Gone are the days when lenders rely on emails and accessing consumer information through unsecured systems. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) is proposing guidelines to support the lending industry and cybersecurity preparedness. This is big news for the Canadian mortgage industry.
Concerns about climate-related risks have been growing within the financial sector for many years, particularly in the insurance sector. However, at COP26 in Glasgow, the broader financial sector was a key part of the discussions that have reinforced the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and the importance of monitoring and reporting associated risks. Integral to these processes is OFSI’s first Annual Risk Outlook where climate change-related risks are prominent.
The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OFSI) released its first Annual Risk Outlook report recently, and there are a number of significant implications for Canadian lenders to consider. According to Peter Routledge, OFSI’s Superintendent:
The financial lending industry runs on a vast and complex system that will always attract individuals with ulterior motives. In the United States, mortgage fraud cases were rampant in the years prior to the 2008 global financial crisis. Things have considerably improved since those dark days, but this doesn't mean we should let our guard down, which is why learning to recognize mortgage fraud red flags is vital.
Over the past 5 years, there has been a proliferation of embedded FinTech startup companies. Many of these companies make claims suggesting that traditional finance, banking services, and mortgage lenders are on their way out. Instead, embedded FinTech promises more transparency and shorter processing times. Is the promise up to the hype?