Tag Archives: Dodd-Frank Reform Act

The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau established under the Dodd-Frank Act will be working closely with state regulators to supervise mortgage lenders and servicers. The Bureau's implementation team and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday that establishes a cooperative state and federal effort for the sharing of information related to the supervision and policing of companies that provide consumer financial services.

Former comptroller of the currency John C. Dugan will rejoin Covington & Burling LLP as a partner, according to an announcement from the Washington, D.C., firm. Dugan will chair the firm's Financial Institutions Group and advise clients on legal matters affected by increased regulatory requirements resulting from the financial crisis. Dugan led the U.S. Treasury's Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for five years, until stepping down from the role on August 14, 2010.

The call for federal officials to establish industry-wide mortgage servicing and foreclosure standards is getting louder. A group of more than 50 senior economists, academic leaders, and influential investors sent a letter to the heads of federal regulatory agencies Tuesday, urging them to take the lead in setting national standards for mortgage loan servicers. The group argues that widely reported fraud in servicers' dealings with homeowners and foreclosure procedures demands new standards be adopted now.

The number of bank closings has slowed in recent months, and that's given the FDIC reason to believe that the worst phase of institutional collapses is behind us. The FDIC's board of directors has approved a $3.96 billion operating budget for 2011, which the agency described as ""down slightly from the 2010 budget,"" when the board raised the amount by 55 percent to cope with an elevated number of bank failures. Officials are touting the fact that no increase is planned for the upcoming year as a sign the financial sector is at least stabilizing.

On Wednesday the House Republican Conference elected Rep. Spencer Bachus, (R- Alabama), to serve as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee for the 112th Congress. Bachus will replace Rep. Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) as chairman when Congress convenes in January.

The Mortgage Bankers Association and six other industry groups sent a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Monday, voicing their concern that the Fed, which has jurisdiction over the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), and HUD, which oversees the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), will create regulatory rules that overlap. The Dodd-Frank Act created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which will be overseen by yet another agency, the Treasury, and will have regulatory authority over consumer disclosures.

The turbulent financial crisis sparked overwhelming support by Americans for Congress to enact financial legislation to prevent future bailouts. But according to the findings of an academia study, the landmark Dodd-Frank Act failed to meet consumer expectations. Only 12 percent of survey respondents declared they were satisfied with the reform bill, while 54 percent of Americans were dissatisfied. Sentiment about real estate pricing and strategic defaults were also examined in the quarterly study.

Insufficient automation could cause non-compliance issues for mortgage lenders, credit unions, and banks when it comes to the extensive regulatory changes emerging as a result of the Dodd-Frank Reform Act, according to Bruce Backer, president of LoanSifter. Mortgage lenders are most affected by title XIV of the act, which sets national underwriting standards for residential loans, and Backer says even more reforms are headed our way when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau begins establishing additional regulations for the industry.

To help counter the effects of the still-deteriorating job market on the housing industry, the Dodd-Frank Reform Act provided $1 billion to HUD to implement the Emergency Homeowners Loan Program. The initiative provides eligible borrowers in 32 states and Puerto Rico with a ""bridge loan"" to continue making their mortgage payments for up to 24 months. HUD expects to begin taking applications from borrowers for assistance by the end of the year.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has released a report regarding the results of research examining international mortgage products and comparing them with the mortgage products in the United States. The study found that features and products that are restricted in the Dodd-Frank Bill are widespread in other countries and are not necessarily believed to cause high rates of default. The trade group says the new regulations will deeply impact borrower choice.