"The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has already proved to be one of the busiest regulators in Washington," writes American Banker's Rob Blackwell about the agency’s first year in operation.
CFPB Director Richard Cordray recently sat down with Blackwell for a question and answer session. Following are some highlights from Cordray’s answers.
On the public complaint database:
"All kind of information is out there now. I think everyone has developed a thicker skin, including federal officials like myself. I understand the concerns. We have made some adjustments in the way we handle complaints in response to lots of discussion with industry."
On hiring examiners from outside of the other agencies:
"It's kind of a mixed workforce. Some of them have lots of experience in examining. Some of them have examined at the state level which may or may not be exactly the same. Some of them are new to examining and we try to blend people from different backgrounds on our teams."
On when we might see enforcement actions:
"When I was an Ohio attorney general, that office had been in existence 160 years, so there was all kinds of stuff at various stages. You step in and nothing misses a beat. Attorneys general come and go. Here, as a new agency, starting from scratch — and we didn't have a director until January."
On delaying the qualified mortgage proposal:
"It isn't a problem for the mortgage market whether this takes a few more months. The problem for the mortgage market is if you got it wrong, that could really be a pretty big problem for people and institutions."
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