2016 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data Filing Information

Credit unions required to file data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act for calendar year 2016 activity must submit Loan Application Register (LAR) data to the Federal Reserve Board processing center in an acceptable format by March 1, 2017. Credit unions meeting the filing criteria for calendar year 2016 must comply even if they will no longer have to collect HMDA data during calendar year 2017.¹

The LAR provides data about the mortgage loan applications processed during the reporting year. Additional information about the LAR filing requirements is available on the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) website. This document:

• Describes options for filing calendar year 2016 HMDA data;
• Provides a link to the HMDA Data Entry Software;
• Discusses the Federal Reserve’s processing procedures;
• Explains NCUA’s policy about late submission of required HMDA data; and
• Provides access to resources to assist in filing HMDA data.

Filing Options

Please note transmissions by methods other than submission through web or email may be delayed due to the Fed’s security protocols. Also, there is no guarantee that a file submitted by methods other than submission through web is in an acceptable format until the Fed processes the file.

Regardless of the submission method selected, you should report using Agency Code 5 (NCUA) and a 10-digit Respondent ID number that is the credit union’s charter number preceded by zeros (e.g., 0000054321).

Submission via Paper Form

Credit unions with 25 or fewer entries on their LAR may report and submit the data in paper form. Credit unions with more than 25 entries on their LAR must submit their reports in an automated form, either through web, email, or diskette or CD-ROM, as discussed on NCUA’s HMDA page within the FFIEC website. Detailed information about automated submission is provided in the 2016 File Specifications document.

Submission via Web

The Federal Reserve prefers receiving the LAR data through the submission through web option described in greater detail on the FFIEC’s Frequently Asked Questions webpage. The submission through web option is the most secure and efficient method because it offers a one-step submission process, where users receive confirmation that the Fed successfully received the HMDA data in the correct format for processing. To submit via web, you must use the HMDA Data Entry software discussed below.

Submission via Email

If you do not use the submission through the web option, you also have the option of submitting automated LAR data by email to hmdasub@frb.gov. This option requires you to use the HMDA Data Entry software discussed below and properly encrypt the LAR data file as discussed on the FFIEC’s Frequently Asked Questions webpage. To ensure your emailed data can be successfully read by the Fed, you should use the edit check feature of the HMDA Data Entry Software prior to encrypting and submitting your transmission file. The only accepted file type when submitting via email is “.ENC” (encrypted file). No other file type (for example, “.DAT”) will be accepted. The HMDA Data Entry Software can be used to convert a .DAT file to an encrypted (.ENC) file.

Submission via Diskette or CD-ROM

The diskette or CD-ROM must be formatted for IBM-compatible personal computers and in ASCII format. Zip files will not be accepted. Additional information about formatting, naming the file, and labeling the package sent to the Federal Reserve are provided in the 2016 File Specifications document.

HMDA Data Entry Software

The HMDA Data Entry Software (v. 2016 R.2) is free on the FFIEC website. The software automates the filing of HMDA data and includes editing features to help you verify and analyze the accuracy of your data. You may submit the data file created using this software to Federal Reserve using submission through web, encrypted for submission via Internet email, or exported onto a diskette or CD-ROM for mailing. However, there is no guarantee that a file submitted via email, diskette or CD-ROM, or paper form is in an acceptable format until the Fed processes the file, as noted above.

Confirmation of Filing and Processing

Data is considered to be successfully received and processed once the Federal Reserve has uploaded your data (or inputted your data, if sent in paper form) onto its data processing system. When the Fed has successfully uploaded (or inputted) your data, it will confirm receipt and processing of the file by emailing an Edit Report on official Federal Reserve Board letterhead. The Edit Report may list potential data errors. You should receive the Edit Report within ten business days of submitting your data. You should retain a dated copy of the Edit Report with your credit union’s records.

If your credit union does not receive an Edit Report from the Federal Reserve Board within ten business days of submitting your data, it is your responsibility to follow up by contacting them by email at hmdahelp@frb.gov. In the subject heading of the e-mail type “Outstanding Edit Report” and your institution’s HMDA reporting ID, agency code and state location. If you do not follow up to receive an Edit Report, your credit union may appear on a delinquent filers list.

Credit unions submitting their data by email will receive an email message from the Fed to confirm receipt of the submission. You should contact them if you do not receive a timely confirmation of receipt. However, it is important not to confuse the confirmation that the Fed received your submission with the Edit Report to document that the Fed successfully loaded your data onto its data processing system. The Edit Report is your only confirmation that Federal Reserve has received your data in an acceptable format, and will be sent to you regardless of how you filed.

NCUA Policy Concerning Delinquent Filings

NCUA expects every credit union required to report 2016 HMDA data to provide a readable transmission file in an acceptable format to the Federal Reserve by the March 1, 2017, deadline. After March 1, the Federal Reserve will provide a list of delinquent filers to NCUA.

Credit unions appearing on the Fed’s delinquent filers list could become subject to civil money penalty assessments.

Other Resources

The HMDA page on the FFIEC website is designed to assist financial institutions with HMDA compliance. Included on the site is a comprehensive publication entitled A Guide to HMDA Reporting: Getting it Right! The guide provides information about the history of HMDA, data reporting requirements, LAR completion, geocoding tools, and disclosure requirements. In addition, the website provides access to many other resources, including:

• A Frequently Asked Questions section;
• HMDA Edit information to help ensure data validity, accuracy, and integrity;
• Informational Guide Letters addressing specific HMDA issues, including geographic changes in the FFIEC Census Files;
• FFIEC Census and Demographic Data; and
• Newsletters discussing reporting information.

Questions concerning HMDA software, data receipt confirmations, data edits, and other issues related to submission of HMDA data can be sent to the Federal Reserve Board by email at hmdahelp@frb.gov. Given the increased volume of inquiries between January and May, the Federal Reserve advises its response time could exceed two business days.

If you have questions, please contact NCUA’s Office of Consumer Financial Protection and Access at (703) 518-1140 or at ComplianceMail@ncua.gov, or contact your regional office or state supervisory authority.