Lenders Seek Nat'l Predatory Standard

Eight national lender organizations are calling on the House and the Senate to enact a national predatory lending standard to address the problem of abusive lending practices."The proliferation of state and local laws to address abusive lending practices is creating an uneven playing field, which disadvantages consumers and lenders alike," according to the open letter to Congress. The letter points out that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has pre-empted state predatory lending laws with respect to national banks. But state-licensed lenders are forced to operate under a patchwork of state and local predatory lending laws. "In order to ensure competitive and efficient markets, we urge Congress to set forth a national uniform standard for all lenders and mortgage participants patterned after OCC's action," the April 12 letter says. The letter was signed by the American Bankers Association, America's Community Bankers, the Consumer Bankers Association, the Consumer Mortgage Coalition, the Financial Services Roundtable, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, and the National Home Equity Mortgage Association.