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6500 - Consumer Protection

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FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD'S TRUTH IN LENDING OFFICIAL STAFF COMMENTARY TO REGULATION Z

  CODIFICATION:  Official Staff Commentary to Regulation Z codified to 12 C.F.R. Part 226.
  AUTHORITY:  12 U.S.C. 3806, 15 U.S.C. 1604 and 1637(c)(5).
  SOURCE:  The provisions of this Part 226 appear at 46 Fed. Reg. 50288, October 9, 1981; amended at 46 Fed. Reg. 60190, December 9, 1981; 46 Fed. Reg. 61067, December 15, 1981, effective October 13, 1981; 46 Fed. Reg. 58644, December 3, 1981, effective December 4, 1981; 47 Fed. Reg. 41343, September 20, 1982, effective September 17, 1982; and 47 Fed. Reg. 51732, November 17, 1982; 48 Fed. Reg. 14886, April 6, 1983, effective April 1, 1983, but reliance optional until October 1, 1983; 49 Fed. Reg. 13482, April 5, 1984, effective April 1, 1984, but reliance optional until October 1, 1984; 49 Fed. Reg. 40560, October 17, 1984, effective October 16, 1984; 50 Fed. Reg. 13183, April 3, 1985, effective April 1, 1985, but reliance optional until October 1, 1985; 51 Fed. Reg. 11422, April 3, 1986, effective April 1, 1986, but reliance optional until October 1, 1986; 52 Fed. Reg. 10878, April 6, 1987, effective April 1, 1987, but compliance optional until October 1, 1987; 53 Fed. Reg. 11047--11060, April 5, 1988, effective April 1, 1988, but compliance optional until October 1, 1988; 54 Fed. Reg. 9417, March 7, 1989, effective February 28, 1989, but compliance optional unil October 1, 1989; 55 Fed. Reg. 13103, April 9, 1990, effective April 9, 1990, but compliance optional until October 1, 1990; 55 Fed. Reg. 17749, April 27, 1990; 56 Fed. Reg. 13754, April 4, 1991, effective April 1, 1991, but compliance optional until October 1, 1991; 56 Fed. Reg. 23993, May 28, 1991, effective April 1, 1991, but compliance optional until October 1, 1991; 57 Fed. Reg. 81, January 2, 1992; 61 Fed. Reg. 14955-14957 and 14959, April 4, 1996, effective April 19, 1996, but compliance optional until October 1, 1996; 61 Fed. Reg. 49248, September 19, 1996, effective October 21, 1996; 64 Fed. Reg. 16616, April 6, 1999, effective March 31, 1999; 65 Fed. Reg. 58908, October 3, 2000, effective September 27, 2000; compliance is mandatory as of October 1, 2000; 65 Fed. Reg. 70465, November 24, 2000, effective January 1, 2001; 66 Fed. Reg., March 30, 2001, effective March 30, 2001; however, to allow time for any necessary operational changes, the mandatory compliance date is October 1, 2001; 67 Fed. Reg. 16982, April 9, 2002; 67 Fed. Reg. 61769, October 2, 2002, effective January 1, 2003; 68 Fed. Reg. 16189 and 16180, April 3, 2003, effective April 1, 2003; 68 Fed. Reg. 50966, August 25, 2003, effective January 1, 2004; 69 Fed. Reg. 16773, March 31, 2004; 69 Fed. Reg. 16774, March 31, 2004; 69 Fed. Reg. 50299, August 16, 2004, effective January 1, 2005; 68 Fed. Reg. April 3, 2003, effective April 3, 2003 but the date for mandatory compliance is October 1, 2003; 71 Fed. Reg. 46388, August 14, 2006, effective January 1, 2007; 72 Fed. Reg. 44033, August 9, 2007, effective January 1, 2008; 73 Fed. Reg. 44605, July 30, 2008, effective October 9, 2009; 73 Fed. Reg. 46191, August 8, 2008, effective January 1, 2009]

INTRODUCTION

  1.  Official status.  This commentary is the vehicle by which the staff of the Division of Consumer and Community Affairs of the Federal Reserve Board issues official staff interpretations of Regulation Z, as revised effective April 1, 1981. Good faith compliance with this commentary affords protection from liability under 130(f) of the Truth in Lending Act. Section 130(f) (15 U.S.C. 1640) protects creditors from civil liability for any act done or omitted in good faith in conformity with any interpretation issued by a duly authorized official or employee of the Federal Reserve System.
  2.  Procedure for requesting interpretations.  Under appendix C of the regulation, anyone may request an official staff interpretation. Interpretations that are adopted will be incorporated in this commentary following publication in the Federal Register. No official staff interpretations are expected to be issued other than by means of this commentary.
  3.  Status of previous interpretations.  All statements and opinions issued by the Federal Reserve Board and its staff interpreting previous Regulation Z remain effective until October 1, 1982, only insofar as they interpret that regulation. When compliance with revised Regulation Z becomes mandatory on October 1, 1982, the Board and staff interpretations of the previous regulation will be entirely superseded by the revised regulation and this commentary except with regard to liability under the previous regulation.
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  4.  Rules of construction.  (a)  Lists that appear in the commentary may be exhaustive or illustrative; the appropriate construction should be clear from the context. In most cases, illustrative lists are introduced by phrases such as "including, but not limited to," "amongother things," "for example," or "such as."
    (b)  Throughout the commentary and regulation, reference to the regulation should be construed to refer to revised Regulation Z, unless the context indicates that a reference to previous Regulation Z is also intended.
    (c)  Throughout the commentary, reference to "this section" or "this paragraph" means the section or paragraph in the regulation that is the subject of the comment.
  5.  Comment designations.  Each comment in the commentary is identified by a number and the regulatory section or paragraph which it interprets. The comments are designated with as much specificity as possible according to the particular regulatory provision addressed. For example, some of the comments to § 226.18(b) are further divided by paragraph, such as comment 18(b)(1)--1 and comment 18(b)(2)--1. In other cases, comments have more general application and are designated, for example, as comment 18--1 or comment 18(b)--1. This introduction may be cited as comments I--1 through I--7. Comments to the appendices may be cited, for example, as comment app. A--1.
  6.  Cross-references.  The following cross-references to related material appear at the end of each section of the commentary: (a) "Statute"--those sections of the Truth in Lending Act on which the regulatory provision is based (and any other relevant statutes); (b) "Other sections"--other provisions in the regulation necessary to understand that section; (c) "Previous regulation"--parallel provisions in previous Regulation Z; and (d) "1981 changes"--a brief description of the major changes made by the 1981 revisions to Regulation Z. Where appropriate a fifth category ("Other regulations") provides cross-references to other regulations.
  7.  Transition rules.  (a)  Though compliance with the revised regulation is not mandatory until April 1, 1982, creditors may begin complying as of April 1, 1981. During the intervening year, a creditor may convert its entire operation to the new requirements at one time, or it may convert to the new requirements in stages. In general, however, a creditor may not mix the regulatory requirements when making disclosures for a particular closed-end transaction or open-end account; all the disclosures for a single closed-end transaction (or open-end account) must be made in accordance with the previous regulation, or all the disclosures must be made in accordance with the revised regulation. As an exception to the general rule, the revised rescission rules and the revised advertising rules may be followed even if the disclosures are based on the previous regulation. For purposes of this regulation, the creditor is not required to take any particular action beyond the requirements of the revised regulation to indicate its conversion to the revised regulation.
    (b)  The revised regulation may be relied on to determine if any disclosures are required for a particular transaction or to determine if a person is a "creditor" subject to Truth in Lending requirements, whether or not other operations have been converted to the revised regulation. For example, layaway plans are not subject to the revised regulation, nor are oral agreements to lend money if there is no finance charge. These provisions may be relied on even if the creditor is making other disclosures under the previous regulation. The new rules governing whether or not disclosures must be made for refinancings and assumptions are also available to a creditor that has not yet converted its operations to the revised regulation.
    (c)  In addition to the above rules, applicable to both open-end and closed-end credit, the following guidelines are relevant to open-end credit:
  • The creditor need not remake initial disclosures that were made under the previous regulation, even if the revised periodic statements contain terminology that is inconsistent with those initial disclosures.
