Q&A

mortgage deed

We have a borrower who is refinancing a loan from another family member. The property will be deeded over to our borrower at closing. How would this be reported on our HMDA-LAR?

Answer: Since the property is being deeded over to the borrower, the borrower is essentially purchasing the property for what is remaining on the existing loan. Therefore, this would be reported as a Purchase.

We have a borrower who is refinancing a loan from another family member. The property will be deeded over to our borrower at closing. How would this be reported on our HMDA-LAR? Read More »

holiday gift basket

Our mortgage loan originators (MLOs) want to send holiday gift baskets to realtors and builders with whom they do business. We want to keep the total cost of the gift basket somewhere in the range of $25-$30. Would this be a problem under Section 8 of RESPA?

Answer: Anything of value, regardless of the amount, that is given for a referral of business, would be considered a violation of Section 8. Unfortunately, the CFPB has not provided clarification on these types of “gifts,” so we have to rely on what the regulation says. RESPA does allow for “normal promotional or educational activity”;

Our mortgage loan originators (MLOs) want to send holiday gift baskets to realtors and builders with whom they do business. We want to keep the total cost of the gift basket somewhere in the range of $25-$30. Would this be a problem under Section 8 of RESPA? Read More »

audit

What is a common finding TCA sees in exempting eligible customers from CTR reporting?

Answer: During independent audits, TCA tests for initial and annual due diligence reviews of exempt customers. There are four requirements for a Phase II exemption.  Five transactions that exceed reporting thresholds in a 12-month period. The customer has a transaction account for at least 2 months. The customer is organized in a U.S. State. The

What is a common finding TCA sees in exempting eligible customers from CTR reporting? Read More »

bank statement

What do we do with Federal Government ACH payments received and posted after the Date of Death, but before a financial institution was notified of the recipient’s death?

Answer: When the financial institution is notified of the death of a recipient, it must return all subsequent post-death benefit payments with a Return Reason Code R15 or R14. These codes notify the Federal agency of the recipient’s death. The financial institution may return any post-death benefits that have already posted by ACH without waiting

What do we do with Federal Government ACH payments received and posted after the Date of Death, but before a financial institution was notified of the recipient’s death? Read More »

blue card

How do I complete Part II (Amounts and Dates) on a continuing activity suspicious activity report (SAR) if the transaction took place on a single date? Do I include the investigation range from the previous filing?

Answer: The date field in Part II should only cover the date range of activity determined to be suspicious, not the investigation range. If transaction occurred on a single date, the “To” field is left blank. Describe the time period of the investigation in the narrative.

How do I complete Part II (Amounts and Dates) on a continuing activity suspicious activity report (SAR) if the transaction took place on a single date? Do I include the investigation range from the previous filing? Read More »

loan stamp

A financial institution (FI) is adding a closing fee to the Loan Estimate (LE) due to a valid changed circumstance. The loan is set to close early next week and the FI needs to issue the Closing Disclosure (CD) in order to close on the borrower’s timeframe. Can the FI send both the revised LE and the initial CD on the same day?

Answer: No. Under Regulation Z, there has to be one day between the LE and CD. A revised LE must be issued no later than four business days prior to consummation and a CD must be issued at least three business days prior to consummation. However, Regulation Z does also permit us to provide changes

A financial institution (FI) is adding a closing fee to the Loan Estimate (LE) due to a valid changed circumstance. The loan is set to close early next week and the FI needs to issue the Closing Disclosure (CD) in order to close on the borrower’s timeframe. Can the FI send both the revised LE and the initial CD on the same day? Read More »

asian woman on phone

A Loan Officer took an application by telephone, and the borrower failed to sign the acknowledgement to apply for joint credit on the application that was mailed for signature. How can joint intent be documented?

Answer: While it is always preferred that the borrower initial the joint intent statement on the application, there are times when the borrower fails to do so. Loan Officers should ask the borrowers this question during the initial phone application and document it in their notes. In the case where an application is returned without

A Loan Officer took an application by telephone, and the borrower failed to sign the acknowledgement to apply for joint credit on the application that was mailed for signature. How can joint intent be documented? Read More »

home appraisal with two men inspecting windows

Is there any new fair lending risk that a financial institution should make sure is included in the Fair Lending Risk Assessment?

Answer: Yes. A new CFPB initiative has been developed known as PAVE – Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity. It is an Interagency Task Force to address inequity in home appraisals. Examiners will be looking to see how financial institutions ensure there is no appraisal bias in minority neighborhoods or minority homes by monitoring the financial

Is there any new fair lending risk that a financial institution should make sure is included in the Fair Lending Risk Assessment? Read More »

Juneteenth freedom day

Can a financial Institution remain open on the Juneteenth holiday in 2022 and going forward, even if the Federal Reserve is closed?

Answer: Yes, financial institutions can decide to remain open on Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday. Many financial institutions remain open on other Federal holidays, such as Veteran’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, etc. to conduct business. Even though the institution may decide to remain open on Federal holidays, keep in mind that the business

Can a financial Institution remain open on the Juneteenth holiday in 2022 and going forward, even if the Federal Reserve is closed? Read More »

private flood insurance

We are making a construction permanent (C-P) loan where the home will be located in a Special Flood Hazard Zone. Are we required to escrow for flood insurance during the construction phase?

Answer: Because the overall term of the C-P loan is greater than 12 months, you are required to escrow for flood insurance. The fact that the construction phase is 12 months or less is irrelevant. This means that you must require flood insurance at consummation.

We are making a construction permanent (C-P) loan where the home will be located in a Special Flood Hazard Zone. Are we required to escrow for flood insurance during the construction phase? Read More »

Do You Need Compliance Help?

We’re here to review your current compliance strategy and help you find A Better Way to manage risk.

Phone

800-934-REGS

Email for Non-Confidential Information Only

[email protected]

Office Location

2021 Midwest Road, Suite 200,
Oak Brook, IL 60523

Endorsed By