12 USC 5536 - Prohibited acts

Collapse to view only § 5536. Prohibited acts

§ 5531. Prohibiting unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices
§ 5532. Disclosures
§ 5533. Consumer rights to access information
§ 5534. Response to consumer complaints and inquiries
§ 5535. Private Education Loan Ombudsman
§ 5536. Prohibited acts
§ 5537. Senior investor protections
§ 5538. Mortgage loans; rulemaking procedures; enforcement

§ 5531. Prohibiting unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices

(a) In general

(b) Rulemaking

(1) In generalThe Bureau shall have no authority under this section to declare an act or practice in connection with a transaction with a consumer for a consumer financial product or service, or the offering of a consumer financial product or service, to be unlawful on the grounds that such act or practice is unfair, unless the Bureau has a reasonable basis to conclude that—

(A) the act or practice causes or is likely to cause substantial injury to consumers which is not reasonably avoidable by consumers; and

(B) such substantial injury is not outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers or to competition.

(2) Consideration of public policies

(d) AbusiveThe Bureau shall have no authority under this section to declare an act or practice abusive in connection with the provision of a consumer financial product or service, unless the act or practice—

(1) materially interferes with the ability of a consumer to understand a term or condition of a consumer financial product or service; or

(2) takes unreasonable advantage of—

(A) a lack of understanding on the part of the consumer of the material risks, costs, or conditions of the product or service;

(B) the inability of the consumer to protect the interests of the consumer in selecting or using a consumer financial product or service; or

(e) Consultation

(f) Consideration of seasonal income

(Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1031, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2005.)

§ 5532. Disclosures

(a) In general

(b) Model disclosures

(1) In general

(2) Format

A model form issued pursuant to paragraph (1) shall contain a clear and conspicuous disclosure that, at a minimum—

(A) uses plain language comprehensible to consumers;

(B) contains a clear format and design, such as an easily readable type font; and

(3) Consumer testing

(d) Safe harbor

(e) Trial disclosure programs

(1) In general

(2) Safe harbor

(3) Public disclosure

(f) Combined mortgage loan disclosure

(Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1032, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2006.)

§ 5533. Consumer rights to access information

(a) In general

(b) Exceptions

(1) any confidential commercial information, including an algorithm used to derive credit scores or other risk scores or predictors;

(2) any information collected by the covered person for the purpose of preventing fraud or money laundering, or detecting, or making any report regarding other unlawful or potentially unlawful conduct;

(3) any information required to be kept confidential by any other provision of law; or

(4) any information that the covered person cannot retrieve in the ordinary course of its business with respect to that information.

(d) Standardized formats for data

(e) Consultation

The Bureau shall, when prescribing any rule under this section, consult with the Federal banking agencies and the Federal Trade Commission to ensure, to the extent appropriate, that the rules—

(1) impose substantively similar requirements on covered persons;

(2) take into account conditions under which covered persons do business both in the United States and in other countries; and

(3) do not require or promote the use of any particular technology in order to develop systems for compliance.

(Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1033, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2008.)

§ 5534. Response to consumer complaints and inquiries

(a) Timely regulator response to consumers

The Bureau shall establish, in consultation with the appropriate Federal regulatory agencies, reasonable procedures to provide a timely response to consumers, in writing where appropriate, to complaints against, or inquiries concerning, a covered person, including—

(1) steps that have been taken by the regulator in response to the complaint or inquiry of the consumer;

(2) any responses received by the regulator from the covered person; and

(3) any follow-up actions or planned follow-up actions by the regulator in response to the complaint or inquiry of the consumer.

(b) Timely response to regulator by covered person

A covered person subject to supervision and primary enforcement by the Bureau pursuant to section 5515 of this title shall provide a timely response, in writing where appropriate, to the Bureau, the prudential regulators, and any other agency having jurisdiction over such covered person concerning a consumer complaint or inquiry, including—

(1) steps that have been taken by the covered person to respond to the complaint or inquiry of the consumer;

(2) responses received by the covered person from the consumer; and

(3) follow-up actions or planned follow-up actions by the covered person to respond to the complaint or inquiry of the consumer.

