News By Edition

Despite the overturning of a nationwide injunction against the Corporate Transparency Act by the U.S. Supreme Court, enforcement of beneficial ownership information reporting requirements by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network remains stalled due to a separate, outstanding national injunction.

The Utah Insurance Department imposed nearly $8,000 in fines on three separate title agencies for closing transactions without lender title policies.

Regional lender Mortgage Investors Group was breached by an unknown malicious actor in December 2024. The incident potentially compromised personal and financial information, though the full scope of the cyberattack remains unclear.

A sweeping series of policy directives building upon a 2021 executive order to improve federal cybersecurity practices was proclaimed and signed by Joe Biden just before the inauguration of returning President Donald Trump.

House Bill No. 2008, which was introduced on Jan. 13, would amend title 11 of the Arizona Revised Statutes to include new deed recording requirements and regulations on notaries public.

Indiana Senate Bill No. 438 would divert certain fees collected by the county recorder to be deposited in the county recorder's records perpetuation fund, among other procedural updates.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has named the chairs and vice chairs of its standing committees for 2025. 

Although federal enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act has been stalled by the courts, supporters of the act continue working to debunk arguments against it, including the non-partisan FACT Coalition.

As artificial intelligence continues to be leveraged throughout the finance sector, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released an official report on the opportunities the technology presents, as well as the risks that require mitigation. The report followed a request for information in June.

In its comprehensive analysis of Q4 2024, compliance and risk management firm FundingShield found that wire fraud, title fraud and closing protection issues continue to plague real estate transactions at near-record levels.

A state bill currently under consideration in Nebraska would update provisions governing written agency agreements for brokerage services and restricted acts, issuance of licenses, and other statutes of the Nebraska Real Estate License Act.

An Indiana man was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a Chicago-based mortgage fraud scheme targeting multiple financial institutions to the tune of more than $1.5 million.

An ongoing scheme using forged signatures and false deed documents is threatening prospective buyers of vacant properties, according to Gwinnett County, Ga., police.

The New York LLC Transparency Act seeks to set a new standard for transparency in real estate transactions at the state level while federal enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act remains stalled.

While residents of coastal states tend to prepare accordingly for the risk of flooding, a new report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finds that rivers and creeks present a danger that many homeowners may be underestimating when it comes to flood insurance.

The Pennsylvania Department of State is currently accepting public comments on a rulemaking proposal relating to the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, which would update legal language governing notary qualifications and procedures.

As wildfire evacuations continue in the greater Los Angeles area, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has expanded the scope of a previous moratorium on insurance cancellations to protect a greater number of impacted homeowners.

An existing prohibition on external governments or political parties acquiring agricultural or forested real property in Alabama may be expanded by a new house bill.

The White House announced a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for “smart” products intended to help make more informed decisions about the security of the interconnected devices.

As wildfires continue to devastate the greater Los Angeles area, the California Privacy Protection Agency is extending the public comment period on proposed rulemaking updates and has set an additional hearing date for Feb. 19.

The Superior Court of New Jersey’s Appellate Division heard an appeal from the spouse of a previous defendant in a quiet title dispute, who sought intervention in the sale and deed transfer of her marital home. The appellant had previously been denied intervention by the court’s Chancery Division.

October Research’s Keys to Real Estate podcast interrupted its season break to deliver a timely and exclusive discussion with Dr. Mark Calabria, a senior advisor at the Cato Institute who served as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency during the first Trump administration. Calabria sat down with October Research Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster to offer insights about what the housing and lending sectors might expect during president-elect Donald Trump’s second term in the White House.

Introduced to the Kentucky General Assembly on Jan. 9 and currently in senate committee, a state bill would define terms and create legal mechanisms for partition sales among cotenants.

First tapped as director of the Washington Department of Financial Institutions in 2019, Charlie Clark was reappointed as director of the state’s Department of Financial Institutions by Gov.-Elect Bob Ferguson.