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Coming off what could easily be classified as the most tumultuous year of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s existence, some legal experts are hopeful for a more steady approach from the bureau in the foreseeable future and are advising their clients to think twice before diverting resources away from compliance.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule amending its implementing regulation for the Equal Credit Opportunity Act on April 21. The rule would narrow the scope of longstanding principles used in fair lending enforcement. Dodd Frank Update conducted a thorough review of the final rule and consulted with former CFPB Senior Counsel Rich Horn, co-managing partner at Garris Horn LLP, for his insight.

While many expected the Federal Open Market Committee to vote to keep the federal funds target range unchanged at 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 percent for the third consecutive time, far fewer predicted the April 28-29 meeting to result in the most significant split among the committee’s members in more than 30 years.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) final rule revising Regulation B has raised many questions and concerns since its publication. Former CFPB Senior Counsel David Friend, owner of Friend Mortgage Consulting, shared with Dodd Frank Update his thoughts on the rule. 

ServiceLink’s senior vice president of valuation spoke with Dodd Frank Update about maintaining strong relationships with appraisers, agents and data collection panels, as well as key factors in running a successful valuation business.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Agriculture announced on April 28 the rescission of the “Energy Efficiency Standards for New Construction” final determination for HUD- and USDA-financed housing. The agencies said the decision removes a “significant regulatory barrier” for homebuilders.

The federal banking regulators lowered the community bank leverage ratio (CBLR) via a final rule issued on April 24. By lowering the CBLR requirement, the agencies hope to encourage more community banks to adopt the framework.

The House Financial Services Committee convened on April 28 to review proposals from the federal banking agencies to implement revised Basel III capital rules with testimony courtesy of representatives from the financial services sector.

While many expected the Federal Open Market Committee to vote to keep the federal funds target range unchanged at 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 percent for the third consecutive time, far fewer predicted the April 28-29 meeting to result in the most significant split among the committee’s members in more than 30 years.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are collaborating with the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to implement new credit score models as part of a joint effort to create a “modernized and more competitive” framework for mortgage underwriting.

President Donald Trump’s nominee to be become the next chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Kevin Warsh, appeared before the Senate Banking Committee for his confirmation hearing. In addition to his views on monetary policy, the hearing featured significant discussion about Warsh’s commitment to the independence of the Fed.

With housing costs consuming up to 50 percent of the median income in some states, the personal-finance company WalletHub recently released its report on the “States Where People Spend the Most & Least on Housing” to highlight where homeownership is least affordable for the average resident.

The National Association of Realtors is offering agents, brokers and appraisers the opportunity to work together on critical industry and association issues. There may just be a committee that needs their experience and perspective.

The House Financial Services Committee voted to advance legislation to partially nullify a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule requiring financial institutions to collect data on certain small business credit applications, among others.

Despite higher origination costs, independent mortgage banks and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered banks saw a four-year high in net profit margins on originated loans last year, according to survey data published in the Mortgage Bankers Association’s 2025 Annual Mortgage Bankers Performance Report.

A settlement between the Department of Justice and Colony Ridge Inc. will move forward without federal court approval, after a Texas district court determined the case was “not governed by any federal statute that requires a court order” in a joint stipulated order of dismissal issued on April 10.

In Part II of Dodd Frank Update’s conversation with Walitt Solutions’ Owner and Principal Josh Walitt and Senior Valuations Consultant Cindi Harris, they dive a little deeper as how the appraisal profession will prosper with more tech tools at one’s disposal, including those that can reduce the appearance of bias in valuations.

The seniors housing sector has experienced its strongest year in a decade, with rolling four-quarter transaction volume reaching $24 billion by year-end 2025, the highest level since Q2 2015 according to JLL’s 2026 Seniors Housing and Care Investor Survey and Trends Outlook.

Class Valuation recently announced that it has acquired Lauritano Appraisal Services, a New York-based residential appraisal firm with more than 30 years of experience delivering high-quality valuation services.

There are a lot of elements that go into a homebuying decision beyond finance. The 2026 ServiceLink State of Homebuying Report examined the perspectives of mortgage borrowers and loan officers to understand the psychology of homebuyers.

Applying technology to appraisals requires asking questions about accuracy, workflow integration, compliance and data reliability. Dodd Frank Update recently spoke with Walitt Solutions’ Owner and Principal Josh Walitt and Senior Valuations Consultant Cindi Harris for answers to those questions, while also addressing how to use the new tools and how to correctly interpret the information provided.

Cotality, established in property information, analytics, and data‑enabled solutions, recently released its Home Price Index with February 2026 data. Year-over-year home price growth slowed to 0.5 percent in February as the U.S. housing market continues to rebalance.

Velox Valuations recently began providing UAD 3.6 appraisals across the markets it serves nationwide. In February, the company completed its first two UAD 3.6 assignments in California and Florida.

