Delaware Administrative Code
Title 5 - Banking
2100 - Mortgage Loan Brokers
2107/2208 - Guidance On Nontraditional Mortgage Product Risks
Section 2107/2208-1.0 - Introduction and Background

1.1 On October 4, 2006, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) (collectively, the Agencies) published final guidance in the Federal Register (Volume 71, Number 192, Page 58609-58618) on nontraditional mortgage product risks ("interagency guidance"). The interagency guidance applies to all banks and their subsidiaries, bank holding companies and their nonbank subsidiaries, savings associations and their subsidiaries, savings and loan holding companies and their subsidiaries, and credit unions.

1.2 The Agencies developed their guidance to address risks associated with the growing use of mortgage products that allow borrowers to defer payment of principal and, sometimes, interest. These products, referred to variously as "nontraditional," "alternative," or "exotic" mortgage loans (hereinafter referred to as nontraditional mortgage loans), include "interest-only" mortgages and "payment option" adjustable-rate mortgages. These products allow borrowers to exchange lower payments during an initial period for higher payments during a later amortization period.

1.3 While similar products have been available for many years, the number of institutions and providers offering them has expanded rapidly. At the same time, these products are offered to a wider spectrum of borrowers who may not otherwise qualify for more traditional mortgages. The Commissioner isconcerned that some borrowers may not fully understand the risks of these products. While many of these risks exist in other adjustable-rate mortgage products, the concern of the Commissioner is elevated with nontraditional products because of the lack of principal amortization and potential for negative amortization. In addition, providers are increasingly combining these loans with other features that may compound risk. These features include simultaneous second-lien mortgages and the use of reduced documentation in evaluating an applicant's creditworthiness.

1.4 Residential mortgage lending has traditionally been a conservatively managed business with low delinquencies and losses and reasonably stable underwriting standards. In the past few years consumer demand has been growing, particularly in high priced real estate markets, for closed-end residential mortgage loan products that allow borrowers to defer repayment of principal and, sometimes, interest. These mortgage products, herein referred to as nontraditional mortgage loans, include such products as "interest-only" mortgages where a borrower pays no loan principal for the first few years of the loan and "payment option" adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) where a borrower has flexible payment options with the potential for negative amortization.1

1.5 While some providers have offered nontraditional mortgages for many years with appropriate risk management, the market for these products and the number of providers offering them has expanded rapidly. Nontraditional mortgage loan products are now offered by more lenders to a wider spectrum of borrowers who may not otherwise qualify for more traditional mortgage loans and may not fully understand the associated risks.

1.6 Many of these nontraditional mortgage loans are underwritten with less stringent income and asset verification requirements ("reduced documentation") and are increasingly combined with simultaneous second-lien loans.2 Such risk layering, combined with the broader marketing of nontraditional mortgage loans, exposes providers to increased risk relative to traditional mortgage loans.

1.7 Given the potential for heightened risk levels, management should carefully consider and appropriately mitigate exposures created by these loans. To manage the risks associated with nontraditional mortgage loans, management should:

1.8 The Commissioner expects providers to effectively assess and manage the risks associated with nontraditional mortgage loan products.

1.9 Providers should use this guidance to ensure that risk management practices adequately address these risks. The Commissioner will carefully scrutinize risk management processes, policies, and procedures in this area. Providers that do not adequately manage these risks will be asked to take remedial action.

1.10 The focus of this guidance is on the higher risk elements of certain nontraditional mortgage products, not the product type itself. Providers with sound underwriting, and adequate risk management will not be subject to criticism merely for offering such products.

1 Interest-only and payment option ARMs are variations of conventional ARMs, hybrid ARMs, and fixed rate products. Refer to the Appendix for additional information on interest-only and payment option ARM loans. This guidance does not apply to reverse mortgages; home equity lines of credit ("HELOCs"), other than as discussed in the Simultaneous Second-Lien Loans section; or fully amortizing residential mortgage loan products.

2 Refer to the Appendix for additional information on reduced documentation and simultaneous second-lien loans.