Feds Warn Against Reduced-Doc B&C Loans

Federal financial regulators have issued final subprime guidance cautioning against the use of stated-income and reduced-documentation mortgage loans unless there are "documented mitigating factors that clearly minimize the need for verification of a borrower's repayment capacity."The Statement on Subprime Mortgage Lending calls for "a fully indexed, fully amortized qualification for borrowers" and "prudent" consumer protection standards. The standards should include "clear and balanced product disclosures to customers and limits on prepayment penalties that allow for a reasonable period of time, typically at least 60 days, for customers to refinance prior to the expiration of the initial fixed interest rate period without penalty," the statement says. The Mortgage Bankers Association characterized the guidance as "a strong statement that will help curb abuses" but that will likely "constrain consumer credit choices." The association urged Congress to do two things. "First, quickly pass FHA modernization in order to restore affordable credit options for worthy borrowers, and second, refrain from passing legislation that will further constrain credit by forcing lenders to deal with rigid underwriting standards and litigation risk," the MBA said. "Instead, Congress should focus on legislation to improve transparency and accountability throughout the mortgage transaction."