YSP Disclosure Violations Leading to RESPA Lawsuits and Regulatory Actions
Definition
Loan brokers failed to properly disclose Yield Spread Premiums (YSPs) in loan documents, violating RESPA Section 8 by receiving unearned fees tied to higher interest rates without providing corresponding services. Courts certified classes in cases like Culpepper and Irwin Mortgage, ruling YSPs as prohibited referral fees when not justified by goods/services. HUD and CFPB imposed strict disclosure rules under Dodd-Frank to prevent steering borrowers to costlier loans for broker gain.
Key Findings
- Financial Impact: $100+ per $100 YSP in elevated borrower costs, with class settlements in millions
- Frequency: Monthly - recurring across brokered loans pre-2010 reforms
- Root Cause: Opaque YSP calculation and non-disclosure in HUD-1/Closing Disclosures incentivized hidden broker compensation via inflated rates
Why This Matters
This pain point represents a significant opportunity for B2B solutions targeting Loan Brokers.
Affected Stakeholders
Mortgage Brokers, Loan Originators, Compliance Officers
Deep Analysis (Premium)
Financial Impact
$100,000-$5M+ per enforcement action (state AG, CFPB); consent orders requiring compliance monitoring; license suspension risk; class action settlements if steering pattern; loan buyback demands β’ $100K-$500K firm regulatory fine per CFPB exam; class action exposure if 50+ loans affected; remediation costs (mail notices, TRID recalculations, victim restitution) β’ $100K-$500K per regulatory finding; restitution if YSP deemed unearned; settlement costs if grouped with other borrowers in class action
Current Workarounds
Closer compiles self-employed borrower file manually; no automated flag for YSP justification gaps; communication via email/phone with loan officer about compensation structure β’ Closer manually prepares custom closing disclosure; no standardized YSP disclosure template for non-QM loans; email communication between closer and lender to confirm YSP amount β’ Closer manually verifies par rate from lender sheet; Excel comparison of wholesale vs. retail rates; compliance spot-check on random files post-closing
Get Solutions for This Problem
Full report with actionable solutions
- Solutions for this specific pain
- Solutions for all 15 industry pains
- Where to find first clients
- Pricing & launch costs
Methodology & Sources
Data collected via OSINT from regulatory filings, industry audits, and verified case studies.
Related Business Risks
Unauthorized YSP Steering Inflating Broker Compensation
Pricing Errors from Undisclosed YSP Markups
Gain-on-Sale Revenue Leakage in Lender Matching
Manual, fragmented document collection delaying approval and funding
Broker capacity consumed by chasing incomplete and inaccurate documents
Client frustration and churn from complex, repetitive document requests
Request Deep Analysis
πΊπΈ Be first to access this market's intelligence