A recently issued interim final rule allows mortgage servicers to offer certain COVID-19-related loss-mitigation assistance without a complete borrower application.

The CFPB has sent out examination notices to mortgage servicers about their COVID-19-related practices, according to industry attorneys tracking the matter.

The CFPB clarified that furnishing a special code for tasks, such as disaster relief, is not a substitute for complying with CARES Act’s credit reporting requirements.

Democratic senators have called upon the CFPB and the FHFA to immediately address trends to better facilitate fair lending oversight.

Mortgage servicers could violate the CARES Act if they require documentation from borrowers to prove financial hardship or deny forbearance once it’s properly requested, warned the CFPB.

The CFPB updates its examination manual for reverse-mortgage servicing; states extend work-from-home guidance for mortgage loan officers; the bureau settles with short-term lenders and more.

New legislation, which passed the California Assembly Banking and Finance Committee last week, would create “duplicative and sometimes contradictory requirements” for the mortgage industry when viewed alongside federal rules, industry groups warned.

A new COVID-19 payment deferral option provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that doesn’t require borrowers to submit a complete response package may lead to violations under the CFPB’s loss-mitigation rules, attorneys cautioned.

The CFPB resumed its public enforcement activities this month with settlements with Specialized Loan Servicing and Monster Loans.

When it comes to coronavirus-related complaints, more than one in five criticisms are about mortgages, according to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger.