In this Issue. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued guidance for banks regarding the applicability of legal lending limits to purchased loans; the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced new rulemaking to protect consumers from data brokers; and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) settled charges with 11 Wall Street firms for violating certain recordkeeping provisions of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (Act).
In observance of the summer season and Labor Day weekend, the Roundup will be on hiatus for the next three weeks. We will resume distribution the week of Monday, September 11.
Regulatory Developments
Loan Purchase Activities: Legal Lending Limit Guidance From the OCC
On August 8, the OCC issued guidance for banks regarding the applicability of legal lending limits to purchased loans. The legal lending limit restricts the total amount of credit that a bank may extend to a single borrower. Unless an exception applies, all loans and extensions of credit made by banks are subject to the lending limit.
Determining whether a purchased loan is attributable to the seller under legal lending limit regulations involves considering more information than a credit extension made in house. Banks should examine the specific facts and circumstances surrounding a purchased loan. In particular, aggregate exposures attributable to a single seller must be part of the bank's legal lending limit. This occurs if the bank has a recourse, whether directly or indirectly, against the seller. If the bank does not have a recourse against the seller, the purchased loan would generally be attributable to only the named borrowers on the loan, unless there is another basis for attributing the loan to an additional party (e.g., under the direct benefit or common enterprise tests).
CFPB Announces New Rulemaking Under the FCRA to Protect Consumers from Data Brokers
On August 15, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra announced that the CFPB plans to propose a
rule for public comment in 2024 aimed at enforcing the Fair Credit
Reporting Act (FCRA) and protecting consumers from data
brokers' misuse or abuse of sensitive consumer data and other
harmful data broker practices. The rulemaking process will involve
the CFPB publishing an outline of proposals and alternatives under
consideration for the proposed rule, including defining a data
broker that sells certain types of consumer data (e.g., payment
history, income, criminal records) as a "consumer reporting
agency" and providing clarification around the extent to which
"credit header data" (e.g., name, date of birth, Social
Security number obtained from consumer reports generated by credit
reporting companies) is a consumer report. Updated rules under the
FCRA will be enforceable by the CFPB, other federal agencies, as
well as state law enforcement. The CFPB encourages small businesses
seeking to participate in the rulemaking process to contact the
CFPB.
"Compliance with the books and records requirements of
the federal securities laws is essential to investor protection and
well-functioning markets."
- Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC's Division of
Enforcement
SEC Charges 11 Wall Street Firms with Widespread Recordkeeping Failures
On August 8, the SEC settled charges with 11 Wall Street firms for violating certain recordkeeping provisions of the Act. The SEC's investigation uncovered employees at multiple levels, including supervisors and executives, utilized "off-channel" communications through various platforms on their personal devices to discuss business matters. The settlements underscore the SEC's increased focus on recordkeeping obligations of registered entities to maintain and preserve off-channel communications in compliance with the Act.
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