We previously blogged about the push among lawmakers and regulators to encourage or force financial institutions to cease providing adverse credit reporting on consumer loans where the delinquency or default may be related to the outbreak of COVID-19. Given the rapidly changing environment, it is not surprising that there have been some material changes in
Credit Reporting Industry
How to Handle Credit Reporting for Consumer Loans That Are Delinquent or in Default Due to COVID-19 Related Delays
Although the major federal banking and consumer lending regulatory industries have issued a joint statement indicating “that financial institutions should work constructively with borrowers and other customers in areas affected by COVID-19,” there are open questions regarding whether financial institutions should change their normal policies and procedures for furnishing credit reporting information regarding the status…
HUD Proposed Rule Demands More Disparate and More Impact to Establish Disparate Impact Liability
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a sweeping proposed rule on August 1 seeking to amend HUD’s interpretation of the Fair Housing Act’s disparate impact standard. According to HUD, the proposed rule is designed to better reflect the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Texas Department of Housing and Community…
Escrow Accounts and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: Inherent Problems with Form B410A
The intersection of Chapter 13 bankruptcy and escrow accounts is complicated and confusing. Since 2011, various bankruptcy rule and form changes have occurred in an effort to eliminate perceived problems with Chapter 13 escrow issues. This article explains how one of these changes – a revised version of a proof of claim attachment form –…
The Conundrum of Credit Reporting In and After Bankruptcy: Help May Be on the Way
Creditors and credit furnishers often find properly reporting a payment status to Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs) during, and after, bankruptcy a challenge. The recent Report of the American Bankruptcy Institute on Consumer Bankruptcy recognizes those challenges, and looks to convene a forum to provide better guidance and clarity as to proper credit reporting once a…
Will Congress Upend Credit Reporting Agencies’ Cybersecurity Regulation in Light of Recent Data Breach?
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced the Data Breach Prevention and Compensation Act on January 10, 2018 in an effort to increase accountability of large Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs) for data breaches involving consumer data. The bill, drafted in response to the September 2017 Equifax data breach revelations, seeks to impose direct…
Student Loan Servicers Still Looking for Clarification on Reporting Obligations
There is surprisingly little guidance for student loan servicers when it comes to credit reporting. The only recent guidance directed at loan servicers came by way of an announcement from the U.S. Departments of Education and Treasury and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on April 28, 2016 (DoE Fact Sheet). The DoE…