers can’t hide behind their bad computer systems or outdated technology. There are no excuses for not following federal rules,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Mortgage servicers and their service providers must step up and make the investments necessary to do their jobs properly and legally.” The bureau acknowledged that some servicers have made significant improvements in the last several years, partly by enhancing and monitoring their service platforms, staff training, coding accuracy and auditing, and allowing ...

In an effort to spur better industry compliance with its 2013 mortgage servicing rules, the CFPB last week released an updated mortgage servicing exam manual, reflecting a greater emphasis on the handling of consumer complaints as well as fair lending. The bureau regularly publishes a mortgage servicing chapter of the CFPB Supervision and Examination Manual to reflect regulatory changes, to make technical corrections, and to update examination priorities. This new, third iteration of its exam procedures offers guidance to financial institutions and mortgage companies on what the bureau will be looking for in its exams. Among other things, mortgage servicers should note a greater emphasis in exams on the handling of consumer complaints. The CFPB has enhanced the section related ...

CFPB Moves to Defend its Supervisory Information in Ocwen Case. The CFPB recently asked a federal judge to let it intervene in a whistleblower case brought against Ocwen Loan Servicing in order to protect the confidentiality of its supervisory information. “The bureau seeks to intervene for the limited purpose of invoking the bank examination privilege and the bureau’s regulations to protect confidential and privileged bureau supervisory records and information related to the bureau’s supervision of Ocwen,” the CFPB said in its motion filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division. Among its legal arguments provided to U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant, the CFPB said its regulatory and supervisory interest could be impaired if it is ...

Ginnie Mae is once again getting anxious about the growing – and large – presence of nonbanks that service the agency’s MBS, fearing a liquidity crisis could erupt because some firms rely too heavily on “non-traditional and very sophisticated funding mechanisms.” In a statement issued to Inside MBS & ABS this week, Ginnie contrasted nonbanks to depositories “who traditionally were the primary issuers of Ginnie Mae MBS.” The agency added...[Includes one data table]

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. this week revised its securitization safe-harbor rule to clarify loss mitigation standards for mortgage servicers to synchronize it with the similar requirements issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The FDIC safe-harbor rule sets standards under which the agency will not attempt to capture assets of a failed bank that are transferred to qualifying securitizations. Under the previous rule, servicers of residential mortgages backing MBS that enjoy safe-harbor status were required to take loss mitigation action within 90 days after the loan becomes delinquent. In January 2013, the CFPB adopted...

A federal appeals court in New York this week will hear arguments from African-American subprime borrowers in Detroit in connection with a proposed class action challenging Morgan Stanley’s mortgage securitization practices during the subprime mortgage boom. The American Civil Liberties Union and its partners are seeking class-action status for the borrowers’ Fair Housing Act claims, which were initially rejected by a lower court. The court previously ruled that each borrower would have to sue on his or her own. The issue on appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is...