Credit Plus Inc. Helps Lenders Comply With New Federal Lending & Flood Zone Rules For 2011

Stringent new requirements go into effect early in the New Year Salisbury, Md., January 3, 2011 ? Credit Plus, Inc., a leader in the credit information industry since 1928, announced today that it has several tools to keep lenders fully compliant with new federal guidelines for 2011. ?Credit Plus is committed to making the mortgage process easier for lenders, and that includes keeping them up to date on all the latest rules and regulations. We offer products that assist lenders with pre-closing and post-closing initiatives, and are constantly updating our value-added services to keep them compliant with the new industry standards,? said Greg Holmes, National Director of Sales and Marketing for Credit Plus. New FACTA Disclosure Requirements in Focus Beginning January 1, the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Trade Commission are implementing new risk-based pricing (RBP) rules that require mortgage lenders to alert customers if derogatory credit data causes them to receive less than optimal terms. The new RBP rules require mortgage lenders to notify borrowers if their credit terms are less favorable than those they provide to other consumers due to credit-related issues. Credit Plus will provide the notice to borrowers on behalf of lenders which will include their credit score, the date the score was created, and its source. Consumers also will receive a written description or graphic showing how they rank compared with other consumers, information on how lenders use their score, and instructions on how to receive a free report that they can check for the accuracy of their information. Staying Compliant with FEMA Flood Recommendations Mortgage professionals are required to promptly notify property owners when FEMA issues a change in flood zone status, either into or out of a Special Flood Hazard Area. Federal regulators have recently become more stringent in enforcing this notification rule, with some inspectors suggesting that lenders inform borrowers of these flood zone changes within as little as 10 days. Offices can be fined $350 for every occurrence in which a borrower has not received notification. Holmes said, ?We offer lenders peace of mind by meeting or exceeding all regulatory timelines for sending compliance notices. We offer a full range of flood compliance and tracking data, including basic and life-of-loan services and real-time flood mapping.? Meeting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Requirements New rules and regulations are constantly being introduced, and Credit Plus offers a suite of products to help lenders keep up. This includes Fannie Mae?s Loan Quality Initiative (LQI) suggestions and requirements, which focus on capturing and verifying critical loan data earlier in the process to reduce repurchase requests to lenders. Credit Plus also is assisting lenders in complying with Freddie Mac?s revised selling requirements concerning inquiries on a borrower's credit report. Starting February 1, lenders must look into the borrower's credit report inquiries made in the previous 120 days, rather than the 90 days previously required. Any additional credit must be included when qualifying the borrower. Credit Plus has been applying the new Freddie Mac standards since September for customers using Freddie Mac Loan Prospector