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Tuesday, February 11, 2025 This week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was effectively shuttered, and I find myself sitting with mixed emotions. It’s not a rare moment, given my chosen profession, to pause and reflect on the role of effective regulation, the impact of enforcement, and the tension between those who call for reform and those who fear its absence. It’s complicated, and like many things in our industry, it doesn’t lend itself to simple, all-or-nothing solutions. Regulation, like a river, is necessary. It provides structure, flow, and life to the financial ecosystem. But when a river floods its [...]

Tuesday, January 28, 2025 Today, I’m sharing with you the words of others rather than my own.  Recently I’ve taken part in more than a few discussions about the American Dream.  Is it alive, is it well, is it out of reach?  The following question and answer, as shared recently on the Advisory Opinions podcast*, I think sums it up as well as it can be summed.  Enjoy. Question from Listener: “I'm writing to you because I need some guidance to help a student with her end-of-year baccalaureate project.  She has chosen to look at how and if the Supreme [...]

Tuesday, January 2, 2024 I’ve been thinking about 2024. Happy New Year. Did 2023 feel like a whirlwind to you? A review of our publications’ top stories for last year (see links to some of the stories below) revealed it was a difficult year in which to find footing. Not to mention how difficult it was to find revenue. But collectively, we’re still here. It feels like our sector of the market has become an even greater target for thieves. Together we feel deeply unsettled around that fact, and there is a tightness in our chest about who and [...]

August 14, 2023, Cleveland, Ohio October Research announces that 25-year title and settlement services industry veteran Mary Schuster has joined the company as Chief Knowledge Officer. In her new role, Schuster will help drive content across multiple channels, support the editorial boards and develop new educational tools for keeping the industry educated and informed throughout the year. “We are thrilled to have someone of Mary’s caliber and stature within the settlement service industry join the team,” CEO and Publisher Erica Meyer said. “She has hit the ground running, and we are grateful and excited that she chose October Research for [...]

Dear Readers, This month marks the tenth anniversary for the Dodd-Frank Update. While researching the Dodd-Frank Act for this month’s cover story, my mind was boggled by the breadth of the legislation, and all of the changes that have happened since it was enacted. It’s definitely been a game changer. As we have reported in recent months, more change is coming to the industry as the new Biden administration gains steam, and many predict a return to the perspective and goals that were held during the Obama administration for consumer protection and financial reform. “First and foremost, the message coming [...]

Dear Readers, It would be hard to imagine a more anticipated New Year’s Eve than the one that just took place several days ago. With the loss of life, jobs, and income, and just the overall devastation at the hands of the COVID-19 coronavirus felt by so many over the past 12 months, the sights and sounds of welcoming 2021 seemingly couldn’t have come soon enough. Personally, and professionally, we are still a long way from returning to “normal.” It is understood that when Jan. 1 arrived on the calendar, it did not magically erase all the sadness and damage [...]

Dear Readers, As a lifelong girl scout, I can tell you the motto, ‘be prepared’ was definitely put to the test in 2020. So much so, that this year, it is my New Years’ resolution, one that I hope to pass on to you. In terms of the Dodd Frank Update, this means we will be working to prepare you for upcoming changes in the compliance and regulatory department. For an in-depth look at the state of the industry and what experts are anticipating, be sure to check out our special report coming sometime this month. The housing and lending [...]

Dear Readers, I love fresh starts— school years, birthdays, and especially new years. What goals do I have? What new habits do I hope to have at the end of this year? The possibilities are only as limited as I make them. Along with the unprecedented events of 2020, industry members were busier than they have been for quite some time. As the dust clears and we look ahead, what goals do you want to attain? What did you have to put aside last year that you hope to bring back into focus in 2021? In addition to professional goals, [...]

Dear Readers, Goodbye, 2020. We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief that 2021 — along with COVID-19 vaccines — are upon us at last. Meanwhile, the industry is closely watching what happens during the final days of the Trump administration. Perhaps most notable is on Dec. 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced its second RESPA enforcement action of the year.The CFPB’s action against Nationstar Mortgage — the largest non-bank mortgage servicer in the country –— was years in the making. However, in this month’s cover story, Mayer Brown Partner Ori Lev, a former bureau deputy enforcement [...]