Member Home Loan, LLC (MHL) does not tolerate any form of discrimination and is committed to providing loans to all applicants in a consistent, fair and reasonable basis. As part of our commitment to provide fair lending, MHL requires its officers, employees, agents, and third-parties with whom we deal to act in accordance with the letter and spirit of all fair lending laws and regulations in all aspects of lending (including the marketing of credit products, the application process, making of credit decisions, servicing, collection, and foreclosure activities) without regard to:
Sex
Marital status
Race
Color
Creed
Religion
National Origin
Age (provided the applicant has the capacity to enter into a binding contract)
Disability (including the use of a guide or support animal)
Familial status (including family responsibilities and childbearing potential)
Military status
Political affiliation
Sexual orientation
Receipt of public assistance or unemployment
Good faith exercise of any rights under the Consumer Protection Act
ECOA prohibits discrimination in any aspect of a credit transaction based on the following characteristics:
Age (provided the applicant has the capacity to contract)
Race or color
Religion
National Origin
Sex
Marital status
Applicant's receipt of income received from any public assistance program
Applicant's exercise, in good faith, or any rights under the Consumer Credit Protection Act
NOTE: ECOA covers all extensions of credit and certain technical requirements that are meant to help further the purpose of ECOA.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in all attributes of real estate related transactions including:
Making loans to buy, build, repair or improve a dwelling
Purchasing real estate loans
Selling, brokering or appraising residential real estate
Selling or renting a dwelling
Discrimination based on:
Race or color
National origin
Religion
Sex
Familial status (Defined as children under the age of 18 living with a parent or legal custodian, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under 18)
Handicap
In determining the:
Amount
Interest rate
Duration
Other credit terms
NOTE: FHA is limited to residential Real eestate related transactions or a loan secured by residential real estate transactions and does not have technical requirements.
HMDA is a disclosure law that requires mortgage lenders to compile and disclose information about applications for home purchase, refinance and home improvement loans. This reporting allows both the public and regulators to determine responsiveness to the home financing needs of communities in which business is conducted. The information reported includes income, race, sex, geographic area, pricing, and other factors.
If a credit, pricing, or other decision is made on a prohibited basis, it is a violation of the fair lending laws and regulations. These are some examples of illegal discrimination recognized under the ECOA and FHAct:
Examples of Prohibited Discrimination Factors
Failure to provide information or services or provide different information or services regarding any aspect of the lending process, including credit availability, application procedures, or lending standards.
Discourage or selectively encourage applicants with respect to inquires about or applying for credit
Refuse to extend credit or use different standards in determining whether to extend credit
Vary the terms of credit offered including the amount, interest rate, duration or type of loan.
Use different standards to evaluate collateral
Treat a borrower differently in servicing a loan or invoking default remedies
Use different standards for pooling or packaging a loan in the secondary market.
Examples of Prohibited Characteristics
An applicant, prospective applicant or borrower
A person associated with an applicant, prospective applicant or borrower
The present or prospective occupants of either the property to be financed or the characteristics of neighborhood or other areas where property to be financed is located.
Reasonable accommodations for a person with disabilities when necessary to afford the person an equal opportunity to apply for credit.
MHL must not:
Engage in any form of advertising of real estate related loans which indicate there is discrimination on a prohibited basis.
Advertisements must not contain any words, symbols, models, or other forms of communication that suggest a discriminatory preference or policy of exclusion
Advertisements of real estate products must include a facsimile of the prescribed equal housing lender logo (for written advertisements) or prescribed language (for oral advertisements).
The courts have recognized three methods of identifying lending discrimination under the ECOA and FHAct.
MHL’s policy is to adhere to and promote compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations. MHL ensures fair lending and equal access to credit, including but not limited to the ECOA and the FHAct.