Financial Services Law Developments: FYI: FTC Issues Proposed Mortgage Advertising Rules

Thursday, September 23, 2010

FYI: FTC Issues Proposed Mortgage Advertising Rules

The Federal Trade Commission issued a proposed rule would prohibit all material misrepresentations in advertising about consumer mortgages, allow civil penalties, and allow enforcement by the states.

The Federal Register Notice is available at:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/fedreg/2010/september/100922mortgageadvertising.pdf

The proposed rule lists 19 examples of misrepresentations about fees, costs, obligations, and other aspects of credit that would be violations. However, the proposed rule does not include any advertising disclosure requirements.

The proposed rule would apply to: (1) mortgage lenders, brokers, and servicers; (2) real estate agents and brokers; (3) advertising agencies; (4) home builders; (5) lead generators; (6) rate aggregators; and (7) other entities under the FTC's jurisdiction.

As you may recall, currently under the FTC Act, the Commission may bring actions against those under its jurisdiction who engage in deceptive mortgage advertising, and seek injunctive relief against them. Under the proposed rule, the FTC would be able to bring actions against violators to seek civil penalties in addition to injunctions. The proposed rule would also allow the states to bring actions for civil penalties for violations of the rule.

The FTC is seeking comments about the proposed rule's costs and benefits, including whether any alternatives would adequately protect consumers at a lower cost. The FTC seeks public input on whether there are advertising disclosures that the Commission should include in the rule. The FTC also seeks public comment on whether the rule should include a provision that prohibits persons from providing substantial assistance to those who violate the rule.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking has a 45-day public comment period ending November 15, 2010.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.

Ralph T. Wutscher

Kahrl Wutscher LLP

The Loop Center Building

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The Editor's Bio

Ralph T. Wutscher
Maurice Wutscher LLP
20 N. Clark Street, 33rd Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60602
Direct: (312) 493-0874
RWutscher@MauriceWutscher.com
https://www.MauriceWutscher.com/

Ralph Wutscher's practice focuses primarily on representing depository and non-depository mortgage lenders and servicers, as well as mortgage loan investors, distressed asset buyers and sellers, loss mitigation companies, automobile and other personal property secured lenders and finance companies, credit card and other unsecured lenders, and other consumer financial services providers. He represents the consumer lending industry as a litigator, and as regulatory compliance counsel.

Ralph has substantial experience in defending private consumer finance lawsuits, including cases ranging from large interstate putative class actions to localized single-asset cases, as well as in responding to regulatory investigations and other governmental proceedings. His litigation successes include not only victories at the trial court level, but also on appeal, and in various jurisdictions. He has successfully defended numerous putative class actions asserting violations of a wide range of federal and state consumer protection statutes. He is frequently consulted to assist other law firms in developing or improving litigation strategies in cases filed around the country.

Ralph also has substantial experience in counseling clients regarding their compliance with federal laws, and with state and local laws primarily of the Midwestern United States. For example, he regularly provides assistance in connection with portfolio or program audits, consumer lending disclosure issues, the design and implementation of marketing and advertising campaigns, licensing and reporting issues, compliance with usury laws and other limitations on pricing, compliance with state and local “predatory lending” laws, drafting or obtaining opinion letters on a single- or multi-state basis, interstate branching and loan production office licensing, evaluations and modifications of new or existing products and procedures, debt collection and servicing practices, proper methods of responding to consumer inquiries and furnishing consumer information, as well as proposed or existing arrangements with settlement service providers and other vendors, and the implementation of procedural or other operational changes following developments in the law.

Ralph is a member of the Governing Committee of the Conference on Consumer Finance Law. He is also the immediate past Chair of the Preemption and Federalism Subcommittee for the ABA's Consumer Financial Services Committee. He served on the Law Committee for the former National Home Equity Mortgage Association, and completed two terms as Co-Chair of the Consumer Credit Committee of the Chicago Bar Association.

Ralph received his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law, and his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He is a member of the national Mortgage Bankers Association, the American Bankers Association, the Conference on Consumer Finance Law, DBA International, the ACA International Members Attorney Program, as well as the American and Chicago Bar Associations.

Ralph is admitted to practice in Illinois, as well as in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and has been admitted pro hac vice in various jurisdictions around the country.