  • A creditor may add inserts to its old open-end forms in order to convert them to the revised rules until such time as the old forms are used up.
  • No change-in-terms notice is required for changes resulting from the conversion to the revised regulation.
  • The previous billing rights statements are substantially similar to the revised billing rights statements and may continue to be used, except that, if the creditor has an automatic debit program, it must use the revised automatic debit provision.
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  • For those creditors wishing to use the annual billing rights statement, the creditor may count from the date on which it sent its last statement under the previous regulation in determining when to give the first statement under the new regulation. For example, if the creditor sent a semi-annual statement in June 1981, and converts to the new regulation in October 1981, the creditor must give the billing rights statement sometime in 1982, and it must not be fewer than six nor more than 18 months after the June statement.
    
   * Section 226.11 of the revised regulation affects only credit balances that are created on or after the date the creditor converts the account to the revised regulation.

Subpart A—General


Section 226.1—Authority, Purpose, Coverage, Organization, Enforcement and Liability

  1(c)  Coverage.
  1.  Foreign applicability. Regulation Z applies to all persons (including branches of foreign banks and sellers located in the United States) that extend consumer credit to residents (including resident aliens) of any state as defined in § 226.2. If an account is located in the United States and credit is extended to a U.S. resident, the transaction is subject to the regulation. This will be the case whether or not a particular advance or purchase on the account takes place in the United States and whether or not the extender of credit is chartered or based in the United States or a foreign country. Thus, a U.S. resident's use in
{{8-29-08 p.6873}}Europe of a credit card issued by a bank in the consumer's home town is covered by the regulation. The regulation does not apply to a foreign branch of a U.S. bank when the foreign branch extends credit to a U.S. citizen residing or visiting abroad or to a foreign national abroad.
References
  Statute:  § 102.
  Other sections:  None.
  Previous regulation:  § 226.1.
  1981 changes:  A discussion of coverage has been added to § 226.1 so that the reader will understand from the start what is subject to the regulation. Language has also been added to explain the reorganization of the regulation into subparts that group together the provisions relating to general matters, open-end credit, closed-end credit, and miscellaneous rules. The provisions on consumer leasing have been issued by the Board as a separate regulation, Regulation M (12 CFR Part 213).
  1(d)  Organization.
  Paragraph 1(d)(5).
  1.  Effective dates.  The Board's revisions to Regulation Z published on July 30, 2008 (the "final rules"), apply to covered loans (including refinance loans and assumptions considered new transactions under 226.20), for which the creditor receives an application on or after October 1, 2009, except for the final rules on advertising, escrows, and loan servicing. The final rules on escrows in § 226.35(b)(3) are effective for covered loans, (including refinancings and assumptions in 226.20) for which the creditor receives an application on or after April 1, 2010; but for such loans secured by manufactured housing on or after October 1, 2010. The final rules applicable to servicers in § 226.36(c) apply to all covered loans serviced on or after October 1, 2009. The final rules on advertising apply to advertisements occurring on or after October 1, 2009. For example, a radio ad occurs on the date it is first broadcast; a solicitation occurs on the date it is mailed to the consumer. The following examples illustrate the application of the effective dates for the final rules.
  i.  General.  A refinancing or assumption as defined in 226.20(a) or (b) is a new transaction and is covered by a provision of the final rule if the creditor receives an application for the transaction on or after that provision's effective date. For example, if a creditor receives an application for a refinance loan covered by 226.35(a) on or after October 1, 2009, and the refinance loan is consummated on October 15, 2009, the provision restricting prepayment penalties in § 226.35(b)(2) applies. However, if the transaction were a modification of an existing obligation's terms that does not constitute a refinance loan under § 226.20(a), the final rules, including for example the restriction on prepayment penalties would not apply.
  ii.  Escrows.  Assume a consumer applies for a refinance loan to be secured by a dwelling (that is not a manufactured home) on March 15, 2010, and the loan is consummated on April 2, 2010, the escrow rule in 226.35(b)(3) does not apply.
  iii.  Servicing.  Assume that a consumer applies for a new loan on August 1, 2009. The loan is consummated on September 1, 2009. The servicing rules in 226.36(c) apply to the servicing of that loan as of October 1, 2009.

Section 226.2--Definitions and Rules of Construction

  2(a)  Definitions.
  (a)(2)  Advertisement.
  1.  Coverage. Only commercial messages that promote consumer credit transactions requiring disclosure are advertisements. Messages inviting, offering, or otherwise announcing generally to prospective customers the availability of credit transactions, whether in visual, oral, or print media, are covered by Regulation Z (12 CFR part 226).
  i.  Examples include:
  A.  Messages in a newspaper, magazine, leaflet, promotional flyer, or catalog.
  B.  Announcements on radio, television, or public address system.
  C.  On-line messages, such as on the Internet.
  D.  Direct mail literature or other printed material on any exterior or interior sign.
  E.  Point-of-sale displays.
  F.  Telephone solicitations.
  G.  Price tags that contain credit information.
  H.  Letters sent to customers as part of an organized solicitation of business.
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  I.  Messages on checking account statements offering auto loans at a stated annual percentage rate.
  J.  Communications promoting a new open-end plan or closed-end transaction.
  ii.  The term does not include:
  A.  Direct personal contacts, such as follow-up letters, cost estimates for individual consumers, or oral or written communication relating to the negotiation of a specific transaction.
  B.  Informational material, for example, interest rate and loan term memos, distributed only to business entities.
  C.  Notices required by federal or state law, if the law mandates that specific information be displayed and only the information so mandated is included in the notice.
  D.  News articles the use of which is controlled by the news medium.
  E.  Market research or educational materials that do not solicit business.
  F.  Communications about an existing credit account (for example, a promotion encouraging additional or different uses of an existing credit card account).
  2.  Persons covered.  All "persons" must comply with the advertising provisions in §§ 226.16 and 226.24, not just those that meet the definition of creditor in § 226.2(a)(17). Thus, home builders, merchants, and others who are not themselves creditors must comply with the advertising provisions of the regulation if they advertise consumer credit transactions. However, under § 145 of the act, the owner and the personnel of the medium, in which an advertisement appears, or through which it is disseminated, are not subject to civil liability for violations.
  2(a)(4) "Billing cycle" or "cycle".
  1.  Intervals.  In open-end credit plans, the billing cycle determines the intervals at which periodic disclosure statements are required; these intervals are also used as measuring points for other duties of the creditor. Typically, billing cycles are monthly, but they may be more frequent or less frequent (but not less frequent than quarterly).
  2.  Creditors that do not bill.  The term "cycle" is interchangeable with "billing cycle" for definitional purposes, since some creditors' cycles do not involve the sending of bills in the traditional sense but only statements of account activity. This is commonly the case with financial institutions when periodic payments are made through payroll deduction or through automatic debit of the consumer's asset account.
  3.  Equal cycles.  Although cycles must be equal, there is a permissible variance to account for weekends, holidays, and differences in the number of days in months. If the actual date of each statement does not vary by more than four days from a fixed "day" (for example, the third Thursday of each month) or "date" (for example, the 15th of each month) that the creditor regularly uses, the intervals between statements are considered equal. The requirement that cycles be equal applies even if the creditor applies a daily periodic rate to determine the finance charge. The requirement that intervals be equal does not apply to the transitional billing cycle that can occur when the creditor occasionally changes its billing cycles so as to establish a new statement day or date. (See the commentary to § 226.9(c).)
  4.  Payment reminder.  The sending of a regular payment reminder (rather than a late payment notice) establishes a cycle for which the creditor must send periodic statements.
  2(a)(6) "Business day".
  1.  Business function test.  Activities that indicate that the creditor is open for substantially all of its business functions include the availability of personnel to make loan disbursements, to open new accounts, and to handle credit transaction inquiries. Activities that indicate that the creditor is not open for substantially all of its business functions include a retailer merely accepting credit cards for purchases or a bank having its customer-service windows open only for limited purposes such as deposits and withdrawals, bill paying, and related services.
