OTS Mulling Unfair Lending Practices Rule

The Office of Thrift Supervision is in the very early stages of a rulemaking process that could lead to the issuance of a regulation that bans certain "unfair and deceptive" lending practices.An OTS spokesman said agency officials are preparing to solicit industry and consumer groups soon for input on certain abusive practices. After reviewing the responses, the OTS plans to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking for public comment. Federal banking regulators are under pressure from Congress to curb irresponsible subprime lending, and the Federal Reserve Board is considering significant changes to its Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act regulations. But the OTS also has the authority to define "unfair and deceptive" lending practices. One thrift industry official welcomed the agency's initiative, saying that the OTS has the experience to develop a rule that provides consumer protections without unnecessarily curbing the availability of credit.