The CFPB is looking into whether it’s necessary to recertify a borrower’s ability to repay a rate-term mortgage refinance, Kevin Stevens, a senior manager at the bureau, said at a Mortgage Bankers Association conference held in Washington, DC, last week.

Consumer advocates and fintechs believe artificial intelligence can help improve fair lending practices, but federal regulators need to take action so lenders will follow suit.

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors urged the bureau to consult with individual states regarding their loss-mitigation requirements to ensure proposed changes don’t incorrectly preempt state protections.

With the bureau’s Section 1033 rule expected to be finished shortly, the regulator is interested in issuing additional rules on open banking, with one potentially focused on mortgages.

A coalition of mortgage industry trade groups expressed concerns about the proposal. And trade groups representing servicers sounded more alarms in their individual comments to the CFPB.

The bureau is relying on the Dodd-Frank Act and RESPA to support its proposed changes to mortgage servicing requirements. However, industry attorneys suggest the arguments might not hold in court.

Home equity investment activity is growing thanks to ongoing home price appreciation and strong demand from both homeowners and investors in the secondary market. Regulation of the products is currently limited to a handful of states.

A Texas district court affirmed the CFPB has authority to issue the upcoming small-business lending data collection rule. The court, however, didn’t express an opinion on the wisdom of the rule.

Groups representing the farm credit industry claim the CFPB’s small-business lending data collection rule is invalid as it was developed by the bureau when it was receiving funds unconstitutionally.

The NCLC is asking the bureau to pursue rulemaking to apply the Equal Credit Opportunity Act’s adverse action requirement to renters and ban the use of medical debt in tenant screening decisions.