The CFPB is in the process of hiring 75 additional staff to help with the workload the bureau’s enforcement office is facing.

“The dynamics with the [CFPB] will now start to resemble those of most federal agencies: there will be legal challenges to specific regulations and enforcement actions … but those will be focused, targeted challenges, not existential ones,” according to Adam Levitin, a Georgetown University law school professor.

Denial rates on purchase mortgages inched up in 2023 except for FHA loans, where the rate declined.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said a constitutional loss would have invalidated the bureau’s previous rules and caused severe consequences for single-family and multifamily mortgage markets.

The 7-2 court opinion, delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas, affirmed the constitutionality of the CFPB’s funding structure. The court dismissed arguments that the funding mechanism lacks a time limit and a spending cap.

The Supreme Court ruling in favor of the CFPB means lawsuits against the bureau will now focus on specific issues. It also paves the way for implementation of various pending rules.

According to a new analysis of HMDA data, refi denial rates spiked in 2023 while denials on purchase mortgages held steady. (Includes data table.)

Judge Donald Middlebrooks dismissed all four of the lender’s arguments against a 2023 CFPB lawsuit, moving the trial forward to July.

The preliminary injunction came after a challenge by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Bankers Association and other trade groups. The ruling could spell trouble for the Biden administration’s fight against so-called “junk fees” in the financial services industry.

Rocket and the loan originator denied all housing discrimination allegations but entered into the agreement with HUD to obtain closure.