(1) In general

(2) Exceptions

A covered person subject to supervision and primary enforcement by the Bureau pursuant to section 5515 of this title, a prudential regulator, and any other agency having jurisdiction over a covered person subject to supervision and primary enforcement by the Bureau pursuant to section 5515 of this title may not be required by this section to make available to the consumer—

(A) any confidential commercial information, including an algorithm used to derive credit scores or other risk scores or predictors;

(B) any information collected by the covered person for the purpose of preventing fraud or money laundering, or detecting or making any report regarding other unlawful or potentially unlawful conduct;

(D) any nonpublic or confidential information, including confidential supervisory information.

(d) Agreements with other agencies

(Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1034, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2008.)

§ 5535. Private Education Loan Ombudsman

(a) Establishment

(b) Public information

The Ombudsman designated under this subsection shall—

(1) in accordance with regulations of the Director, receive, review, and attempt to resolve informally complaints from borrowers of loans described in subsection (a), including, as appropriate, attempts to resolve such complaints in collaboration with the Department of Education and with institutions of higher education, lenders, guaranty agencies, loan servicers, and other participants in private education loan programs;

(2) not later than 90 days after the designated transfer date, establish a memorandum of understanding with the student loan ombudsman established under section 1018(f) of title 20, to ensure coordination in providing assistance to and serving borrowers seeking to resolve complaints related to their private education or Federal student loans;

(3) compile and analyze data on borrower complaints regarding private education loans; and

(4) make appropriate recommendations to the Director, the Secretary, the Secretary of Education, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives.

(d) Annual reports

(1) In general

(2) Submission

(e) Definitions

(Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1035, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2009.)

§ 5536. Prohibited acts

(a) In generalIt shall be unlawful for—

(1) any covered person or service provider—

(A) to offer or provide to a consumer any financial product or service not in conformity with Federal consumer financial law, or otherwise commit any act or omission in violation of a Federal consumer financial law; or

(B) to engage in any unfair, deceptive, or abusive act or practice;

(2) any covered person or service provider to fail or refuse, as required by Federal consumer financial law, or any rule or order issued by the Bureau thereunder—

(A) to permit access to or copying of records;

(B) to establish or maintain records; or

(3) any person to knowingly or recklessly provide substantial assistance to a covered person or service provider in violation of the provisions of section 5531 of this title, or any rule or order issued thereunder, and notwithstanding any provision of this title,1

1 See References in Text note below.

the provider of such substantial assistance shall be deemed to be in violation of that section to the same extent as the person to whom such assistance is provided.

(b) Exception

(Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1036, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2010.)

§ 5537. Senior investor protections

(a) DefinitionsAs used in this section—

(1) the term “eligible entity” means—

(A) a securities commission (or any agency or office performing like functions) of a State that the Office determines has adopted rules on the appropriate use of designations in the offer or sale of securities or the provision of investment advice that meet or exceed the minimum requirements of the NASAA Model Rule on the Use of Senior-Specific Certifications and Professional Designations (or any successor thereto);

(B) the insurance commission (or any agency or office performing like functions) of any State that the Office determines has—

(i) adopted rules on the appropriate use of designations in the sale of insurance products that, to the extent practicable, conform to the minimum requirements of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Model Regulation on the Use of Senior-Specific Certifications and Professional Designations in the Sale of Life Insurance and Annuities (or any successor thereto); and

(ii) adopted rules with respect to fiduciary or suitability requirements in the sale of annuities that meet or exceed the minimum requirements established by the Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (or any successor thereto); or

(i) the securities commission (or any agency or office performing like functions) of the State is eligible under subparagraph (A); or

(ii) the insurance commission (or any agency or office performing like functions) of the State is eligible under subparagraph (B);

(2) the term “financial product” means a security, an insurance product (including an insurance product that pays a return, whether fixed or variable), a bank product, and a loan product;

