Nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of senior mortgage executives surveyed by Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group in June indicated that they expect operational costs to increase as a result of the CFPB’s ability-to-repay/qualified mortgage rule. Most lenders (80 percent) said they “do not plan to pursue non-QM loans” or prefer to “wait and see”. “Larger lenders are more likely to pursue non-QM loans to increase their market share,” Fannie said. Also, most firms (84 percent) reported that they expect at least 90 percent of their single-family mortgage origination dollar volume to still be considered qualified mortgages. Further, “Lenders, on net, expect to tighten credit standards as a result of QM rules,” according to the government-sponsored enterprise, with 36 percent ...

A number of mortgage finance industry groups have expressed concern about how the CFPB’s ability-to-repay rule is interfering with the return of private investor capital back into the sector – mostly because of the rule’s assignee liability provisions. The industry comments came in response to a request from the Treasury Department in June for suggestions to encourage private capital to return to the non-agency mortgage-backed securities space. The Association of Institutional Investors said the ATR rule’s assignee liability provision “unfairly punishes investors who have nothing to do with the origination of loans and oftentimes have limited insight into the origination practices.” The assignee liability provision therefore introduces a risk that is almost impossible to price for those not directly involved in ...

Inaccurate information stands head, neck and torso above any other complaints consumers have about credit reporting, a new analysis of CFPB data by Inside the CFPB finds. Of the big three credit reporting firms – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion – gripes about incorrect data represented 68.7 percent of their combined total of 28,698 submissions. (See chart on following page.) Experian had the highest total of consumer criticisms about inaccurate information, followed by Equifax. But of the three, TransUnion had the largest percentage, 72.2 percent. This category of complaints included sub-issues such as account status, account terms, “information is not mine,” personal information, public record, and “reinserted previously deleted information.” The second largest credit report gripe had to do with “investigation procedure.” This ...

CFPB Student Loan Ombudsman Rohit Chopra is raising the headline risk for banks that fail to be transparent about the campus financial product marketing agreements they have with colleges and universities. In a recent blog post alerting colleges and students about “secret banking contracts,” Chopra indicated the bureau has been mailing out letters to such educational institutions “to make sure they know that their bank partner has not yet committed to transparency when it comes to student financial products” because the financial institution has not yet posted its marketing agreement with the school on its website. Last year, the CFPB launched an inquiry into financial products marketed to college and university students to determine whether the market is working for...

Industry insiders think it’s more likely the CFPB will promulgate a final rule on bank overdraft protection after the bureau released a report that found small debit card purchases often lead to expensive overdraft charges. The study found that the majority of debit card overdraft fees are incurred on transactions of $24 or less and that the majority of such overdrafts are repaid within three days. Put in lending terms, if a consumer borrowed $24 for three days and paid the median overdraft fee of $34, such a loan would carry a 17,000 percent annual percentage rate, according to the CFPB. The report “shows that consumers who opt in to overdraft coverage put themselves at serious risk when they use ...

Last week, the CFPB warned consumers about the potential risks associated with “virtual” currencies such as Bitcoin, and indicated it is now accepting consumer complaints about such products and services. Potential issues with virtual currencies identified by the bureau include unclear costs, volatile exchange rates, the threat of hacking and scams, and the possibility that companies may not offer help or refunds for lost or stolen funds. “Virtual currencies may have potential benefits, but consumers need to be cautious and they need to be asking the right questions,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Virtual currencies are not backed by any government or central bank, and at this point consumers are stepping into the Wild West when they engage in the ...

The Office of Inspector General for the CFPB, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the National Credit Union Administration, and the Treasury Department are evaluating the coordination between the CFPB and other regulatory agencies in conducting supervisory activities, according to the CFPB OIG’s latest work plan. In June 2012, the CFPB and the prudential regulatory agencies issued a memorandum of understanding to clarify how the agencies will coordinate their supervisory activities. “The objective of the evaluation is to confirm that the required coordination is occurring and has been effective in avoiding conflicts or duplication of efforts,” the bureau’s OIG said. The evaluation is currently expected to be completed sometime during the third quarter of 2014. There are a handful of other ...

CFPB Making Its Presence Felt Among Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Servicers. Fannie Mae’s latest earning filing indicates the CFPB and/or the New York State Department of Financial Services have been reviewing the activities of Fannie Mae’s three largest non-depository servicers (which would be Nationstar, Ocwen and possibly Quicken Loans, according to the latest ranking by Inside Mortgage Finance, an affiliated publication). The scrutiny of Quicken Loans seems to be a new development. The bureau would not comment. Meanwhile, during the first half of 2014, Freddie Mac said in its second quarter earnings announcement that it implemented requirements for its seller/ servicers in response to some final rules from the CFPB, including rules concerning the requirements for borrowers’ ability to ...

The HUD IG found the Federal Housing Administration failed to bill lenders for 486 loans with enforceable indemnification agreements that created losses for the FHA.

Redwood Trust said monetary policy moves by the Fed have left banks saturated with record levels of excess reserves and lower costs of funds.