Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) – 2018 Compliance Forum
Karen Cullen, CRCM, and director in the regulatory compliance and fair & responsible lending practices, presented HMDA Rule Changes at three sessions of the WBA’s Compliance Forum – 10/30 in Stevens Point, 10/31 in the Wisconsin Dells and 11/1 in Pewaukee. With HMDA submission right around the corner, it is a good time to review regulatory expectations.
Operationalizing UDAAP: Building a Strong Foundation to Control Risk
In the September/October issue of Western Banker, Heidi Wier and Karen Cullen discuss the challenges of operationalizing and controlling UDAAP risk in banking in their article “Operationalizing UDAAP: Building a Strong Foundation to Control Risk”. The complexity arises from a lack of implementing regulations and UDAAP’s broad applicability across various customer experiences, including products, pricing, and marketing. To establish a strong UDAAP foundation, banks should implement clear policies, provide training, foster a customer-centric culture, manage complaints effectively, oversee third-party vendors, and ensure robust monitoring and board oversight. A comprehensive approach to UDAAP compliance will help mitigate risks and ensure fair treatment of consumers.
Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association (WIMBA) – 2018 Mortgage Boot Camp
November 13-14 in Delafield, Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association hosted a new one-and-a-half day seminar was designed for mortgage professionals of all levels of experience who to increase their knowledge of the business and grow sales potential. On Day Two, November 14th, Karen Cullen, CRCM, director in the regulatory compliance and fair & responsible lending practices, presented Mortgage Lending Compliance – an overview of the top mortgage regulations you need to know as a mortgage lender.
Western Bankers Association (WBA) – 2018 Fair Lending for Commercial Lenders Webinar
On October 10th at 9:00 pacific time, Karen Cullen, director in the Regulatory Compliance and Fair Lending practices, presented a webinar for the Western Bankers on the subject of Fair Lending for Commercial Lenders. In this webinar, participants gained a better understanding of fair lending regulations, learned how to develop a risk assessment and controls, and learned how to prepare for an exam.
Chicagoland Compliance Association (CCA) – 2018 Annual Conference
On October 4th, at the CCA’s annual conference, Jim Shankle participated on a panel, Mortgage Servicing Rules for Servicers. The panel also included Solomon Maman, Partner, Noonan Lieberman. Sharon Michnuk, Head of Consumer Risk/Risk Management, CIBC Bank was the moderator.
Western Bankers Association (WBA) – 2018 Regulatory Compliance Conference
On Thursday, October 4th, CrossCheck at this conference Heidi Wier, managing director, presented on HMDA Data Integrity Review – Methods for Ensuring HMDA Data Accuracy and Liza Warner, managing director, presented on Compliance Risk Assessment.
Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association (IMBA) – 2018 Regulatory Update
On November 1st in Oakbrook, Illinois, Tracey Levandoski, CRCM, and a manager in the regulatory compliance and internal audit practices, presented on risk assessment at the Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association Regulatory Update.
Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) – 2018 Webinar – Effective Audit Function: Beyond the Basics
This webinar, presented on September 27, is now available for purchase on the MBA’s website. The presenters discussed how effective internal audit programs evolve over time. While previous MBA internal audit webinars focused on basic elements of the program, this webinar provided more advanced information. The panel, moderated by Chris Ortigara CMB®, included CrossCheck presenters, Jim Shankle and Heidi Wier, who are credentialed internal auditors with several years of experience auditing mortgage entities. Additionally, a lender provided their company’s two year perspective from initial design of their audit program to their current post-MORA state.
Appraisal Considerations of the EGRRCPA
In the August 2018 issue of ComplianceAction, Mollie Sudhoff discusses “Appraisal Considerations of the EGRRCPA,” highlighting implications of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, or “S2155.” This law seeks to relieve certain Dodd-Frank Act provisions while introducing new compliance requirements. Sudhoff stresses the importance of understanding the new appraisal guidelines, including exemptions for rural properties and donated services. While the EGRRCPA aims to ease compliance burdens, accurate appraisals remain essential for sound economic decisions.
Northern Illinois Compliance Association (NICA) /Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association (IBA) – 2018 One-Day HMDA Workshop
On September 14th, NICA, in partnership with the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA), held an informative one-day workshop. Karen Cullen, CRCM, and a director with CrossCheck Compliance, presented HMDA Follow Up (Tips and Tricks and What We Have Learned). Do you know the integrity of your HMDA data? This interactive session included a discussion of how banks are implementing the 2018 data rules, interpreting how the rules affect your institution and ways to develop consistent reporting methods. Also discussed were ways to use logic systemic scrubs to find errors in your data that sample testing won’t catch.
