REGULATORY DEVELOPMENTS
CFPB Warns Mortgage Servicers to Prepare Now for Anticipated Surge of Homeowners Needing Assistance
On March 31, the CFPB issued Compliance Bulletin 2021-02, promising accountability for servicers who fail to put struggling families first and asking them to prepare now to deal with the foreseeable surge of borrowers in need of loss mitigation assistance when the pandemic-related federal emergency mortgage protections expire in June. The CFPB communicated that it will be monitoring how mortgage servicers engage with borrowers, respond to borrower requests, and process applications for loss mitigation to prevent avoidable foreclosures, expecting servicers to:
Contact borrowers in forbearance before the end of the forbearance period so they have time to apply for help;