Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection December 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is publishing this notice seeking comment on a Generic Information Collection titled, ``The Effect of Different Savings Elicitation Strategies on Emergency Savings Targets,'' prior to requesting the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) approval of this collection under the Generic Information Collection ``Generic Information Collection Plan for Studies of Consumers using Controlled Trials in Field and Economic Laboratory Settings'' under OMB Control number 3170-0048.

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is amending the official commentary that interprets the requirements of the Bureau's Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) to reflect changes in the asset-size thresholds for certain creditors to qualify for an exemption to the requirement to establish an escrow account for a higher-priced mortgage loan. These changes reflect updates to the exemption from TILA's escrow requirement of creditors that, together with affiliates that regularly extended covered transactions secured by first liens, had total assets of less than $2 billion (adjusted annually for inflation) and the exemption the Bureau added, by implementing section 108 of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (EGRRCPA), for certain insured depository institutions and insured credit unions with assets of $10 billion or less (adjusted annually for inflation). These amendments are based on the annual percentage change in the average of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Based on the 4.7 percent increase in the average of the CPI-W for the 12-month period ending in November 2021, the exemption threshold for creditors and their affiliates that regularly extended covered transactions secured by first liens is adjusted to $2.336 billion from $2.230 billion. The exemption threshold for certain insured depository institutions and insured credit unions with assets of $10 billion or less (adjusted annually for inflation) is adjusted to $10.473 billion from $10 billion.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is requesting to renew the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) approval for an existing information collection titled ``Electronic Fund Transfer Act (Regulation E).''

On October 21, 2021, the Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau or CFPB) ordered six large technology companies operating payments systems in the United States to provide information about certain of their business practices. Accompanying the orders, the Director of the Bureau issued a statement and invited interested parties to comment on the inquiry. The statement and request for comment was published in the Federal Register on November 5, 2021, in a document titled, ``Notice and Request for Comment Regarding the CFPB's Inquiry Into Big Tech Payment Platforms.'' The Bureau has determined that a re-opening of the comment period until December 21, 2021, is appropriate.