Top Story Lending Related

The Federal Trade Commission has announced it is mailing 2,031 checks totaling more than $436,000 to people who lost money to Money Now Funding, a work-at-home scheme that conned people, including many seniors with limited income and savings, into thinking they could make money by referring merchants in their area to a non-existent money-lending service.

The OCC has released new enforcement actions taken against national banks, federal savings associations, and individuals currently and formerly affiliated with national banks and federal savings associations. Four civil money penalties, one formal agreement, five personal cease and desist orders, and one removal/prohibition order were issued. Among those announced was the January 24, 2017, $65 million CMP issued to ServiceLink Holdings, LLC, of Jacksonville, Florida. There were also orders to cease and desist and to pay a total of $55,500 issued to three former directors of a Greenville, South Carolina bank.

The Department of Defense has posted a notice on its official Military Lending Act (MLA) website that between February 9 and February 15, 2017, there was a problem with MLA Multiple Record Requests that prevented 149 request files from processing. It was suggested that those who submitted a multiple record request file in between those dates, submit the file again for processing.

HUD and the Census Bureau have jointly announced new residential construction statistics for January 2017.

A CFPB Blog article requests comments on a new initiative that would take a closer look at the way consumers repay student debt and track the student loan industry activities that they depend on if they experience financial distress.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has published a final rule at 82 FR 10962 in today's Federal Register identifying communities in Colorado, Illinois and Virginia where the sale of flood insurance has been authorized under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that are scheduled for suspension today, February 17, 2017, for noncompliance with the floodplain management requirements of the program.

• Colorado—portions of Arapahoe County
• Illinois—portions of Peoria, Tazewell and Whiteside counties
• Virginia—the City of Norfolk and portions of Loudoun County

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has reported that 13,220 borrowers refinanced their mortgages through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) from October through December. FHFA's fourth quarter Refinance Report also shows that total refinance volume fell in December, as mortgage interest rates increased. Total HARP refinances now stand at 3,447,671 since the inception of the program in 2009.

The FRB has released its January 2017 G.17 industrial production and capacity utilization report. Industrial production decreased 0.3 percent in January following a 0.6 percent increase in December. In January, manufacturing output moved up 0.2 percent, and mining output jumped 2.8 percent. The index for utilities fell 5.7 percent, largely because unseasonably warm weather reduced the demand for heating. At 104.6 percent of its 2012 average, total industrial production in January was at about the same level as it was a year earlier. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector fell 0.3 percentage point in January to 75.3 percent, a rate that is 4.6 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2016) average.

Treasury has released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for December 2016. The sum total in December of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was a monthly net TIC outflow of $42.8 billion. Of this, net foreign private outflows were $57.1 billion, and net foreign official inflows were $14.3 billion. Foreign residents decreased their holdings of long-term U.S. securities in December; net sales were $13.9 billion. Net sales by private foreign investors were $32.0 billion, while net purchases by foreign official institutions were $18.1 billion. U.S. residents decreased their holdings of long-term foreign securities, with net sales of $1.1 billion.

In a press release coordinated to coincide with the CFPB's Charleston, West Virginia, February 16 field hearing on Alternative Data, the Bureau announced this morning it has launched an inquiry into ways to expand access to credit for consumers who are credit invisible or who lack enough credit history to obtain a credit score. The Bureau is seeking public feedback on the benefits and risks of tapping alternative data sources such as bills for mobile phones and rent payments to make lending decisions about consumers whose lack of credit history might otherwise block opportunities. Specifically, the Bureau will explore these, and other, topics:

• Access to credit
• Complexity of the process
• Impact on costs and service
• Implications for privacy and security
• Impact on specific groups