  2.  Rescission rule.  A more precise rule for what is a business day (all calendar days except Sundays and the federal legal holidays listed in 5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) applies when the right of rescission, the receipt of disclosures for certain mortgage transactions under section 226.19(a)(1)(ii), or mortgages subject to Section 226.32 are involved. (See also comment 31(c)(1)--1.) Four federal legal holidays are identified in 5 U.S.C. 6103(a) by a specific date: New Year's Day, January 1; Independence Day, July 4; Veterans Day, November 11; and Christmas Day, December 25. When one of these holidays (July 4, for example) falls on a Saturday, federal offices and other entities might observe the holiday on the preceding
{{8-29-08 p.6874.01}}Friday (July 3). The observed holiday (in the example, July 3) is a business day for purposes of rescission, the receipt of disclosures for certain mortgage transactions under section 226.19(a)(1)(ii), or the delivery of disclosures for certain high-cost mortgages covered by Section 226.32.
  2(a)(7) "Card issuer".
  1.  Agent.  An agent of a card issuer is considered a card issuer. Because agency relationships are traditionally defined by contract and by state or other applicable law, the regulation does not define agent. Merely providing services relating to the production of credit cards or data processing for others, however, does not make one the agent of the card issuer. In contrast, a financial institution may become the agent of the card issuer if an agreement between the institution and the card issuer provides that the cardholder may use a line of credit with the financial institution to pay obligations incurred by use of the credit card.
  2(a)(8) "Cardholder".
  1.  General rule.  A cardholder is a natural person at whose request a card is issued for consumer credit purposes or who is a co-obligor or guarantor for such a card issued to another. The second category does not include an employee who is a co-obligor or guarantor on a card issued to the employer for business purposes, nor does it include a person who is merely the authorized user of a card issued to another.
  2.  Limited application of regulation.  For the limited purposes of the rules on issuance of credit cards and liability for unauthorized use, a cardholder includes any person, including an organization, to whom a card is issued for any purpose--including a business, agricultural, or commercial purpose.
  3.  Issuance.  See the commentary to § 226.12(a).
  4.  Dual-purpose cards and dual-card systems.  Some card issuers offer dual-purpose cards that are for business as well as consumer purposes. If a card is issued to an individual for consumer purposes, the fact that an organization has guaranteed to pay the debt does not make it business credit. On the other hand, if a card is issued for business purposes, the fact that an individual sometimes uses it for consumer purchases does not subject the card issuer to the provisions on periodic statements, billing error resolution, and other protections afforded to consumer credit. Some card issuers offer dual-card systems--that is, they issue two cards to the same individual, one intended for business use, the other for consumer or personal use. With such a system, the same person may be a cardholder for general purposes
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when using the card issued for consumer use, and a cardholder only for the limited purposes of the restrictions on issuance and liability when using the card issued for business purposes.
  2(a)(9) "Cash price".
  1.  Components.  This amount is a starting point in computing the amount financed and the total sale price under § 226.18 for credit sales. Any charges imposed equally in cash and credit transactions may be included in the cash price, or they may be treated as other amounts financed under § 226.18(b)(2).
  2.  Service contracts.  Service contracts include contracts for the repair or the servicing of goods, such as mechanical breakdown coverage, even if such a contract is characterized as insurance under state law.
  3.  Rebates.  The creditor has complete flexibility in the way it treats rebates for purposes of disclosure and calculation. See the commentary to § 226.18(b).
  2(a)(10) "Closed-end credit".
  1.  General.  The coverage of this term is defined by exclusion. That is, it includes any credit arrangement that does not fall within the definition of open-end credit. Subpart C contains the disclosure rules for closed-end credit when the obligation is subject to a finance charge or is payable by written agreement in more than four installments.
  2(a)(11) "Consumer".
  1.  Scope.  Guarantors, endorsers, and sureties are not generally consumers for purposes of the regulation, but they may be entitled to rescind under certain circumstances and they may have certain rights if they are obligated on credit card plans.
  2.  Rescission rules.  For purposes of rescission under §§ 226.15 and 226.23, a consumer includes any natural person whose ownership interest in his or her principal dwelling is subject to the risk of loss. Thus, if a security interest is taken in A's ownership interest in a house and that house is A's principal dwelling, A is a consumer for purposes of rescission, even if A is not liable, either primarily or secondarily, on the underlying consumer credit transaction. An ownership interest does not include, for example, leaseholds or inchoate rights, such as dower.
  3.  Land trusts.  Credit extended to land trusts, as described in the commentary to § 226.3(a), is considered to be extended to a natural person for purposes of the definition of consumer.
  2(a)(12) "Consumer credit".
  1.  Primary purpose.  There is no precise test for what constitutes credit offered or extended for personal, family, or household purposes, nor for what constitutes the primary purpose. See, however, the discussion of business purposes in the commentary to § 226.3(a).
  2(a)(13) "Consummation".
  1.  State law governs.  When a contractual obligation on the consumer' s part is created is a matter to be determined under applicable law; Regulation Z does not make this determination. A contractual commitment agreement, for example, that under applicable law binds the consumer to the credit terms would be consummation. Consummation, however, does not occur merely because the consumer has made some financial investment in the transaction (for example, by paying a nonrefundable fee) unless, of course, applicable law holds otherwise.
  2.  Credit v. sale.  Consummation does not occur when the consumer becomes contractually committed to a sale transaction, unless the consumer also becomes legally obligated to accept a particular credit arrangement. For example, when a consumer pays a nonrefundable deposit to purchase an automobile, a purchase contract may be created, but consummation for purposes of the regulation does not occur unless the consumer also contracts for financing at that time.
  2(a)(14) "Credit".
  1.  Exclusions.  The following situations are not considered credit for purposes of the regulation:
  •  Layaway plans, unless the consumer is contractually obligated to continue making payments. Whether the consumer is so obligated is a matter to be determined under applicable law. The fact that the consumer is not entitled to a refund of any amounts paid towards the cash price of the merchandise does not bring layaways within the definition of credit.
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  •  Tax liens, tax assessments, court judgments, and court approvals of reaffirmation of debts in bankruptcy. However, third-party financing of such obligations (for example, a bank loan obtained to pay off a tax lien) is credit for purposes of the regulation.
  •  Insurance premium plans that involve payment in installments with each installment representing the payment for insurance coverage for a certain future period of time, unless the consumer is contractually obligated to continue making payments.
  •  Home improvement transactions that involve progress payments, if the consumer pays, as the work progresses, only for work completed and has no contractual obligation to continue making payments.
  •  "Borrowing" against the accrued cash value of an insurance policy or a pension account, if there is no independent obligation to repay.
  •  Letters of credit.
  •  The execution of option contracts. However, there may be an extension of credit when the option is exercised, if there is an agreement at that time to defer payment of a debt.
  •  Investment plans in which the party extending capital to the consumer risks the loss of the capital advanced. This includes, for example, an arrangement with a home purchaser in which the investor pays a portion of the downpayment and of the periodic mortgage payments in return for an ownership interest in the property, and shares in any gain or loss of property value.
  •  Mortgage assistance plans administered by a government agency in which a portion of the consumer's monthly payment amount is paid by the agency. No finance charge is imposed on the subsidy amount and that amount is due in a lump-sum payment on a set date or upon the occurrence of certain events. (If payment is not made when due, a new note imposing a finance charge may be written, which may then be subject to the regulation.)
  2.  Payday loans; deferred presentment.  Credit includes a transaction in which a cash advance is made to a consumer in exchange for the consumer's personal check, or in exchange for the consumer's authorization to debit the consumer's deposit account, and where the parties agree either that the check will not be cashed or deposited, or that the consumer's deposit account will not be debited, until a designated future date. This type of transaction is often referred to as a "payday loan" or "payday advance" or "deferred presentment loan." A fee charged in connection with such a transaction may be a finance charge for purposes of § 226.4, regardless of how the fee is characterized under state law. Where the fee charged constitutes a finance charge under § 226.4 and the person advancing funds regularly extends consumer credit, that person is a creditor and is required to provide disclosures consistent with the requirements of Regulation Z. See § 226.2(a)(17).
  2(a)(15)  "Credit card".
  1.  Usable from time to time. A credit card must be usable from time to time. Since this involves the possibility of repeated use of a single device, checks and similar instruments that can be used only once to obtain a single credit extension are not credit cards.
  2.  Examples.
    i.  Examples of credit cards include:
      A.  A card that guarantees checks or similar instruments, if the asset account is also tied to an overdraft line or if the instrument directly accesses a line of credit.
      B.  A card that accesses both a credit and an asset account (that is, a debit-credit card).
      C.  An identification card that permits the consumer to defer payment on a purchase.
      D.  An identification card indicating loan approval that is presented to a merchant or to a lender, whether or not the consumer signs a separate promissory note for each credit extension.
      E.  A card or device that can be activated upon receipt to access credit, even if the card has a substantive use other than credit, such as a purchase-price discount card. Such a card or device is a credit card notwithstanding the fact that the recipient must first contact the card issuer to access or activate the credit feature.
    ii.  In contrast, a credit card does not include, for example:
      A.  A check guarantee or debit card with no credit feature or agreement, even if the creditor occassionally honors an inadvertent overdraft.
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      B.  Any card, key, plate, or other device that is used in order to obtain petroleum products for business purposes from a wholesale distribution facility or to gain access to that facility, and that is required to be used without regard to payment terms.
  3.  Charge card.  Generally, charge cards are cards used in connection with an account on which outstanding balances cannot be carried from one billing cycle to another and are payable when a periodic statement is received. Under the regulation, a reference to credit cards generally includes charge cards. The term "charge card" is, however, distinguished from "credit card" in §§ 226.5a, 226.9(e), 226.9(f), and 226.28(d), and appendices G--10 through G--13. When the term "credit card" is used in those provisions, it refers to credit cards other than charge cards.
  2(a)(16)  "Credit sale".
  1.  Special disclosure.  If the seller is a creditor in the transaction, the transaction is a credit sale and the special credit sale disclosures (that is, the disclosures under § 226.18(j)) must be given. This applies even if there is more than one creditor in the transaction and the creditor making the disclosures is not the seller. See the commentary to § 226.17(d).
  2.  Sellers who arrange credit.  If the seller of the property or services involved arranged for financing but is not a creditor as to that sale, the transaction is not a credit sale. Thus, if a seller assists the consumer in obtaining a direct loan from a financial institution and the consumer's note is payable to the financial institution, the transaction is a loan and only the financial institution is a creditor.
  3.  Refinancings.  Generally, when a credit sale is refinanced within the meaning of § 226.20(a), loan disclosures should be made. However, if a new sale of goods or services is also involved, the transaction is a credit sale.
  4.  Incidental sales.  Some lenders "sell" a product or service--such as credit, property, or health insurance--as part of a loan transaction. Section 226.4 contains the rules on whether the cost of credit life, disability or property insurance is part of the finance charge. If the insurance is financed, it may be disclosed as a separate credit sale transaction or disclosed as part of the primary transaction; if the latter approach is taken, either loan or credit sale disclosures may be made. See the commentary to § 226.17(c)(1) for further discussion of this point.
  5.  Credit extensions for educational purposes.  A credit extension for educational purposes in which an educational institution is the creditor may be treated as either a credit sale or a loan, regardless of whether the funds are given directly to the student, credited to the student's account, or disbursed to other persons on the student's behalf. The disclosure of the total sale price need not be given if the transaction is treated as a loan.
  2(a)(17)  "Creditor".
  1.  General.  The definition contains four independent tests. If any one of the tests is met, the person is a creditor for purposes of that particular test.
  Paragraph 2(a)(17)(i).
  1.  Prerequisites.  This test is composed of 2 requirements, both of which must be met in order for a particular credit extension to be subject to the regulation and for the credit extension to count towards satisfaction of the numerical tests mentioned in footnote 3 to § 226.2(a)(17). First, there must be either or both of the following:
  •   A written (rather than oral) agreement to pay in more than four installments. A letter that merely confirms an oral agreement does not constitute a written agreement for purposes of the definition.
  •   A finance charge imposed for the credit. The obligation to pay the finance charge need not be in writing.
  Second,  the obligation must be payable to the person in order for that person to be considered a creditor. If an obligation is made payable to "bearer," the creditor is the one who initially accepts the obligation.
  2.  Assignees.  If an obligation is initially payable to one person, that person is the creditor even if the obligation by its terms is simultaneously assigned to another person. For example:
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  •   An auto dealer and a bank have a business relationship in which the bank supplies the dealer with credit sale contracts that are initially made payable to the dealer and provide for the immediate assignment of the obligation to the bank. The dealer and purchaser execute the contract only after the bank approves the creditworthiness of the purchaser. Because the obligation is initially payable on its face to the dealer, the dealer is the only creditor in the transaction.
  3.  Numerical tests.  The examples below illustrate how the numerical tests of footnote 3 are applied. The examples assume that consumer credit with a finance charge or written agreement for more than four installments was extended in the years in question and that the person did not extend such credit in 1982.
  4.  Counting transactions.  For purposes of closed-end credit, the creditor counts each credit transaction. For open-end credit, "transactions" means accounts, so that outstanding accounts are counted instead of individual credit extensions. Normally the number of transactions is measured by the preceding calendar year; if the requisite number is met, then the person is a creditor for all transactions in the current year. However, if the person did not meet the test in the preceding year, the number of transactions is measured by the current calendar year. For example, if the person extends consumer credit 26 times in 1983, it is a creditor for purposes of the regulation for the last extension of credit in 1983 and for all extensions of consumer credit in 1984. On the other hand, if a business begins in 1983 and extends consumer credit 20 times, it is not a creditor for purposes of the regulation in 1983. If it extends consumer credit 75 times in 1984, however, it becomes a creditor for purposes of the regulation (and must begin making disclosures) after the 25th extension of credit in that year and is a creditor for all extensions of consumer credit in 1985.
  5.  Relationship between consumer credit in general and credit secured by a dwelling.  Extensions of credit secured by a dwelling are counted towards the 25-extensions test. For example, if in 1983 a person extends unsecured consumer credit 23 times and consumer credit secured by a dwelling twice, it becomes a creditor for the succeeding extensions of credit, whether or not they are secured by a dwelling. On the other hand, extensions of consumer credit not secured by a dwelling are not counted towards the number of credit extensions secured by a dwelling. For example, if in 1983 a person extends credit not secured by a dwelling eight times and credit secured by a dwelling three times, it is not a creditor.
  6.  Effect of satisfying one test.  Once one of the numerical tests is satisfied, the person is also a creditor for the other type of credit. For example, in 1983 a person extends consumer credit secured by a dwelling five times. That person is a creditor for all succeeding credit extensions, whether they involve credit secured by a dwelling or not.
  7.  Trusts.  In the case of credit extended by trusts, each individual trust is considered a separate entity for purposes of applying the criteria. For example:
  •   A bank is the trustee for three trusts: Trust A makes 15 extensions of consumer credit annually; Trust B makes 10 extensions of consumer credit annually: and Trust C makes 30 extensions of consumer credit annually; Only Trust C is a creditor for purposes of the regulation.
  8.  Loans from employee savings plans.  Some employee savings plans permit participants to borrow money up to a certain percentage of their account balances, and use a trust to administer the receipt and disbursement of funds. Unless each participant's account is an individual plan and trust, the creditor should apply the numerical tests to the plan as a whole rather than to the individual account, even if the loan amount is determined by reference to the balance in an individual account and the repayments are credited to the individual account. The person to whom the obligation is originally made payable (whether the plan, the trust, or the trustee) is the creditor for purposes of the act and regulation.
  Paragraph 2(a)(17)(iii).
  1.  Card issuers subject to subpart B.   Section 226.2(a)(17)(iii) makes certain card issuers creditors for purposes of the open-end credit provisions of the regulation. This includes, for example, the issuers of so-called travel and entertainment cards that expect repayment at the first billing and do not impose a finance charge. Since all disclosures are to be made only as applicable, such card issuers would omit finance charge disclosures.
{{4-30-99 p.6879}}Other provisions of the regulation regarding such areas as scope, definitions, determination of which charges are finance charges, Spanish language disclosures, record retention, and use of model forms, also apply to such card issuers.
  Paragraph 2(a)(17)(iv)
  1.  Card issuers subject to subparts B and C.   Section 226.2(a)(17)(iv) includes as creditors card issuers extending closed-end credit in which there is a finance charge or an agreement to pay in more than four installments. These card issuers are subject to the appropriate provisions of subparts B and C, as well as to the general provisions.
  2(a)(18)  "Downpayment".
  1.  Allocation.  If a consumer makes a lump-sum payment, partially to reduce the cash price and partially to pay prepaid finance charges, only the portion attributable to reducing the cash price is part of the downpayment. (See the commentary to section 226.2(a)(23).)
  2.  Pick-up payments.  Creditors may treat the deferred portion of the downpayment, often referred to as "pick-up payments," in a number of ways. If the pick-up payment is treated as part of the downpayment:
  •  It is subtracted in arriving at the amount financed under § 226.18(b).
  •  It may, but need not, be reflected in the payment schedule under § 226.18(g).
  If the pick-up payment does not meet the definition (for example, if it is payable after the second regularly scheduled payment) or if the creditor chooses not to treat it as part of the downpayment:
  •  It must be included in the amount financed.
  •  It must be shown in the payment schedule.
  Whichever way the pick-up payment is treated, the total of payments under §  226.18(h) must equal the sum of the payments disclosed under § 226.18(g).
  3.  Effect of existing liens.  i. No cash payment. In a credit sale, the "downpayment" may only be used to reduce the cash price. For example, when a trade-in is used as the downpayment and the existing lien on an automobile to be traded in exceeds the value of the automobile, creditors must disclose a zero on the downpayment line rather than a negative number. To illustrate, assume a consumer owes $10,000 on an existing automobile loan and that the trade-in value of the automobile is only $8,000, leaving a $2,000 deficit. The creditor should disclose a downpayment of $0, not –$2,000.
  ii.  Cash payment. If the consumer makes a cash payment, creditors may, at their option, disclose the entire cash payment as the downpayment, or apply the cash payment first to any excess lien amount and disclose any remaining cash as the downpayment. In the above example:
  A.  If the downpayment disclosed is equal to the cash payment, the $2,000 deficit must be reflected as an additional amount financed under § 226.18(b)(2).
  B.  If the consumer provides $1,500 in cash (which does not extinguish the $2,000 deficit), the creditor may disclose a downpayment of $1,500 or of $0.
  C.  If the consumer provides $3,000 in cash, the creditor may disclose a downpayment of $3,000 or of $1,000.
  2(a)(19)  "Dwelling".
  1.  Scope.  A dwelling need not be the consumer's principal residence to fit the definition and thus a vacation or second home could be a dwelling. However, for purposes of the definition of residential mortgage transaction and the right to rescind, a dwelling must be the principal residence of the consumer. See the commentary to §§ 226.2(a)(24), 226.15, and 226.23.
  2.  Use as a residence.  Mobile homes, boats, and trailers are dwellings if they are in fact used as residences, just as are condominium and cooperative units. Recreational vehicles, campers, and the like not used as residences are not dwellings.
  3.  Relation to exemptions.  Any transaction involving a security interest in a consumer's principal dwelling (as well as in any real property) remains subject to the regulation despite the general exemption in § 226.3(b) for credit extensions over $25,000.
  2(a)(20)  "Open-end credit".
  1.  General.  This definition describes the characteristics of open-end credit (for which the applicable disclosure and other rules are contained in subpart B), as distinct from
{{4-30-99 p.6880}}closed-end credit. Open-end credit is consumer credit that is extended under a plan and meets all three criteria set forth in the definition.
  2.  Existence of a plan.  The definition requires that there be a plan, which connotes a contractual arrangement between the creditor and the consumer. Some creditors offer programs containing a number of different credit features. The consumer has a single account with the institution that can be accessed repeatedly via a number of sub-accounts established for the different program features and rate structures. Some features of the program might be used repeatedly (for example, an overdraft line) while others might be used infrequently (such as the part of the credit line available for secured credit). If the program as a whole is subject to prescribed terms and otherwise meets the definition of open-end credit, such a program would be considered a single, multi-featured plan.
  3.  Repeated transactions.  Under this criterion, the creditor must reasonably contemplate repeated transactions. This means that the credit plan must be usable from time to time and the creditor must legitimately expect that there will be repeat business rather than a one-time credit extension. The creditor must expect repeated dealings with consumers under the credit plan as a whole and need not believe a consumer will reuse a particular feature of the plan. The determination of whether a creditor can reasonably contemplate repeated transactions requires an objective analysis. Information that much of the creditor's customer base with accounts under the plan make repeated transactions over some period of time is relevant to the determination, particularly when the plan is opened primarily for the financing of infrequently purchased products or services. A standard based on reasonable belief by a creditor necessarily includes some margin for judgmental error. The fact that particular consumers do not return for further credit extensions does not prevent a plan from having been properly characterized as open-end. For example, if much of the customer base of a clothing store makes repeat purchases, the fact that some consumers use the plan only once would not affect the characterization of the store's plan as open-end credit. The criterion regarding repeated transactions is a question of fact to be decided in the context of the creditor's type of business and the creditor's relationship with its customers. For example:
  i.  It would be more reasonable for a thrift institution chartered for the benefit of its members to contemplate repeated transactions with a member than for a seller of aluminum siding to make the same assumption about its customers.
  ii.  It would be more reasonable for a financial institution to make advances from a line of credit for the purchase of an automobile than for an automobile dealer to sell a car under an open-end plan.
  4.  Finance charge on an outstanding balance.  The requirement that a finance charge may be computed and imposed from time to time on the outstanding balance means that there is no specific amount financed for the plan for which the finance charge, total of payments, and payment schedule can be calculated. A plan may meet the definition of open-end credit even though a finance charge is not normally imposed, provided the creditor has the right, under the plan, to impose a finance charge from time to time on the outstanding balance. For example, in some plans, such as certain "china club" plans, a finance charge is not imposed if the consumer pays all or a specified portion of the outstanding balance within a given time period. Such a plan could meet the finance charge criterion, if the creditor has the right to impose a finance charge, even though the consumer actually pays no finance charges during the existence of the plan because the consumer takes advantage of the option to pay the balance (either in full or in installments) within the time necessary to avoid finance charges.
  5.  Reusable line.  The total amount of credit that may be extended during the existence of an open-end plan is unlimited because available credit is generally replenished as earlier advances are repaid. A line of credit is self-replenishing even though the plan itself has a fixed expiration date, as long as during the plan' s existence the consumer may use the line, repay, and reuse the credit. The creditor may verify credit information such as the consumer's continued income and employment status or information for security purposes. This criterion of unlimited credit distinguishes open-end credit from a series of advances made pursuant to a closed-end credit loan commitment. For example:
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  •  Under a closed-end commitment, the creditor might agree to lend a total of $10,000 in a series of advances as needed by the consumer. When a consumer has borrowed the full $10,000, no more is advanced under that particular agreement, even if there has been repayment of a portion of the debt.
  This criterion does not mean that the creditor must establish a specific credit limit for the line of credit or that the line of credit must always be replenished to its original amount. The creditor may reduce a credit limit or refuse to extend new credit in a particular case due to changes in the economy, the creditor's financial condition, or the consumer's creditworthiness. (The rules in § 226.5b(f), however, limit the ability of a creditor to suspend credit advances for home equity plans.) While consumers should have a reasonable expectation of obtaining credit as long as they remain current and within any preset credit limits, further extensions of credit need not be an absolute right in order for the plan to meet the self-replenishing criterion.
  6.  Open-end real estate mortgages.  Some credit plans call for negotiated advances under so-called open-end real estate mortgages. Each such plan must be independently measured against the definition of open-end credit, regardless of the terminology used in the industry to describe the plan. The fact that a particular plan is called an open-end real
{{8-29-08 p.6881}}estate mortgage, for example, does not, by itself, mean that it is open-end credit under the regulation.
  2(a)(21)  "Periodic rate".
  1.  Basis.  The periodic rate may be stated as a percentage (for example, 11;2% per month) or as a decimal equivalent (for example, .015 monthly). It may be based on any portion of a year the creditor chooses. Some creditors use 1/360 of an annual rate as their periodic rate. These creditors:
  • May disclose a 1/360 rate as a "daily" periodic rate, without further explanation, if it is in fact only applied 360 days per year. But if the creditor applies that rate for 365 days, the creditor must note that fact and, of course, disclose the true annual percentage rate.
