CFPB Provides Flexibility During COVID-19 Pandemic

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced that it is providing needed flexibility to enable financial companies to work with customers in need as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency is postponing some data collections from the industry on CFPB-related rules to allow companies to focus on responding to consumers in need and making changes to its supervisory activities to account for operational challenges at regulated entities. The CFPB will not expect quarterly information reporting by certain mortgage lenders as required under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) and Regulation C. During this time, entities should continue collecting and recording HMDA data in anticipation of making annual submissions. CFPB will provide information on when and how institutions will be expected to commence what would have been new quarterly HMDA data submissions. The agency also said it will not expect the reporting of certain information related to credit card and prepaid accounts under the Truth in Lending Act, Regulation Z, and Regulation E. This includes the annual submissions concerning agreements between credit card issuers and institutions of higher education; quarterly submission of consumer credit card agreements; collection of certain credit card price and availability information; and submission of prepaid account agreements and related information.