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CFPB Seeks Comments on New Initiative Intended to Increase Transparency in Student Loan Servicing Market
On February 16, the CFPB announced a request for comments on an information collection plan titled “Student Loan Servicing Market Monitoring.” The proposed plan will collect student loan data from the largest student loan servicers in order to provide the Bureau “with a broader and deeper look into the student loan market, with a focus on key areas that might put consumers . . . at risk.” Key areas of examination will be: (i) the total size of the student loan market; (ii) borrowers who seek to repay their loans based on how much money they have (Income-Driven Repayment plans); (iii) borrowers who face the greatest risk of default; and (iv) borrowers with private student loans who experience financial distress. Comments must be submitted on or before April 17, 2017.
FHFA Seeks Public Comment on Criteria for Evaluating Banks Subject to Review Under FHLB Community Support Program
In connection with its 2017 biennial review of all FHLB members under FHFA’s community support requirements regulation, FHFA is seeking public comment on the community support requirements regulation that establishes standards a FHLB member must meet in order to maintain access to long-term advances. The regulation also establishes review criteria that the FHFA must apply in evaluating a member’s’ Community Reinvestment Act performance and their record of lending to first-time homebuyers. Comments must be submitted to the agency by March 31.
FinCEN Proposes SAR Data Fields Revisions
FinCEN published, at 82 FR 9109 in the Federal Register, a notice and request for comment on proposed updates and revisions to the collection of information filings by financial institutions required to file such reports under the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”). While the notice does not propose any new regulatory requirements or changes to the requirements related to suspicious activity reporting, it suggests changes to the required data fields used when filing SARs under the BSA. The majority of the proposed changes would alter the "checklist" of violations in Part II of the filings, including the addition of several fields related to cyber events. Written comments must be received on or before April 3.
FDIC Issues Guidance to Facilitate Recovery in Areas of Louisiana Affected by Severe Weather
On February 14, the FDIC issued guidance (FIL-9-2017) intended to provide regulatory relief to financial institutions and to facilitate recovery in areas of Louisiana affected by recent severe storms, tornadoes, high winds, and flooding. A current list of designated areas—where damage assessments are currently underway—is available at www.fema.gov. Among other things, the guidance encourages banks to “work constructively with borrowers experiencing difficulties” due to weather-related damage by considering “[e]xtending repayment terms, restructuring existing loans, or easing terms for new loans.” Such flexibility, the FDIC instructs, can both “contribute to the welfare of the local community” and also “serve the long-term interests of the lending institution.” The FDIC is also considering “regulatory relief from certain filing and publishing requirements.”