Topic 21 Flashcards
A regulated mortgage, subject to MCOB is defined as a contract that satisfies what conditions?
- The lender provides credit to an individual or trustees (the borrower)
- The contract provides for the obligation of the borrower to repay to be secured on land
- At least 40% of that land is used or intended to be used, as or in connection with a dwelling
What is the meaning of ‘land’ pre and post 1st Jan 2021?
- For regulated mortgage contracts entered into before the UK left the EU ‘land’ refers to;
- Land in the UK
- If the contract was entered into on or after 21 March 2016, land in the UK or within the European Economic Area (EAA) at the time the contract was entered into.
For regulated mortgage contracts entered into from 1 January 2021 ‘land’ refers to;
- Land in the UK only
What requirements are in the rules of consumer buy to let (CBTL) process?
- Pre-contract disclosure
- Assessing creditworthiness
- Arrears management
MCOB applies to what?
- First-charge loans secured on residential property
- Second-charge loans secured on residential property
What is ‘consumer buy to let’?
A transaction where the mortgage has not been entered into wholly or predominantly for the purpose of a business carried out by the borrower.
What is MCOB 1?
Application and purpose
Explains the scope of the rules, ie to whom they apply and for what types of mortgage
What is MCOB 2 and its key elements?
Conduct of business standards: General
Key elements include
- The use of correct terminology (‘early repayment charge’ and ‘higher lending charge’)
- The requirement for communications with customers to be ‘clear, fair and not misleading’
- Rules about the payment of fees/commission and the accessibility of records for inspection by the FCA
What is MCOB 2A and its key elements?
Mortgage credit directive
Key elements include
- Remuneration
- The tying of products (making a mortgage conditional on the purchase of other products)
- Foreign currency loans
- Early repayments
What is MCOB 3A and its key elements?
Financial promotions and communications with customers
Key elements include
- Unsolicited real-time promotions are not permitted
- Non real-time promotions must include the name and contact details of the firm. They must be fair, clear and not misleading. If comparisons are used, they must be with products that meet the same needs. They must state that “your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage” . Records of non real time promotions must be retained for one year after their last use.
What is MCOB 3B?
MCD general information
What is MCOB 4 & 4A and its key elements?
Advising and selling standards
Key elements include
- Independent advisers are not required to be able to access all products from all providers: they can source products from a panel of lenders as long as the panel is representative of the market
- Any mortgage recommended must be suitable for the customer and appropriate to their needs and circumstances; records to demonstrate this must be kept for three years. However there is no requirement to issue a suitability report to the client.
- Special requirements apply if the mortgage will be used to consolidate existing debts
On first making contact with a customer, certain information must be disclosed prominently and clearly to the customer. The customer must be provided with the following information;
- Name and contact details
- Whose mortgages are offered
- Details of any limitations in service
- Details of any fee payable for the mortgage advice
- The firms FCA registration details
- How to complain
- Details of the compensation scheme
What is MCOB 5 & 5A and its key elements?
Pre-application disclosure
Key elements include
- The annual percentage rate of charge (APRC), which shows the interest rate with any fees added
- The amount of the monthly instalment
- The amount by which the instalment would increase for each 1% rise in interest rates
The required information must be provided via a European Standardised Information Sheet (ESIS)
What is MCOB 6 & 6A and its key elements?
Disclosure at the offer stage
Key elements are
- State how long the offer will remain valid
- Point out that there will be no right of withdrawal after the mortgage has been completed
- Include or be accompanied by a tariff of charges
The borrower must be granted a period of reflection of at least 7 days to consider whether to accept the offer or not
What is MCOB 7 & 7A and its key elements?
Disclosure at start of contract and after sale
Before the first mortgage payment is made, the lender must confirm
- Details of the amounts, dates and methods of payment
- Details of any related products such as insurance
- (for interest-only mortgages) the responsibility of the borrower to ensure that a repayment vehicle is in place
- What the customer should do if they fall into arrears
Annual statements must be issued showing
- The amount owed and the remaining term
- What type of mortgage it is
- For interest-only mortgages, a reminder to check the performance of the repayment vehicle
- Interest, fees or other payments made since the last statement
- Any changes to the charges tariff since the last statement
What is MCOB 8 & 9?
Equity release - advising and selling standards, and product disclosure
What is MCOB 10?
Annual percentage rate
What is MCOB 10A?
Annual percentage rate of charge
What is MCOB 11 and 11A?
Responsible lending
What is MCOB 12?
Charges
What is MCOB 13 and its key elements?
Arrears and repossessions
Firms must deal fairly with customers who have mortgage arrears or mortgage shortfall debt, this includes;
- Trying to reach an agreement on how to repay the arrears, taking into account the borrowers circumstances
- Liaising with third-party sources of advice
- Not putting unreasonable pressure on customers in arrears
- Repossessing a property only when all other reasonable measures have failed
- Only applying arrears charges that are a reasonable reflection of the costs of the work involved in dealing with the arrears
Customers in arrears must be given the following information within 15 working days of the lender becoming aware of arrears
- The moneyhelper information sheet ‘problems paying your mortgage’
- The missed payments and the total of arrears including any charges incurred
- The outstanding debt
- Any further charges that may be incurred unless arrears are cleared
What 2 levels of service can be provided as per MCOB rules?
- Advice
- Execution only
In respect to mortgages, who are considered vulnerable customers?
- those buying a property using the statutory right-to-buy
- Those entering a sale-and-rent-back agreement
- Equity-release applicants
Any individual who falls into the above categories MUST in the first instance be given advice. Should they then wish to proceed on an execution-only basis, then they can do so.