Company: FOACW
Filing Date: 2025-03-14
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001828937-25-000009
Chunk: 346

Company: Finance of America Companies Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-03-14
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 346
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 mortgage, reverse mortgages end with foreclosure more often than traditional mortgages. Those public filings are aggregated and come under scrutiny by agenda-driven groups who may not understand that the borrower is not being evicted and simply believe they have spotted a pattern of foreclosure for this type of loan. These issues led to adverse publicity in the reverse mortgage industry. 

The issuance of specific regulations and guidance requiring that borrowers be clearly informed regarding their obligations to pay taxes and insurance during the application process and the requirement of “financial assessment” by HUD starting in 2015 have greatly decreased the risks of default due to failure to pay taxes and insurance. HUD also provided clear guidance regarding both underwriting and servicing of loans involving non-borrower spouses, significantly decreasing the risks of those situations. Borrower counseling by a HUD-approved counseling agency is required on HECM. FAR also requires pre-application counseling by a HUD-approved counseling agency for its non-agency reverse mortgages, and also underwrites these loans for the borrower’s willingness and ability to pay property taxes and hazard insurance premiums. For its non-agency second lien product, FAR also reviews the borrower’s payment history with respect to the first lien mortgage loan on the related mortgaged property as part of its underwriting process. For its non-agency reverse mortgages, FAR has more latitude to employ a variety of loss mitigation solutions to avoid foreclosure when the borrower is still living in the home. Nevertheless, there may be situations where foreclosure is the only resolution to the loan. Further, with respect to the non-agency second lien reverse mortgage product, FAR may be limited in being able to offer loss mitigation solutions if the borrower has defaulted under their first lien mortgage loan, as the first lien mortgage loan lender typically manages the resolution and foreclosure process in such circumstances. Foreclosures where the reverse mortgage borrower is still living in the home—or even when the borrower is no longer occupying the home—may lead to increased reputational risk. Negative publicity due to actions by other reverse mortgage lenders could cause regulatory focus on our business as well. In addition, the CFPB has historically closely scrutinized reverse mortgage marketing practices, publishing a 2015 study on this topic and entering into a number of public consent orders with reverse mortgage lenders over their marketing practices. See “—Risks Related to Laws and Regulations—AAG/Bloom was subject to two separate enforcement matters with the CFPB and the Company agreed to comply with the terms of the related Orders in connection with its acquisition of operational assets from AAG/Bloom. Failure to comply with such