(3) the term “misleading designation”—

(A) means a certification, professional designation, or other purported credential that indicates or implies that a salesperson or adviser has special certification or training in advising or servicing seniors; and

(B) does not include a certification, professional designation, license, or other credential that—

(i) was issued by or obtained from an academic institution having regional accreditation;

(ii) meets the standards for certifications and professional designations outlined by the NASAA Model Rule on the Use of Senior-Specific Certifications and Professional Designations (or any successor thereto) or by the Model Regulations on the Use of Senior-Specific Certifications and Professional Designations in the Sale of Life Insurance and Annuities, adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (or any successor thereto); or

(iii) was issued by or obtained from a State;

(4) the term “misleading or fraudulent marketing” means the use of a misleading designation by a person that sells to or advises a senior in connection with the sale of a financial product;

(5) the term “NASAA” means the North American Securities Administrators Association;

(6) the term “Office” means the Office of Financial Literacy of the Bureau;

(7) the term “senior” means any individual who has attained the age of 62 years or older; and

(8) the term “State” has the same meaning as in section 78c(a) of title 15.

(b)The Office shall establish a program under which the Office may make grants to States or eligible entities—

(1) to hire staff to identify, investigate, and prosecute (through civil, administrative, or criminal enforcement actions) cases involving misleading or fraudulent marketing;

(2) to fund technology, equipment, and training for regulators, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers, in order to identify salespersons and advisers who target seniors through the use of misleading designations;

(3) to fund technology, equipment, and training for prosecutors to increase the successful prosecution of salespersons and advisers who target seniors with the use of misleading designations;

(4) to provide educational materials and training to regulators on the appropriateness of the use of designations by salespersons and advisers in connection with the sale and marketing of financial products;

(5) to provide educational materials and training to seniors to increase awareness and understanding of misleading or fraudulent marketing;

(6) to develop comprehensive plans to combat misleading or fraudulent marketing of financial products to seniors; and

(7) to enhance provisions of State law to provide protection for seniors against misleading or fraudulent marketing.

(c) ApplicationsA State or eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Office, in such form and in such a manner as the Office may determine, that includes—

(1) a proposal for activities to protect seniors from misleading or fraudulent marketing that are proposed to be funded using a grant under this section, including—

(A) an identification of the scope of the problem of misleading or fraudulent marketing in the State;

(B) a description of how the proposed activities would—

(i) protect seniors from misleading or fraudulent marketing in the sale of financial products, including by proactively identifying victims of misleading and fraudulent marketing who are seniors;

(ii) assist in the investigation and prosecution of those using misleading or fraudulent marketing; and

(iii) discourage and reduce cases of misleading or fraudulent marketing; and

(2) any other information, as the Office determines is appropriate.

(d) Performance objectives and reporting requirements

(e) Maximum amountThe amount of a grant under this section may not exceed—

(1) $500,000 for each of 3 consecutive fiscal years, if the recipient is a State, or an eligible entity of a State, that has adopted rules—

(A) on the appropriate use of designations in the offer or sale of securities or investment advice that meet or exceed the minimum requirements of the NASAA Model Rule on the Use of Senior-Specific Certifications and Professional Designations (or any successor thereto);

(B) on the appropriate use of designations in the sale of insurance products that, to the extent practicable, conform to the minimum requirements of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Model Regulation on the Use of Senior-Specific Certifications and Professional Designations in the Sale of Life Insurance and Annuities (or any successor thereto); and

(C) with respect to fiduciary or suitability requirements in the sale of annuities that meet or exceed the minimum requirements established by the Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (or any successor thereto); and

(2) $100,000 for each of 3 consecutive fiscal years, if the recipient is a State, or an eligible entity of a State, that has adopted—

(A) rules on the appropriate use of designations in the offer or sale of securities or investment advice that meet or exceed the minimum requirements of the NASAA Model Rule on the Use of Senior-Specific Certifications and Professional Designations (or any successor thereto); or

(B) rules—

(i) on the appropriate use of designations in the sale of insurance products that, to the extent practicable, conform to the minimum requirements of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Model Regulation on the Use of Senior-Specific Certifications and Professional Designations in the Sale of Life Insurance and Annuities (or any successor thereto); and

(ii) with respect to fiduciary or suitability requirements in the sale of annuities that meet or exceed the minimum requirements established by the Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (or any successor thereto).

