Fair Lending
CFPB Takes Action Against Franklin Loan Corporation for Steering Consumers into Costlier Mortgages
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ordered a California mortgage lender, Franklin Loan Corporation, to pay $730,000 for giving its employees illegal bonuses for steering consumers into loans with higher interest rates. The Bureau has asked a federal district court to approve a consent order requiring the company to end its illegal compensation system and refund the consumers it harmed.
| Institution | Regulator(s) | Violation | Penalty | Period covered | HMDA/fair-lending data field involved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Loan Corporation | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) | Paid loan officers bonuses tied to the interest rates of loans they closed, violating the Federal Reserve Board's Loan Originator Compensation Rule | $730,000 in redress to affected consumers (no civil penalty sought, based on Franklin's financial condition and the Bureau's desire to maximize relief to consumers) | June 2011 to October 2013 | Loan officer compensation / steering (interest rate-based bonuses) |
CFPB and DOJ Take Action Against National City Bank for Discriminatory Mortgage Pricing
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a joint complaint against National City Bank for charging higher prices on mortgage loans to African-American and Hispanic borrowers than similarly creditworthy white borrowers between the years 2002 and 2008. The agencies also filed a proposed order to settle the complaint that requires National City Bank, through its successor PNC Bank, to pay $35 million in restitution to harmed African-American and Hispanic borrowers.
| Institution | Regulator(s) | Violation | Penalty | Period covered | HMDA/fair-lending data field involved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National City Bank | CFPB and DOJ | Charging higher mortgage prices to African-American and Hispanic borrowers than similarly creditworthy white borrowers, in violation of the ECOA (and, per DOJ, the Fair Housing Act) | $35 million to a settlement fund for restitution to harmed African-American and Hispanic borrowers | 2002–2008 | Discretionary pricing and compensation policies (loan officer/broker discretion over rates and fees) |
Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Reach $98 Million Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Auto Lending Discrimination by Ally
Settlement Is Department's Third Largest Fair Lending Agreement Ever and Largest Ever Auto Lending Agreement The Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced the federal government's largest auto loan discrimination settlement in history to resolve allegations that Detroit-based Ally Financial Inc. and Ally Bank have engaged in an ongoing nationwide pattern or practice of discrimination against African-American, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander borrowers in their auto lending since April 1, 2011. The agreement is the first joint fair lending enforcement action by the department and CFPB. With this agreement, eight of the top 10 largest fair lending settlements in the department's history have been under Attorney General Eric…
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Fort Davis State Bank to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination
The Justice Department announced today that Fort Davis State Bank, based in Fort Davis, Texas, will implement uniform pricing policies, conduct employee training and pay $159,000 as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of national origin. Facts from the Justice Department's settlement with Fort Davis State Bank, as cited in this article. InstitutionRegulator(s)ViolationPenaltyPeriod coveredHMDA/fair-lending data field involved Fort Davis State BankJustice Department (Civil Rights Division); referred by the FDICEqual Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) — pattern or practice of pricing discrimination on the basis of national origin, charging higher prices for unsecured consumer loans to Hispanic…
- 2025 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Small Business, Small Farm and Community Development Lending Data: What Changed and What to Do Next
- The CFPB's Semiannual Report: What Narrower Federal Enforcement Means for Fair Lending, HMDA and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Programs
- How to Choose Section 1071 Software: What to Test Before Your First Filing
- The Regulation B Lawsuits: What Your Fair Lending Program Should Keep Doing While the Rule Is in Court
- California's New Fair Lending Exam Law: What State-Chartered Banks, Credit Unions and Mortgage Licensees Should Have Ready
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- HMDA vs CRA vs Section 1071: What Each Rule Collects and Who Has to File
- 2026 HMDA Data: Your Filing Checklist for the March 1, 2027 Deadline
- HMDA Plus: What It Actually Changed in the LAR Workflow
- Fair Lending Regression Analysis: What It Controls For and How to Explain a Pricing Disparity
- How to Evaluate Fair Lending and CRA Software: What to Test Before You Sign
- What a Fair Lending Exam Actually Asks For
- What Actually Counts as a Small Business Loan Under Section 1071
- Section 1071 in 2026: What Lenders Need to Know About Small Business Lending Data
- How to Benchmark Your CRA and HMDA Lending Against Peer Data
- Special Report: Geocoding - Achieving the Highest Accuracy