  • Would have to apply the rate to the balance to disclose the annual percentage rate with the degree of accuracy required in the regulation (that is, within 1;8 of 1 percentage point of the rate based on the actual 365 days in the year).
  2.  Transaction charges.  "Periodic rate" does not include initial one-time transaction charges, even if the charge is computed as a percentage of the transaction amount.
  2(a)(22)  "Person".
  1.  Joint ventures.  A joint venture is an organization and is therefore a person.
  2.  Attorneys.  An attorney and his or her client are considered to be the same person for purposes of this regulation when the attorney is acting within the scope of the attorney-client relationship with regard to a particular transaction.
  3.  Trusts.  A trust and its trustee are considered to be the same person for purposes of this regulation.
  2(a)(23)  "Prepaid finance charge".
  1.  General.  Prepaid finance charges must be taken into account under § 226.18(b) in computing the disclosed amount financed, and must be disclosed if the creditor provides an itemization of the amount financed under § 226.18(c).
  2.  Examples.  Common examples of prepaid finance charges include:
  • Buyer's points.
  • Service fees.
  • Loan fees.
  • Finder's fees.
  • Loan guarantee insurance.
  • Credit investigation fees.
  However, in order for these or any other finance charges to be considered prepaid, they must be either paid separately in cash or check or withheld from the proceeds. Prepaid finance charges include any portion of the finance charge paid prior to or at closing or settlement.
  3.  Exclusions.  "Add-on" and "discount" finance charges are not prepaid finance charges for purposes of this regulation. Finance charges are not "prepaid" merely because they are precomputed, whether or not a portion of the charge will be rebated to the consumer upon prepayment. See the commentary to § 226.18(b).
  4.  Allocation of lump-sum payments.  In a credit sale transaction involving a lump-sum payment by the consumer and a discount or other item that is a finance charge under section 226.4, the discount or other item is a prepaid finance charge to the extent the lump-sum payment is not applied to the cash price. For example, a seller sells property to a consumer for $10,000, requires the consumer to pay $3,000 at the time of the purchase, and finances the remainder as a closed-end credit transaction. The cash price of the property is $9,000. The seller is the creditor in the transaction and therefore the $1,000 difference between the credit and cash prices (the discount) is a finance charge. (See the commentary to sections 226.4(b)(9) and 226.4(c)(5).) If the creditor applies the entire $3,000 to the cash price and adds the $1,000 finance charge to the interest on the $6,000 to arrive at the total finance charge, all of the $3,000 lump-sum payment is a downpayment and the discount is not a prepaid finance charge. However, if the creditor only applies $2,000 of the lump-sum payment to the cash price, then $2,000 of the $3,000 is a downpayment and the $1,000 discount is a prepaid finance charge.
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  2(a)(24)  Residential mortgage transaction.
  1.  Relation to other sections.  This term is important in five provisions in the regulation:
  i   Section 226.4(c)(7)--exclusions from the finance charge.
  ii.  Section 226.15(f)--exemption from the right of rescission.
  iii.  Section 226.18(q)--whether or not the obligation is assumable.
  iv.  Section 226.20(b)--disclosure requirements for assumptions.
  v.  Section 226.23(f)--exemption from the right of rescission.
  2.  Lien status.  The definition is not limited to first lien transactions. For example, a consumer might assume a paid-down first mortgage (or borrow part of the purchase price) and borrow the balance of the purchase price from a creditor who takes a second mortgage. The second mortgage transaction is a "residential mortgage transaction" if the dwelling purchased is the consumer's principal residence.
  3.  Principal dwelling.  A consumer can only have one principal dwelling at a time. Thus, a vacation or other second home would not be a principal dwelling. However, if a consumer buys or builds a new dwelling that will become the consumer's principal dwelling within a year or upon the completion of construction, the new dwelling is considered the principal dwelling for purposes of applying this definition to a particular transaction. See the commentary to §§ 226.15(a) and 226.23(a).
  4.  Construction financing.  If a transaction meets the definition of a residential mortgage transaction and the creditor chooses to disclose it as several transactions under § 226.17(c)(6), each one is considered to be a residential mortgage transaction, even if different creditors are involved. For example:
  • The creditor makes a construction loan to finance the initial construction of the consumer's principal dwelling, and the loan will be disbursed in five advances. The creditor gives six sets of disclosures (five for the construction phase and one for the permanent phase). Each one is a residential mortgage transaction.
  • One creditor finances the initial construction of the consumer's principal dwelling and another creditor makes a loan to satisfy the construction loan and provide permanent financing. Both transactions are residential mortgage transactions.
  5.  Acquisition.  i.  A residential mortgage transaction finances the acquisition of a consumer's principal dwelling. The term does not include a transaction involving a consumer's principal dwelling if the consumer had previously purchased and acquired some interest to the dwelling, even though the consumer had not acquired full legal title.
  ii.  Examples of new transactions involving a previously acquired dwelling include the financing of a balloon payment due under a land sale contract and an extension of credit made to a joint owner of property to buy out the other joint owner's interest. In these instances, disclosures are not required under § 226.18(q) (assumability policies). However, the rescission rules of §§ 226.15 and 226.23 do apply to these new transactions.
  iii. In other cases, the disclosure and rescission rules do not apply. For example, where a buyer enters into a written agreement with the creditor holding the seller's mortgage, allowing the buyer to assume the mortgage, if the buyer had previously purchased the property and agreed with the seller to make the mortgage payments, § 226.20(b) does not apply (assumptions involving residential mortgages).
  6.  Multiple purpose transactions.  A transaction meets the definition of this section if any part of the loan proceeds will be used to finance the acquisition or initial construction of the consumer's principal dwelling. For example, a transaction to finance the initial construction of the consumer's principal dwelling is a residential mortgage transaction even if a portion of the funds will be disbursed directly to the consumer or used to satisfy a loan for the purchase of the land on which the dwelling will be built.
  2(a)(25)  "Security interest".
  7.  Construction on previously acquired vacant land.  A residential mortgage transaction includes a loan to finance the construction of a consumer's principal dwelling on a vacant lot previously acquired by the consumer.
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  1.  Threshold test.  The threshold test is whether a particular interest in property is recognized as a security interest under applicable law. The regulation does not determine whether a particular interest is a security interest under applicable law. If the creditor is unsure whether a particular interest is a security interest under applicable law (for example, if statutes and case law are either silent or inconclusive on the issue), the creditor may at its option consider such interests as security interests for Truth in Lending purposes. However, the regulation and the commentary do exclude specific interests, such as after-acquired property and accessories, from the scope of the definition regardless of their categorization under applicable law, and these named exclusions may not be disclosed as security interests under the regulation. (But see the discussion of exclusions elsewhere in the commentary to § 226.2(a)(25).)
  2.  Exclusions.  The general definition of security interest excludes three groups of interests: incidental interests, interests in after-acquired property, and interests that arise solely by operation of law. These interests may not be disclosed with the disclosures required under § 226.18, but the creditor is not precluded from preserving these rights elsewhere in the contract documents, or invoking and enforcing such rights, if it is otherwise lawful to do so. If the creditor is unsure whether a particular interest is one of the excluded interests, the creditor may at its option, consider such interests as security interests for Truth in Lending purposes.
  3.  Incidental interests.  Incidental interests in property that are not security interests include, among other things:
  • Assignment of rents.
  • Right to condemnation proceeds.
  • Interests in accessories and replacements.
  • Interests in escrow accounts, such as for taxes and insurance.
  • Waiver of homestead or personal property rights.
  The notion of an "incidental interest" does not encompass an explicit security interest in an insurance policy if that policy is the primary collateral for the transaction--for example, in an insurance premium financing transaction.
  4.  Operation of law.  Interests that arise solely by operation of law are excluded from the general definition. Also excluded are interests arising by operation of law that are merely repeated or referred to in the contract. However, if the creditor has an interest that arises by operation of law, such as a vendor's lien, and takes an independent security interest in the same property, such as a UCC security interest, the latter interest is a disclosable security interest unless otherwise provided.