(f) Subgrants

(g) Reapplication

(h) Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 111–203, title IX, § 989A, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1941.)

§ 5538. Mortgage loans; rulemaking procedures; enforcement

(a)

(1) The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection shall have authority to prescribe rules with respect to mortgage loans in accordance with section 553 of title 5. Such rulemaking shall relate to unfair or deceptive acts or practices regarding mortgage loans, which may include unfair or deceptive acts or practices involving loan modification and foreclosure rescue services. Any violation of a rule prescribed under this paragraph shall be treated as a violation of a rule prohibiting unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices under the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 and a violation of a rule under section 18 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a) regarding unfair or deceptive acts or practices.

(2) The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection shall enforce the rules issued under paragraph (1) in the same manner, by the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, powers, and duties, as though all applicable terms and provisions of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 were incorporated into and made part of this subsection.

(3) Subject to subtitle B of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 [12 U.S.C. 5511 et seq.], the Federal Trade Commission shall enforce the rules issued under paragraph (1), in the same manner, by the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, as though all applicable terms and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.] were incorporated into and made part of this section.

(b)

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (6), in any case in which the attorney general of a State has reason to believe that an interest of the residents of the State has been or is threatened or adversely affected by the engagement of any person subject to a rule prescribed under subsection (a) in practices that violate such rule, the State, as parens patriae, may bring a civil action on behalf of its residents in an appropriate district court of the United States or other court of competent jurisdiction—

(A) to enjoin that practice;

(B) to enforce compliance with the rule;

(D) to obtain penalties and relief provided under the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, the Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.], and such other relief as the court deems appropriate.

(2) The State shall serve written notice to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection or the Commission, as appropriate 1

1 So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma.

of any civil action under paragraph (1) at least 60 days prior to initiating such civil action. The notice shall include a copy of the complaint to be filed to initiate such civil action, except that if it is not feasible for the State to provide such prior notice, the State shall provide notice immediately upon instituting such civil action.

(3) Upon receiving the notice required by paragraph (2), and subject to subtitle B of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 [12 U.S.C. 5511 et seq.], the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection or the Commission, as appropriate 1 may intervene in such civil action and upon intervening—

(A) be heard on all matters arising in such civil action;

(B) remove the action to the appropriate United States district court; and

(4) Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the attorney general of a State from exercising the powers conferred on the attorney general by the laws of such State to conduct investigations or to administer oaths or affirmations or to compel the attendance of witnesses or the production of documentary and other evidence. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the attorney general of a State, or other authorized State officer, from proceeding in State or Federal court on the basis of an alleged violation of any civil or criminal statute of that State.

(5) In a civil action brought under paragraph (1)—

(A) the venue shall be a judicial district in which the defendant is found, is an inhabitant, or transacts business or wherever venue is proper under section 1391 of title 28; and

(B) process may be served without regard to the territorial limits of the district or of the State in which the civil action is instituted.

(6) Whenever a civil action or an administrative action has been instituted by or on behalf of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection or the Commission for violation of any provision of law or rule described in paragraph (1), no State may, during the pendency of such action instituted by or on behalf of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection or the Commission, institute a civil action under that paragraph against any defendant named in the complaint in such action for violation of any law or rule as alleged in such complaint.

(7) If the attorney general of a State prevails in any civil action under paragraph (1), the State can recover reasonable costs and attorney fees from the lender or related party.

(Pub. L. 111–8, div. D, title VI, § 626(a), (b), Mar. 11, 2009, 123 Stat. 678; Pub. L. 111–24, title V, § 511(a), May 22, 2009, 123 Stat. 1763; Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1097, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2102.)