By Melanie Feliciano and Tim Anderson
What does the recently launched CFPB e-closing pilot really say thus far, and what may it reveal?
Any mortgage professional can attest to the overwhelming amount of paperwork associated with the closing process. For consumers, this final step to homeownership has become notorious for causing confusion and even surprises in the form of unexpected costs. In an effort to assess how the industry can reduce the complexity of this arduous process, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) introduced its mortgage eClosing pilot, with seven financial institutions and four technology vendors participating in this program. While the closing is just one portion of the mortgage, this pilot could be key to proving the value electronic records, e-signatures, electronic workflows and even electronic notarizations can have, bringing to light trends that are critical to the mortgage lending world as a whole.