The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and banking agencies issued two proposed rules to revise Bank Secrecy Act regulations governing financial institutions’ anti-money-laundering programs and establish such requirements for stablecoin issuers.

During a session at the Consumer Bankers Association’s 2026 annual conference in San Diego, panelists pointed to data as not only an effective compliance tool, but one that could help turn their Community Reinvestment Act strategy I not an effective business strategy, as well.

Two recent presidential Executive Orders direct federal regulators to expand the acceptance of automated valuation models, desktop appraisals, hybrid appraisals and artificial intelligence valuation tools. In an exclusive interview, Dodd Frank Update spoke with John Russell, of ValuSight Consulting, about what these orders mean for appraisers moving forward, as well as for lender liability and turn times.

To offer additional flexibility for new private sector use-cases, the Federal Reserve announced it is seeking public comments on a proposal to allow U.S. banks and credit unions to use intermediaries to transfer funds through the FedNow Service.

The Spring home-buying season kicked off with new home purchase applications up considerably in March from both an annualized and monthly perspective, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Builder Application Survey data.

The National Association of Realtors provided comments on the Appraiser Qualification Board's First Exposure Draft of the Proposed Changes to the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. rescinded a 2023 guidance issued for banks charging re-presentment nonsufficient funds fees, clarifying certain practices that could be deemed unfair or deceptive, particularly with respect to multiple fees charged for the same transaction.

The Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6 becomes mandatory for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac this year. In an exclusive interview, Valligent executives explain how lenders not already preparing for this transition face significant operational, compliance and competitive risks.

The minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee’s March 17-18 meeting offered further insight into its members’ decision to hold the federal funds target rate at 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 percent. They indicated the conflict in the Middle East and the resulting economic uncertainty could play a key role in future interest rate votes.

Fannie Mae issued a formal letter establishing governance principles for the appropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) among its single-family sellers and servicers. The move is a major step in establishing a regulatory regime around AI/ML technologies.

Mortgage credit availability increased by 1.1 percent in March, according to data provided by ICE Mortgage Technology and analyzed by the Mortgage Bankers Association. With the modest uptick, available credit hit its highest point in more than three years despite volatile mortgage rates.

As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting a smooth transition to the Uniform Appraisal Dataset 3.6 and Forms Redesign, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae made minor updates to existing documentation on their websites.

The Trump administration’s latest effort to reduce funding for the Community Development Financial Institution Fund would slash approximately two-thirds of the fund’s budget for fiscal year 2027 and impose a new fee on certain small business lenders.

Dodd Frank Update asked multiple sources for their take on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s relatively low third quarter funding request by acting director Russ Vought and what it could signal about the agency’s direction.

In Part II of our conversation with Timothy Hansen, a Certified General appraiser and owner of Blue Ridge Valuation Services, the veteran appraiser gives more detailed information as to what the Uniform Standards of Appraisal Practice tells appraisers needs to be done when it comes to making adjustments and providing proof within the workfile.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s annual performance plan for fiscal year 2026-2027 included strategies and objectives for modernizing the Federal Home Loan Bank system and the government-sponsored enterprises. The report warned of third-party risks to mortgage liquidity among the agency’s regulated entities.

Stewart Valuation Intelligence, a Stewart Information Services Corp. company, recently announced it has acquired Nationwide Appraisal Network, LLC, a nationally recognized appraisal management company with more than two decades of leading and shaping the appraisal industry.

CrossCountry Intermediate Holdco, LLC, entered into a merger agreement with Two Harbors Investment Corp. (TWO), one of the largest servicers of conventional mortgages in the country. TWO previously agreed to be acquired by UWM Holdings Corp.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued its second reduction in force order in as many years and requested a federal court to permit its implementation. Dodd Frank Update sought insight from former bureau attorneys about the implications of the latest personnel move by the bureau.

Appraisers generally must comply with the standards within the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Timothy Hansen, a Certified General appraiser and owner of Blue Ridge Valuation Services, sat down with Dodd Frank Update to discuss in detail how to ensure a USPAP-compliant appraisal.

A draft version of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Fiscal Year 2026-2030 Strategic Plan would align heavily with executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, seeking to reduce regulatory burdens in the name of promoting economic growth. The bureau has urged interested stakeholders to comment on the plan before it is finalized.

Among the highlights from the Consumer Bankers Association’s annual conference was a March 31 general session featuring policymakers and industry executives discussing the impact certain regulatory shifts could have on the financial marketplace and small businesses.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced the publication of 2025 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data on the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s HMDA Platform on March 31.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. released its “Consumer Compliance Supervisory Highlights” report on March 31, summarizing results of the agency’s examinations related to compliance issues identified among state non-member banks and thrifts supervised by the agency.