American Bar Association (ABA) – 2018 Annual Business Law Section Meeting
On Thursday, September 13th, Monika L. McCarthy, managing director and general counsel, moderated a general counsel roundtable. This dynamic panel from banking, mortgage, and fintech companies discussed current risks they face and mitigate, their expectations and requirements for outside counsel, and best practices for in-house counsel.
BankWebinars.com 2018 Webinar – HMDA Data – Trust but Verify
On August 21st Heidi Wier presented a webinar on the methods lenders can use to ensure that their HMDA data is accurate. This webinar was beneficial for anyone with responsibility for HMDA data integrity or analyzing the information to help manage fair lending risk, including senior management, compliance officers, attorneys and auditors.
Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) – 2018 Regulatory Compliance Conference
On Sunday September 16th, Mike Forester, managing director, participated on the Anti-Money Laundering, Know Your Customer and Fraud panel at the MBA’s Regulatory Compliance Conference in Washington D.C. This panel was part of the Emerging Compliance Risk Track.
Mitigating Fraud Risk Through the Loan Life Cycle
In the August 2018 issue of Mortgage Compliance Magazine, Tim McWay and Todd Krell’s article “Mitigating Fraud Risk Through the Loan Life Cycle,” highlights the need for a comprehensive fraud prevention program. With mortgage fraud on the rise, as indicated by increasing reports from CoreLogic and Fannie Mae, the authors identify contributing factors such as a stable economy and a shift from refinancing to higher-risk purchase transactions. They emphasize the importance of fostering a culture of fraud prevention that starts at the application stage and extends through processing and closing.
Western Bankers Association – 2018 Webinar – Understanding and Controlling UDAAP Compliance Risk
On August 2nd, Karen Cullen and Heidi Wier presented a webinar for the Western Bankers Association on the topic of UDAAP compliance risk. In this webinar, participants learned the best practices for incorporating UDAAP into a compliance management program, how to develop a UDAAP risk assessment and measure UDAAP risk, and how applying customer service can help operationalize UDAAP.
Northern Illinois Compliance Association – 2018 Summer Meeting
On July 20th, Karen Cullen, director in the Regulatory Compliance and Fair Lending practices presented on Fair Lending: Strong Compliance Management and Understanding/Controlling Risk. This meeting was held at Giovanni’s in Rockford, Illinois.
Leveraging Technology to Improve the Accuracy of HMDA Data
The July 2018 article “Leveraging Technology to Improve the Accuracy of HMDA Data” by Heidi Wier in Housing Wire addresses the challenges financial institutions face in ensuring accurate Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data. Wier highlights the importance of systemic data integrity reviews, suggesting that technology can enhance accuracy and reduce costly manual file reviews. As regulators increase scrutiny, particularly for 2018 HMDA data, she outlines a multi-step integrity process that includes omissions testing and conflict/error testing. While systemic reviews are not infallible, they allow lenders to efficiently analyze their entire Loan Application Register (LAR), proactively managing risk and maintaining data accuracy to meet regulatory expectations and improve fair lending practices.
Are You Leaving Money on the Table? – Using Regulation E More Effectively can Reduce Operating Losses
The special supplement to Illinois Banker, 2018 Banking Trends: Management and Operations, includes the article “Are You Leaving Money on the Table? – Using Regulation E More Effectively can Reduce Operating Losses,” in which Kelli Schoon-Saxsma and Heidi Wier highlight the potential risks financial institutions face when neglecting Regulation E in the wake of evolving regulations. With the rise of electronic payments, inadequate focus on claims processing can lead to operational losses and compliance challenges. By implementing robust procedures and staff training, banks can not only mitigate errors but also enhance customer service and safeguard the integrity of their HMDA data.
State Attorneys General Ramping Up – Are You Ready?
In the Summer 2018 issue of California Mortgage Finance News, Monika McCarthy’s article “State Attorneys General Ramping Up – Are You Ready?” discusses the increased supervision and enforcement by state regulators following a decline in CFPB activity under the Trump Administration. She highlights the significant power of State Attorneys General (AGs) as both legal advisors and law enforcement leaders. With 27 Republican AGs and 22 Democratic AGs, the political landscape can impact regulatory focus. McCarthy emphasizes the importance for lenders to engage with regulators, adapt compliance strategies, and prepare for potential state-level enforcement, particularly regarding consumer protection and fair lending practices.
Controlling the Narrative – Now is the Time to Understand Your Data
Karen Cullen’s article in the June 2019 issue of Mortgage Compliance Magazine “Controlling the Narrative – Now is the Time to Understand Your Data” highlights the necessity for financial institutions to understand their Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data in the evolving mortgage landscape. The article encourages evaluating lending demographics, marketing effectiveness, and loan processing times to uncover growth opportunities. Cullen advocates for proactive risk management to mitigate risks while enhancing business development, urging institutions to assess disparities in lending practices and benchmark performance against peers to improve community service and regulatory compliance.
