Law and regulation

Officials signaled that Hudson City Savings Bank's nearly $33 million settlement over redlining charges is only the first in what is likely to be a string of other cases.

Federal officials on Thursday ordered Hudson City Savings Bank to pay more than $27 million to resolve redlining allegations, the largest order of its kind and one that is likely to put larger banks on notice that redlining cases will be aggressively pursued.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's method for detecting disparate impact discrimination can overestimate potential bias, resulting in higher payments for lenders cited by the agency, according to internal CFPB documents.

From due diligence and portfolio analysis to strategies for compliance and raising capital, the rapidly-evolving market for buying and selling distressed mortgage assets has created both challenges and opportunities for investors, servicers and portfolio managers.

Although new HMDA data shows no negative effects from CFPB mortgage rules that went into effect last year, industry representatives argue it isn't showing the full picture.

The number of mortgage originations dropped 31% to 6 million in 2014 due largely to a decline in refinancing as interest rates increased, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.

Despite pledges last year to move “aggressively” to implement new credit scoring models at the government-sponsored enterprises, the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s effort appears to have stalled.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule Monday that will make it easier for some community banks to make qualified mortgages.

Banks that want more explicit regulatory guidance on rules requiring managers to keep "skin in the game" with deals for collateralized loan obligations may be forced to keep waiting.

Lenders should be excited about the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures because it will help them provide better customer service and new opportunities to engage and educate borrowers.