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Indiana Passes House Bill to Amend the Indiana Code
On March 21, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed H.B. 1181, which makes various revisions to Indiana laws concerning, among other things, (i) first mortgage lien lenders; (ii) persons licensed under the Uniform Consumer Credit Code; (iii) exempt threshold amounts for credit; and (iv) debt management companies. Various sections of the bill are effective immediately, while others will take effect July 1, 2016.
FAST Act to Provide Regulatory Relief to Community Banks
On December 4, President Obama signed into law H.R. 22, the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act” (FAST Act). Although a transportation bill on its surface, the bill also contains various provisions that are intended to provide regulatory relief to community banks and improve the efficiency of state financial regulation. Significant provisions in the bill include: (i) establishing a process that allows parties, including banks and other stakeholders, to petition the CFPB for “rural” or “underserved” designations in certain areas for the purposes of the CFPB’s ability-to-repay rule; (ii) expanding the CFPB’s ability to exempt creditors serving rural or underserved areas from escrow requirements; (iii) granting greater flexibility to the CFPB in regards to treating a balloon loan as a qualified mortgage, if a community bank or creditor operating in a rural or underserved area extended the loan; (iv) increasing the threshold for 18-month exam cycles for well-capitalized banks from $500 million to $1 billion; and (v) authorizing the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System – which state regulators use to license various nonbank financial services industries, such as money transmitters, payday lenders, and debt collectors – to process background checks for non-mortgage license applicants.
In addition, the act provides relief to all financial institutions meeting certain criteria from annual Gramm-Leach-Bliley privacy notice requirements. Pursuant the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and Regulation P, financial institutions were required to submit privacy notices, physically, or with consent electronically, to customers; in 2014, the CFPB amended Regulation P permitting institutions to post privacy notices online without customer consent, so long as certain criteria were met. The FAST Act’s statutory change in Section 75001 removes some of the criteria so that financial institutions do not have to send annual privacy notices so long as (i) their information sharing practices have not changed since its last notice; and (ii) they do not engage in information sharing that requires providing customers with an opt-out under the GLBA.
GA Department of Banking and Finance Enters into Consent Order with Mortgage Lender and Owner
On October 21, the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (the Department) announced a consent order with a South Carolina-based mortgage lender and its individual owner to resolve a Notice of Intent to Revoke Annual License and an Order to Cease and Desist. The Department alleged that the individual and the company violated the Georgia Residential Mortgage Act by (i) making false statements or misrepresentations to the Department; (ii) making false statements and misrepresenting material facts in mortgage loan documents; (iii) operating an unapproved branch with an unapproved branch manager; (iv) failing to perform the appropriate background checks on covered employees; and (v) transacting business with an unlicensed person who was not exempt from licensing requirements. Under the terms of the Order, the individual is prohibited from (i) applying for a Georgia mortgage loan originator, mortgage broker, or mortgage lender license; (ii) serving as a director, officer, or any other equivalent role for a Georgia mortgage broker or lender; and (iii) acting as a branch manager for a Georgia branch of a Georgia licensed mortgage broker or lender. In addition, the lender must pay $29,000 to the Department and $1,000 to the State Regulatory Registry, LLC to support the NMLS. The lender also must surrender its license from the Department.
NMLS Updates Resource Center: Encourages Public to Submit Comments on Proposed Changes; Responds to Public Comments
On July 21, the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) updated its resource center to encourage the public to submit further comments – via the Conference of State Bank Supervisors – on certain proposed changes to the Uniform NMLS Licensing Forms and the Mortgage Call Report. The proposed changes to the licensing forms include, but are not limited to: (i) adding a Filing Comment section to the Company Form (MU1) and the Branch Form (MU3); (ii) expanding the Business Activities section by adding “Reverse Mortgage Lending,” “Reverse Mortgage Brokering,” and “Reverse Mortgage Servicing” as available selections; (iii) expanding the Contact Employees section by adding “Annual/Call Report” as an available selection under Area(s) of Responsibility; and (iv) updating language in the Disclosure Questions section. If implemented, changes to the Mortgage Call Report (“MCR”) would include: (i) adding fields that allow for more accurate reporting on Qualified Mortgage standards; (ii) adding an upload option within the Loans Serviced section; and (iii) exploring the “development of a dynamic MCR based on a company’s business activities and license authority.” Comments on the proposals are due August 20.