  5.  Rescission rules.  Security interests that arise solely by operation of law are security interests for purposes of rescission. Examples of such interests are mechanics' and materialmen's liens.
    6.   Specificity of disclosure.   A creditor need not separately disclose multiple security interests that it may hold in the same collateral. The creditor need only disclose that the transaction is secured by the collateral, even when security interests from prior transactions remain of record and a new security interest is taken in connection with the transaction. In disclosing the fact that the transaction is secured by the collateral, the creditor also need not disclose how the security interest arose. For example, in a close-end credit transaction, a rescission notice need not specifically state that a new security interest is "acquired" or an existing security interest is "retained" in the transaction.
  The acquisition or retention of a security interest in the consumer's principal dwelling instead may be disclosed in a rescission notice with a general statement such as the following: "Your home is the security for the new transaction."
  2(b) Rules of construction.
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  1.  Footnotes.  Footnotes are used extensively in the regulation to provide special exceptions and more detailed explanations and examples. Material that appears in a footnote has the same legal weight as material in the body of the regulation.
References
  Statute:  Sec. 103.
  Other sections:  None.
  Other regulations:  Regulation E (12 CFR 205.2(d)).
  Previous regulation:  §§ 226.2, 226.8, and 226.9.
  1981 changes:  Section 226.2 implements amended § 103 of the act. Separate definitions for "comparative index of credit cost," "discount," "organization," "period," "real property," "real property transaction," "regular price," and "surcharge" have been deleted. The definitions relating specifically to consumer leases are now found in the separate consumer leasing regulation, Regulation M (12 CFR Part 213).
  Several terms are now defined elsewhere in the regulation or commentary rather than in § 226.2. For example, "finance charge" is described and explained in § 226.4, and "agricultural purpose" is discussed in the commentary to § 226.3. Some terms, such as "unauthorized use," are now defined as part of the substantive sections to which they apply. Other terms previously defined, such as "customer," and "organization," are merged into new definitions. Section 226.2 contains new definitions for "arranger of credit," "business day," "closed-end credit," "consumer," "consummation," "downpayment," "prepaid finance charge," and "residential mortgage transaction."
  The major changes in the definitions are as follows:
  "Arranger of credit". This definition was deleted effective October 1, 1982.
  "Billing cycle" largely restates the prior definition, but requires cycles to be regular, and allows the four-day variance to be measured from a regular day as well as date. The definition also incorporates an interpretation that cycles may be no longer than quarterly.
  "Business day" is new in the sense that the term previously appeared only in a footnote to the rescission provision, but it is now of general applicability. The general rule that it is a day when the creditor is open for business is new, but the rule for rescission purposes is the same as in the previous regulation.
  "Cash price" now explicitly permits inclusion of various incidental charges imposed equally in cash and credit transactions.
  "Consumer" has a narrower meaning in that guarantors, sureties, and endorsers are excluded from the general definition.
  "Consumer credit" reflects the new statutory exemption for agricultural credit.
  "Consummation" is a significant departure from longstanding interpretations of the previous definition. It now focuses only on the time the consumer becomes contractually obligated, rather than the time the consumer pays a nonrefundable fee or suffers an economic penalty for failing to go forward with the credit transaction.
  "Credit" generally parallels the previous definition, but modifies the previous interpretations of the definition by excluding more transactions.
  "Creditor" reflects the statutory amendments to the act that were intended to eliminate the problem of multiple creditors in a transaction. The "regularly" standard is still used, but it is now defined in terms of the frequency of the credit extensions. The new definition also requires that there be a written agreement to pay in more than 4 installments if no finance charge is imposed. Finally, the obligation must be initially payable to a person for that person to be the creditor.
  "Dwelling" reflects the statutory amendment that expanded the scope of the definition to include any residential structure, whether or not it is real property under state law.
  "Open-end credit" reflects the amended statutory definition requiring that the creditor reasonably contemplate repeated transactions. The new definition no longer requires the consumer to have the privilege of paying either in installments or in full.
  "Periodic rate" combines the previous definitions of "period" and "periodic rate" with clarification in the commentary concerning transaction charges and 360-day-year factors.
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  "Security interest" is much narrower than the previous definition. Reflecting the legislative history of the simplification amendments, incidental interests are expressly excluded from the definition. Except for purposes of rescission, interests that arise solely by operation of law are also excluded.
  2.  Amount. The numerical amount must be a dollar amount unless otherwise indicated. For example, in a closed-end transaction (Subpart C), the amount financed and the amount of any payment must be expressed as a dollar amount. In some cases, an amount should be expressed as a percentage. For example, in disclosures provided before the first transaction under an open-end plan (Subpart B), creditors are permitted to explain how the amount of any finance charge will be determined; where a cash advance fee (which is a finance charge) is a percentage of each cash advance, the amount of the finance charge for that fee is expressed as a percentage.

Section 226.3—Exempt Transactions

  3(a) Business, commercial, agricultural, or organizational credit.
  1.  Primary purposes.  A creditor must determine in each case if the transaction is primarily for an exempt purpose. If some question exists as to the primary purpose for a credit extension, the creditor is, of course, free to make the disclosures, and the fact that disclosures are made under such circumstances is not controlling on the question of whether the transaction was exempt.
  2.  Factors.  In determining whether credit to finance an acquisition--such as securities, antiques, or art--is primarily for business or commercial purposes (as opposed to a consumer purpose), the following factors should be considered:
  •  The relationship of the borrower's primary occupation to the acquisition. The more closely related, the more likely it is to be business purpose.
  •  The degree to which the borrower will personally manage the acquisition. The more personal involvement there is, the more likely it is to be business purpose.
  •  The ratio of income from the acquisition to the total income of the borrower. The higher the ratio, the more likely it is to be business purpose.
  •  The size of the transaction. The larger the transaction, the more likely it is to be business purpose.
  •  The borrower's statement of purpose for the loan.
  Examples of business-purpose credit include:
  •  A loan to expand a business, even if it is secured by the borrower's residence or personal property.
  •  A loan to improve a principal residence by putting in a business office.
  •  A business account used occasionally for consumer purposes.
  Examples of consumer-purpose credit include:
  •  Credit extensions by a company to its employees or agents if the loans are used for personal purposes.
  •  A loan secured by a mechanic's tools to pay a child's tuition.
  •  A personal account used occasionally for business purposes.
  3.  Non-owner-occupied rental property.   Credit extended to acquire, improve, or maintain rental property (regardless of the number of housing units) that is not owner-occupied is deemed to be for business purposes. This includes, for example, the acquisition of a warehouse that will be leased or a single-family house that will be rented to another person to live in. If the owner expects to occupy the property for more than 14 days during the coming year, the property cannot be considered non-owner-occupied and this special rule will not apply. For example, a beach house that the owner will occupy for a month in the coming summer and rent out the rest of the year is owner occupied and is not governed by this special rule. See comment 3(a)-4, however, for rules relating to owner-occupied rental property.
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  4.  Owner-occupied rental property. If credit is extended to acquire, improve, or maintain rental property that is or will be owner-occupied within the coming year, different rules apply:
  •  Credit extended to acquire the rental property is deemed to be for business purposes if it contains more than two housing units.
  •  Credit extended to improve or maintain the rental property is deemed to be for business purposes if it contains more than four housing units. Since the amended statute defines "dwelling" to include 1 to 4 housing units, this rule preserves the right of rescission for credit extended for purposes other than acquisition.
  Neither of these rules means that an extension of credit for property containing fewer than the requisite number of units is necessarily consumer credit. In such cases, the determination
{{4-28-95 p.6885}}of whether it is business or consumer credit should be made by considering the factors listed in comment 3(a)-2.
  5.  Business credit later refinanced.   Business-purpose credit that is exempt from the regulation may later be rewritten for consumer purposes. Such a transaction is consumer credit requiring disclosures only if the existing obligation is satisfied and replaced by a new obligation made for consumer purposes undertaken by the same obligor.
