Kate Berry has covered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for American Banker since 2016. She joined the publication in 2006 covering mortgage lending and the financial crisis. Berry also has covered big banks including Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo. She has won five awards from the Society of American Business Writers and Editors, and has worked at several news organizations including the Orange County Register, the Los Angeles Business Journal and the Associated Press. Berry began her career as a clerk at the New York Times.
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The agency has proposed letting firms seek specific guidance, which can be applied to other institutions. But consumer groups worry the plan circumvents formal rulemaking.
By Kate BerryJuly 1 -
The Supreme Court threw out a key statutory provision concerning the agency’s leadership structure, but the presidential election and possible legislative reforms could bring about more changes to the embattled bureau.
By Kate Berry and John HeltmanJune 29 -
In a split 5-4 decision, the justices gave presidents new power to remove the agency's head at will. The ruling could have far-reaching implications for other regulators with single directors.
By Kate Berry and John HeltmanJune 29 -
With just 13 decisions remaining on the docket this session, the high court's highly anticipated ruling in a case challenging the agency's leadership structure could come as early as next Monday.
By Kate BerryJune 25 -
An imminent high court ruling about the independence of the bureau's director, coupled with an election victory for Joe Biden, could doom a plan to extend GSEs' exemption from tough debt-to-income requirements on mortgages.
By Kate BerryJune 24 -
A new CFPB rule will expedite the forbearance and loss-mitigation process for consumers suffering financial hardship from the pandemic.
By Kate BerryJune 23 -
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to change the definition of what constitutes a qualified mortgage from a 43% debt-to-income limit to a price-based threshold, and further extend a temporary exemption given to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
By Kate BerryJune 22 -
A lawsuit filed Tuesday argues that the bureau's establishment of the panel looking into regulatory changes violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
By Kate BerryJune 16 -
A budget item establishing a new agency to protect consumers from predatory lenders has been put on hold as state officials deal with the coronavirus response and other priorities. But it could be revived in legislative talks later this summer.
By Kate BerryJune 11 -
As revenue-starved retailers fall further behind on rent payments, landlords' cash flow will be strained, and defaults on commercial real estate loans could rise.
By Kate Berry and Jim DobbsJune 10 -
One criticism of the CARES Act is that it provides relief only to borrowers with government-backed loans. Bills in New York and California would cover the remaining 30% of homeowners.
By Kate BerryJune 5 -
One criticism of the CARES Act is that it provides relief only to borrowers with government-backed loans. Bills in New York and California would cover the remaining 30% of homeowners.
By Kate BerryJune 4 -
The consumer bureau said Approved Cash Advance improperly collected amounts that were five times higher the legitimate fee schedule disclosed to borrowers.
By Kate BerryJune 2 -
The rescue bill enabled banks to protect loans in forbearance from an immediate hit to a borrower’s credit report, but experts say affected consumers may have trouble getting loans after the pandemic ends.
By Kate BerryJune 1 -
Forecasts about the pandemic's impact on the mortgage market have grown less dire after forbearance requests by homeowners nearly leveled off in the first half of May.
By Kate BerryMay 26 -
The templates are meant to make it easier to obtain agency approval for small-dollar loan products and to accommodate mortgage servicers that want to provide online loss mitigation options.
By Kate BerryMay 22 -
The comptroller of the currency, who is stepping down after two and a half years on the job, ruffled feathers and won some fans in pushing through CRA reform, cutting costs and trying to reshape the agency’s examiner culture.
By Kate BerryMay 20 -
The agency has freed companies from reporting requirements and provided flexibility on exams to help them deal with COVID-19 fallout. It has also finished other regulatory relief efforts that were in the pipeline before the pandemic hit.
By Kate BerryMay 18 -
With the pandemic's economic toll leading to elevated billing error notices, the consumer bureau said card companies will not be cited if they fail to meet the typical time frame for resolving disputes.
By Kate BerryMay 13 -
The joint site describes potential strategies for both homeowners and renters economically affected by COVID-19.
By Kate BerryMay 12



















![“A growing concern for many [homeowners] is the notion that they would have to make a balloon payment at the end of the mortgage forbearance,” said CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger.](https://arizent.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/21bc754/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5000x2813+0+260/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsource-media-brightspot.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2F1e%2F1a%2Fa2ee24e14f76810e720c3b08aee8%2Fkraninger-kathy-bl-031020.jpg)