Also on July 21, the NMLS posted to its resource center responses to the public’s comments regarding the Pre-Licensure Education Expiration Policy, Electronic Surety Bond Tracking, and the Uniform NMLS Licensing Forms and Mortgage Call Report. Feedback received on the initial proposed changes to the Licensing Forms and MCR prompted the additional comment period for the more targeted proposed changes described above.
Georgia Banking Regulator Revokes License of Pennsylvania Mortgage Lender
On April 13, the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (Department) entered into a Consent Order (Order) with a Pennsylvania-based mortgage lender and its owners for failing to file a timely application with the state regulator. Specifically, the Order was entered into with the lender to resolve a Notice of Intent to Revoke and proposed Orders to Cease and Desist for allegedly, among other things, allowing the acquisition of 10 percent or more of the ownership of a Georgia licensed entity without first filing an application with the Department, conducting business with an unlicensed person who is not exempt from licensing, employing a felon, and making false statements or misrepresenting material facts in mortgage loan documents. Under terms of the Order: (i) the lender must surrender its mortgage license and pay a $5,000 fine; (ii) one of its owners must surrender his MLO license, must pay two fines of $1,000 each to both the Department and the State Regulatory Registry, and is prohibited from being employed by a licensed Georgia mortgage broker or lender for five years; and (iii) another owner must contribute $1,000 to the State Regulatory Registry and is prohibited for five years from acquiring more than 10% voting shares of a Georgia licensed company. The Order also prohibits both aforementioned owners from: (i) applying for mortgage loan originator, mortgage broker, or mortgage lender licenses; (ii) serving as a director, officer or any other equivalent role for a Georgia licensee; and (iii) acting as a branch manager for a Georgia branch of a Georgia licensed mortgage broker or lender.
D.C. Transitions Money Transmitter And Other Licenses To NMLS
On August 20, the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) announced that, as of September 3, 2014, it will begin using the NMLS to manage money transmitter, check casher, money lender, retail seller, sales finance company and non-bank ATM licenses and registrations. Beginning on that date, new applicants for such licenses and registrations must apply via the NMLS. Entities currently holding such licenses and registrations must create a complete record in NMLS and submit it to DISB for approval by December 31, 2014.
Missouri Division Of Finance Transitions Mortgage Company Licensing To NMLS
Recently, the Missouri Division of Finance announced that all mortgage company and branch licenses issued through the Division will transition to the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS). All currently licensed companies must transition their licenses to the NMLS by October 1, 2014, and effective June 2, 2014, new company license applicants must request licensure through the NMLS. The NMLS will host a transition training webinar on June 5, 2014 for all currently licensed mortgage companies.
NMLS Announces New Ombudsman
On February 27, the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Registry (NMLS) announced that Robert S. Niemi, Deputy Superintendent for Consumer Finance at the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions, will serve as NMLS Ombudsman. The NMLS states that the Ombudsman “provide[s] the non-depository financial services industries, and other interested parties, with a neutral venue to discuss issues or concerns regarding NMLS and state licensing” with the objective of fostering “constructive dialogue between NMLS industry users and participating state regulators.”
CSBS Announces Four More State Agencies Transitioning To Uniform Mortgage Test
On January 7, the CSBS announced that, as of January 1, four additional state or U.S. territorial agencies began using the National SAFE MLO test. With the addition of these four agencies—the Nevada Department of Business & Industry, the New Mexico Financial Institutions Division, the Puerto Rico Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Banking & Insurance—a total of 39 agencies are now using the test, which was announced last January and launched in April 2013. The test includes a uniform state component to replace the state-specific component in adopting states.
State Regulators Proposes Changes to Uniform Licensing Forms and Mortgage Call Report
On October 11, the State Regulatory Registry (SRR) proposed changes to (i) the uniform NMLS company, branch, and individual licensing forms developed by state regulators and used by all states through NMLS and (ii) the NMLS Mortgage Call Report (MCR). The proposal incorporates public comments received following an initial April 2013 proposal. The proposed licensing form changes would, among other things, (i) allow a company to designate more than one branch manager within an industry, (ii) revise business activity on company and branch forms, and (iii) collect other trade names on company and branch forms by agency and not by state. Changes to the NMLS licensing forms and certain changes to the format of the MCR are expected to be implemented in March 2014. The proposal notes that given expected changes to HMDA reporting requirements, the SRR will propose substantive changes to the MCR in 2014 with an expected implementation timeframe in 2015. Comments on the proposed changes are due by November 11, 2013.