Tina Meilinger, Senior Vice President, will be joining NRMLA’s Risk & Compliance Committee. A committee whose focus is managing risk and understanding the evolving compliance landscape, such as evaluating impacts of HECM program changes and identifying red flags and identity theft.
The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection created a consumer education placemat to help older adults protect themselves from fake charity scams. The placemat is part of a series of consumer education placemats that meal service providers can share with meal deliveries or at group meal sites, financial institutions can share with their customers, faith-based organizations can share with their congregants.
The placemats are free to order in bulk. To accompany the fake charity scam placemat, the BCFP created a brief guide that practitioners can use to prevent, protect, recognize, and report fake charity scams. Read the agency’s blog about fake charity scams for more information.
If you have any questions, members can contact the BCFP at olderamericans@cfpb.gov.
In a recent blog posting on the Federal Trade Commission web site, Jennifer Leach, acting associate director of the Division of Consumer and Business Education, played a recording of a new phone scam that has defrauded tens of thousands of people out of a combined $10 million.
“Scammers are saying your Social Security number (SSN) has been suspended because of suspicious activity, or because it’s been involved in a crime,” said Leach. “Sometimes, the scammer wants you to confirm your SSN to reactivate it. Sometimes, he’ll say your bank account is about to be seized – but he’ll tell you what to do to keep it safe. (Often, that involves putting your money on gift cards and giving him the codes – which, of course, means that your money is gone.)”
She also noted that the correct phone number for the Social Security Administration (800-772-1213) is coming across on caller ID, but the phone number that the scammers provide is different. If you or your clients get these calls, you are urged to tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.
As a reminder, NRMLA offers a free consumer brochure — titled Recognize & Report Elder Financial Abuse — that you can download and distribute to your clients that helps them recognize common scams and signs of financial exploitation. Download copies by clicking on the image below.
Due to the partial federal government shutdown, there has been a significant delay in obtaining payoff statements from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Approximately 12% of the IRS staff are currently working, therefore we’re finding that these requests are impossible to obtain by phone and fax numbers as they are currently not going through.
Remember that all IRS payoff statements must be current, as additional interest, penalties and taxes may have accrued. We are continuing to monitor daily, as I am sure that each of you are as well. If you have any concerns, please feel free to reach out to your settlement team or account manager.
Our Education Calendar provides you with an overview of our scheduled classes for 2019. Please remember that we are happy to offer individual sessions or a customized training to best fit the needs of your office. Our online library of previously recorded classes is also available to view at your convenience.
Click the link below to download your copy of the 2019 Education Calendar.
It was recently announced that for the period January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019, the national lending limit for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages will increase to $726,525.
Our calculator and new orders have been updated to be ready for this change effective January 1, 2019.
Click here to read the Mortgagee Letter.
