All in Regulatory Update

On April 27, 2020, the OCC issued a bulletin (2020-45) to clarify and rescind its prior statement in Bulletin 2020-44, which was issued on April 25, 2020. The revised bulletin encourages banks providing loans under the SBA PPP to prudently document their implementation and lending decisions. Additionally, the bulletin further encourages banks to identify and track the PPP loans made to small business borrowers that have annual revenues of $1 million or less and are located in low- to moderate-income (LMI) areas.

On April 16, 2020, the FDIC announced it will temporarily postpone its efforts to modify its signage and advertising requirements, known as the advertising of membership rules. In their release, the FDIC explained that they remain committed to modernizing these rules at a future date to better reflect how banks and savings associations are transforming their business models to take deposits via physical branches, digital, and mobile banking channels.

On April 20, 2020, the NCUA issued a final rule to provide appraisal relief to credit unions. The final rule does two main things. First, the final rule increases the residential appraisal threshold from $250,000 to $400,000. The raised threshold provides long-term regulatory relief to credit unions and members and aligns with the appraisal threshold adjustment that banking regulators made during 2019. The rule also increases flexibility for credit unions struggling with mortgage pipeline delays due to appraisals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, the NCUA has issued an interim final rule to temporarily allow credit unions to defer appraisals and written estimates of market value for up to 120 days after the closing of a loan. This flexibility will expire on December 31, 2020 and this, too, aligns with action taken by banking regulators. The NCUA explains that this deferral is intended to provide liquidity and relief to property owners affected by disruptions to property valuations caused by COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Both rules become effective upon publication in the Federal Register.

On April 21, 2020, the NCUA published a temporary final rule in the Federal Register that modifies certain regulatory requirements to help ensure that federally insured credit unions remain operational and liquid during the COVID-19 crisis. Specifically, the NCUA is temporarily raising the maximum aggregate amount of loan participations that a credit union may purchase from a single originating lender to the greater of $5,000,000 or 200 percent of the credit union’s net worth. The NCUA is also temporarily suspending limitations on the eligible obligations that a federal credit union may purchase and hold. In addition, given physical distancing policies implemented in response to the crisis, the NCUA is tolling the required timeframes for the occupancy or disposition of properties not being used for federal credit union business or that have been abandoned.

On 4/20/2020, OFAC issued a statement to encourage persons to communicate OFAC compliance concerns related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Specifically, OFAC encourages persons, including financial institutions and other businesses, affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic to contact OFAC as soon as practicable if the person believes it may experience delays in its ability to meet deadlines associated with regulatory requirements administered by OFAC. This includes requirements related to filing blocking and reject reports within ten business days, responses to administrative subpoenas issued​, reports required by general or specific licenses, or any other required reports or submissions.

On 4/16/17, the CFPB released the long-awaited final rule which changes the threshold of mortgage originations for both closed-end and open-end credit, which determines whether or not a financial institution is a HMDA reporter. The good news is that some HMDA reporters will no longer need to collect and report HMDA data, starting on July 1, 2020. Click here to see a summary of the changes…

On April 2016, the FFIEC announced the availability of two new computational tools: one for calculating APY and one for calculating APR. According to the FFIEC, the APR Computational Tool is designed to streamline the process by which examiners and financial institutions can verify finance charges and annual percentage rates included on consumer loan disclosures subject to the Truth in Lending Act and its implementing regulation, Regulation Z. The FFIEC explains that…