State regulators

1st Alliance Lending plans to cut up to 35 employees in Connecticut and terminate efforts to expand its East Hartford headquarters in order to prepare for an expected increase in regulatory costs.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill to revise the state's Residential Mortgage Lending Act to facilitate transitional licensing for loan officers and to streamline the law's provisions for borrower fees.

Tech-focused startups are knocking on the door of a $15 billion industry that's dominated by just four companies: Title insurance.

Several states pledged to compensate for a slowdown in enforcement at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under Mick Mulvaney, but their efforts have been complicated by tight budgets and doubts over whether such initiatives are necessary.

Most mortgage servicers in the state of Washington are about to be more tightly regulated, in line with a broader trend, but smaller master servicers can get a waiver.

The state became the first in the country to ask federal regulators for a temporary waiver, citing a shortage of available appraisers.

Servicers and MSR investors face increased regulation and oversight as nearly all states now require some form of licensing for firms responsible for mortgage collections.

The Royal Bank of Scotland is paying $20 million to settle an investigation by the Illinois attorney general related to the bank's marketing and sale of residential mortgage-backed securities.

The number of nonbank lenders and servicers that did not comply with the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act Annual Report requirements grew this year, prompting a reprimand and warning of penalties from the commissioner of the state's Department of Business Oversight.

Credit reporting firms with significant operations in New York will face new cybersecurity and registration requirements to stave off concerns related to a breach of Equifax's systems last year.

Gary Klopp of Nottingham, Md., was ordered to pay more than $525,000 and temporarily barred from working in the mortgage industry by a U.S. District Court judge for violating a previous court order, according to Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh.

Although the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is loosening certain mortgage rules, others such as restrictions on loan officer compensation and state-level regulation will likely persist, according to industry attorneys.

Nationstar Mortgage has agreed to refund or reverse more than $1 million in inspection fees, settling allegations by Maryland officials it illegally charged homeowners.

Leader Bank says it can land property managers as commercial clients by helping them handle tenant deposits — and possibly create opportunities to boost CRE lending.

From tech that ensures foreclosures are processed correctly to implementing robotic process automation, here's a look at seven strategies that servicers can use to stay compliant and on budget.

Mortgage and title insurance companies licensed in New York need to file disaster response plans this year in line with increased state attention to business continuity planning.

The New York State Department of Financial Services is warning that alternative home purchase finance agreements might be a cover for predatory mortgage lending practices by unlicensed entities.

The New York Department of Financial Services is fining Nationstar Mortgage $5 million for failing to comply with servicing and origination regulations as it grew between 2012 and 2014.

A new settlement with Massachusetts resolves all outstanding administrative actions against Ocwen Financial Corp. by a group of 30 states, but two states' legal actions against the servicer remain outstanding.

The Dodd-Frank Act consolidated massive authority under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but acting Director Mick Mulvaney wants the bureau to take a back seat to states and other federal regulators.