Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection April 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is reopening the comment period for a specific aspect of the proposed rule published by the Bureau in the Federal Register on December 15, 2014 (79 FR 74176). On December 15, 2014, the Bureau published for notice and comment proposed amendments to certain mortgage servicing provisions in Regulation X and Regulation Z. Among other things, the proposed rule: Addressed requiring servicers to provide modified periodic statements under Regulation Z to consumers who have filed for bankruptcy, subject to certain exceptions; included related proposed sample periodic statement forms; and indicated that the Bureau intended to conduct consumer testing of the proposed sample forms and would publish and seek comment on a report summarizing the methods and results of such testing prior to finalizing any sample forms. The original comment period to the proposed rule closed on March 16, 2015. The Bureau conducted consumer testing of sample periodic statement forms for consumers in bankruptcy after the close of the original comment period. The Bureau now reopens the comment period until May 26, 2016 to seek comment specifically on the report summarizing consumer testing of sample periodic statement forms for consumers in bankruptcy.

The Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Regulation Z require credit card issuers to submit their currently-offered credit card agreements to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau), to be posted on the Bureau's Web site. In April 2015, the Bureau suspended that submission obligation for a period of one year. That suspension has expired, and the next submission is due on the first business day on or after April 30, 2016 (i.e., May 2, 2016). Credit card issuers should visit the Bureau's Web site for instructions on submitting credit card agreements.