InfoBytes Blog
Arkansas Amends Fair Mortgage Lending Act Regulations
On January 10, the Arkansas Securities Department finalized amendments to certain sections of the rules that implement the Fair Mortgage Lending Act. The regulations were adopted as proposed. The regulations were amended to expand disclosure requirements for new and transferred loans to include: (i) any notice required under federal law; (ii) a schedule of the ranges and categories of the servicer’s costs and fees for its servicing-related activities; and (iii) a notice that the servicer is licensed in the state and that complaints can be submitted to the Securities Department. The rule also prohibits advertising that indicates a consumer’s ability or likelihood to obtain any new mortgage credit product or term, or a refinancing or modification, has been preapproved or guaranteed. Finally, the rule, among other things, (i) expands payment processing requirements to include payments made via electronic transfer; and (ii) amends record keeping rules to require licensees to maintain records in a format compatible with electronic examination software, and to expand the types of documents servicers must maintain. The new rules take effect February 9, 2014.