The Compliance 911 Show Dean Stockford - Len Suzio

In Podcast 73, Dean and Len discuss a recent preliminary injunction issued by a Texas federal judge against the 2023 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rule. This injunction has halted the implementation of the new rule, pending legal proceedings. The court found substantial grounds suggesting the federal banking regulators may have exceeded their authority in expanding CRA evaluation markets and including deposits and other retail banking products under the regulation. The court's decision highlighted four key reasons for this view: the inconsistent interpretation of "entire community" in the new rule, the questionable authority to regulate beyond credit activities, the application of the "Major Questions Doctrine," and a substantial likelihood of plaintiff’s success with irreparable harm due to compliance costs. Dean and Len predict a favorable outcome for the plaintiffs, with the case likely progressing to the Supreme Court, prolonging the legal process into 2025. They advise banks to comply with the current rule and suggest banks compute and target the proposed calibrated benchmarks for at least a satisfactory performance rating on the Lending Test. The episode ends with Dean and Len emphasizing the importance of staying informed and prepared as the situation develops.Brought to you by GeoDataVision and M&M Consulting

This episode of the podcast, focusing on climate risk as an emerging regulatory compliance issue, features a dialogue between Len and Dean. They discuss how climate-related risks, especially in the financial sector, have gained attention in recent years. New York State is highlighted for its proactive stance in providing guidance for financial institutions on managing these risks, including a section published on the NYDFS website. Dean emphasizes the lack of specific regulations but notes earlier general principles issued by the OCC regarding climate-related financial risk management. They also delve into the use of data and mapping techniques to assess climate risks at a granular level, stressing the importance of geocoding records and correlating them with climate hazards. The discussion concludes with an emphasis on financial institutions starting to identify and assess climate risks, considering both physical and transition risks, and integrating these into their overall risk management frameworks. The episode promotes their consulting services for assisting institutions in managing climate risks.Brought to you by GeoDataVision and M&M Consulting

Podcast #71 discusses how banks can estimate their performance under the new Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rules. Len highlights bankers' concerns about the increased difficulty in passing the CRA exam with the new rules, which predict a significant rise in failure rates. He emphasizes the importance of the Retail Lending Test, explaining that failing this test results in an overall unsatisfactory CRA rating.To estimate their performance, banks should first focus on the Retail Lending Test and identify their Retail Lending Assessment Areas. The next steps involve determining benchmarks based on geographic and borrower distribution tests and applying multipliers to create calibrated benchmarks for a low satisfactory rating. Banks then need to compute their penetration rates in different income tracts and compare them to these benchmarks.Dean asks about data sources for these calculations, and Len suggests using HMDA and CRA data, along with FFIEC demographic files. He also notes that GeoDataVision will publish relevant benchmarks on their website for further guidance. The podcast ends with an invitation for future topic suggestions from listeners.
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Episode 70 of "Compliance 911, show" titled "2024 Regulatory Hot Topics," discusses the major regulatory challenges facing financial institutions in 2024. Hosts Len and Dean mark their 70th episode, reflecting on various topics covered over the series. They delve into significant regulatory changes including the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) reforms and Dodd-Frank 1071 rules, highlighting their impact on banks and the ongoing lawsuits challenging these regulations. Additionally, they touch on proposed changes to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), slow progress in Anti-Money Laundering rulemaking, and new standards for Automated Valuation Models (AVMs). The episode also covers updates in Fair Lending, digital adaptations for FDIC signs, and mortgage-related regulations, emphasizing their significance for financial institutions in 2024.
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Episode 68 of the podcast discusses the investigation process for Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT) under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. The hosts, Dean and Len, emphasize the importance of consumer protection in EFT and remittance transfers, outlining the process for consumers to dispute unauthorized or incorrect transactions. They stress that financial institutions must promptly begin investigating disputes upon receiving notice, either oral or written, from the consumer. The regulation mandates strict timelines for these investigations, with institutions having 10 business days to investigate, extendable to 45 or 90 days for certain cases if provisional credit is provided. The episode highlights the need for financial institutions to be aware of and comply with these regulations, including the application of Regulation E to Person to Person (P2P) payments. The hosts conclude by encouraging listeners to stay informed about their institution’s error resolution processes and suggesting future podcast topics.
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Podcast #69, "The Coming Perfect Storm," features a discussion between Dean and Len Suzio about new regulatory challenges for the banking sector. Len highlights the implications of two key regulations: Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act and the new Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rule. Section 1071 requires detailed reporting of small business lending data, including race and ethnicity of borrowers, to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The revised CRA rule emphasizes the impact of fair lending issues on a bank's CRA rating and introduces more stringent criteria for evaluating discriminatory or illegal credit practices.
Len expresses concerns about the potential misuse of small business lending data and the new CRA rule's assessment areas, which could unfairly impact banks' operations and regulatory compliance. He notes that these changes could lead to more aggressive regulatory approaches, especially in light of the Department of Justice's "Anti-redlining Initiative." The podcast concludes with an acknowledgment of the seriousness of these regulatory changes and their potential impact on the banking industry.
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