On August 2, 2024, New Hampshire enacted legislation that significantly revises its Motor Vehicle Retail Installment Sales Act (the “Act”), effective July 1, 2024. Unfortunately, that effective date is not a typographical...more
On December 21, 2023, the New York Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”) finalized guidance on how the banks and mortgage institutions it regulates (“New York Institutions”) should manage climate-related financial and...more
1/4/2024
/ Climate Action Plan ,
Climate Change ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Corporate Governance ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Internal Controls ,
Mortgages ,
NYDFS ,
Risk Management
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued two relatively welcome surprises yesterday. First, along with ditching a debt-to-income ratio (“DTI”) ceiling, the agency expanded its proposed general Qualified...more
12/14/2020
/ Ability-to-Repay ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Fannie Mae ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Freddie Mac ,
GSE ,
HOEPA ,
Mortgages ,
Qualified Mortgage Rule
The implications of the 2020 election for structured finance are coming into focus. Informed by our discussions in Washington, we can anticipate the likely direction of federal policy over the next two years that will impact...more
12/9/2020
/ Biden Administration ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
GSE ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Inter-Bank Offered Rates (IBORs) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securitization ,
Structured Finance ,
UK Brexit ,
Volcker Rule
As rumored, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) is proposing to revise its general qualified mortgage definition by adopting a loan pricing test. Specifically, under the proposal, a residential mortgage loan...more
In a new era of double-digit unemployment resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be tough for a mortgage lender to predict the amount and stability of someone’s income in order to determine qualification for a home...more
6/10/2020
/ Ability-to-Repay ,
Borrowers ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Fannie Mae ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Freddie Mac ,
Freelance Workers ,
GSE ,
Independent Contractors ,
Mortgage Loan Servicing Standards ,
Mortgages ,
Qualifying Income ,
Underwriting
This week, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) announced an eagerly awaited policy allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the “Agencies”) to address one aspect of the liquidity crisis for mortgage servicers facing...more
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau intends to revise its Qualified Mortgage definition by moving away from a debt-to-income ratio threshold, and instead adopting a...more
1/21/2020
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Fannie Mae ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Freddie Mac ,
Loans ,
Mortgage Bankers Association ,
QRM Standard ,
Qualified Mortgage Rule ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Securitization ,
Threshold Requirements