  6.  Agricultural purpose.  An "agricultural purpose" includes the planting, propagating, nurturing, harvesting, catching, storing, exhibiting, marketing, transporting, processing, or manufacturing of food, beverages (including alcoholic beverages), flowers, trees, livestock, poultry, bees, wildlife, fish, or shellfish by a natural person engaged in farming, fishing, or growing crops, flowers, trees, livestock, poultry, bees, or wildlife. The exemption also applies to a transaction involving real property that includes a dwelling (for example, the purchase of a farm with a homestead) if the transaction is primarily for agricultural purposes.
  7.  Organizational credit.  The exemption for transactions in which the borrower is not a natural person applies, for example, to loans to corporations, partnerships, associations, churches, unions, and fraternal organizations. The exemption applies regardless of the purpose of the credit extension and regardless of the fact that a natural person may guarantee or provide security for the credit.
  8.  Land trusts.  Credit extended for consumer purposes to a land trust is considered to be credit extended to a natural person rather than credit extended to an organization. In some jurisdictions, a financial institution financing a residential real estate transaction for an individual uses a land trust mechanism. Title to the property is conveyed to the land trust for which the financial institution itself is trustee. The underlying installment note is executed by the financial institution in its capacity as trustee and payment is secured by a trust deed, reflecting title in the financial institution as trustee. In some instances, the consumer executes a personal guaranty of the indebtedness. The note provides that it is payable only out of the property specifically described in the trust deed and that the trustee has no personal liability on the note. Assuming the transactions are for personal, family, or household purposes, these transactions are subject to the regulation since in substance (if not form) consumer credit is being extended.
  3(b) Credit over $25,000 not secured by real property or a dwelling.
  1.  Coverage.  Since a mobile home can be a dwelling under § 226.2(a)(19), this exemption does not apply to a credit extension secured by a mobile home used or expected to be used as the principal dwelling of the consumer, even if the credit exceeds $25,000. A loan commitment for closed-end credit in excess of $25,000 is exempt even though the amounts actually drawn never actually reach $25,000.
  2.  Open-end credit.  An open-end credit plan is exempt under § 226.3(b) (unless secured by real property or personal property used or expected to be used as the consumer's principal dwelling) if either of the following conditions is met
  •   The creditor makes a firm commitment to lend over $25,000 with no requirement of additional credit information for any advances.
  •   The initial extension of credit on the line exceeds $25,000.
  If a security interest is taken at a later time in any real property, or in personal property used or expected to be used as the consumer's principal dwelling, the plan would no longer be exempt. The creditor must comply with all of the requirements of the regulation including, for example, providing the consumer with an initial disclosure statement. If the security interest being added is in the consumer's principal dwelling, the creditor must also give the consumer the right to rescind the security interest. (See the commentary to § 226.15 concerning the right of rescission.)
  3.  Closed-end credit--subsequent changes.  A closed-end loan for over $25,000 may later be rewritten for $25,000 or less, or a security interest in real property or in personal property used or expected to be used as the consumer's principal dwelling may be added to an extension of credit for over $25,000. Such a transaction is consumer credit requiring disclosures only if the existing obligation is satisfied and replaced by a new obligation made
{{4-28-95 p.6886}}for consumer purposes undertaken by the same obligor. (See the commentary to § 226.23(a)(1) regarding the right of rescission when a security interest in a consumer's principal dwelling is added to a previously exempt transaction.)
  3(c) Public utility credit.
  1.  Examples.  Examples of public utility services include:
  • Gas, water, or electrical services.
  • Cable television services.
  • Installation of new sewer lines, water lines, conduits, telephone poles, or metering equipment in an area not already serviced by the utility.
  The exemption does not apply to extensions of credit, for example:
  • To purchase appliances such as gas or electric ranges, grills, or telephones.
  • To finance home improvements such as new heating or air conditioning systems.
  3(d) Securities or commodities accounts.
  1.  Coverage.  This exemption does not apply to a transaction with a broker registered solely with the state, or to a separate credit extension in which the proceeds are used to purchase securities.
  3(e) Home fuel budget plans.
  1.  Definition.  Under a typical home fuel budget plan, the fuel dealer estimates the total cost of fuel for the season, bills the customer for an average monthly payment, and makes an adjustment in the final payment for any difference between the estimated and the actual cost of the fuel. Fuel is delivered as needed, no finance charge is assessed, and the customer may withdraw from the plan at any time. Under these circumstances, the arrangement is exempt from the regulation, even if a charge to cover the billing costs is imposed.
  3(f) Student loan programs.
  1.  Coverage.  This exemption applies to the Guaranteed Student Loan program (administered by the federal government, state, and private nonprofit agencies), the Auxiliary Loans to Assist Students (also known as PLUS) program, and the National Direct Student Loan program.
References
  Statute:  Secs. 103(s) and (t) and 104.
  Other sections:  § 226.12(a) and (b).
  Previous regulation:  § 226.3 and Interpretations §§ 226.301 and 226.302.
  1981 changes:  The business credit exemption has been expanded to include credit for agricultural purposes. The rule of Interpretation § 226.302, concerning credit relating to structures containing more than four housing units, has been modified and somewhat expanded by providing more exclusions for transactions involving rental property.
  The exemption for transactions above $25,000 secured by real estate has been narrowed; all transactions secured by the consumer's principal dwelling (even if not considered real property) are now subject to the regulation.
  The public utility exemption now covers the financing of the extension of a utility into an area not earlier served by the utility, in addition to the financing of services.
  The securities credit exemption has been extended to broker-dealers registered with the CFTC as well as the SEC.
  A new exemption has been created for home fuel budget plans.

Section 226.4--Finance Charge

  4(a) Definition.
  1.  Charges in comparable cash transactions.   Charges imposed uniformly in cash and credit transactions are not finance charges. In determining whether an item is a finance charge, the creditor should compare the credit transaction in question with a similar cash transaction. A creditor financing the sale of property or services may compare charges with those payable in a similar cash transaction by the seller of the property or service.
    i.  For example, the following items are not finance charges:
      A.  Taxes, license fees, or registration fees paid by both cash and credit customers.
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      B.  Discounts that are available to cash and credit customers, such as quantity discounts.
      C.  Discounts available to a particular group of consumers because they meet certain criteria, such as being members of an organization or having accounts at a particular financial institution. This is the case even if an individual must pay cash to obtain the discount, provided that credit customers who are members of the group and do not qualify for the discount pay no more than the nonmember cash customers.
      D.  Charges for a service policy, auto club membership, or policy of insurance against latent defects offered to or required of both cash and credit customers for the same price.
    ii.  In contrast, the following items are finance charges:
      A.  Inspection and handling fees for the staged disbursement of construction loan proceeds.
      B.  Fees for preparing a Truth in Lending disclosure statement, if permitted by law (for example, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act prohibits such charges in certain transactions secured by real property).
      C.  Charges for a required maintenance or service contract imposed only in a credit transaction.
    iii.  If the charge in a credit transaction exceeds the charge imposed in a comparable cash transaction, only the difference is a finance charge. For example:
      A.  If an escrow agent is used in both cash and credit sales of real estate and the agent's charge is $100 in a cash transaction and $150 in a credit transaction, only $50 is a finance charge.
  2.  Costs of doing business.  Charges absorbed by the creditor as a cost of doing business are not finance charges, even though the creditor may take such costs into consideration in determining the interest rate to be charged or the cash price of the property or service sold. However, if the creditor separately imposes a charge on the consumer to cover certain costs, the charge is a finance charge if it otherwise meets the definition. For example:
  • A discount imposed on a credit obligation when it is assigned by a seller-creditor to another party is not a finance charge as long as the discount is not separately imposed on the consumer. (See § 226.4(b)(6).)
  • A tax imposed by a state or other governmental body on a creditor is not a finance charge if the creditor absorbs the tax as a cost of doing business and does not separately impose the tax on the consumer. (For additional discussion of the treatment of taxes, see other commentary to § 226.4(a).)
  3.  Forfeitures of interest.  If the creditor reduces the interest rate it pays or stops paying interest on the consumer's deposit account or any portion of it for the term of a credit transaction (including, for example, an overdraft on a checking account or a loan secured by a certificate of deposit), the interest lost is a finance charge. (See the commentary to § 226.4(c)(6).) For example:
  • A consumer borrows $5,000 for 90 days and secures it with a $10,000 certificate of deposit paying 15% interest. The creditor charges the consumer an interest rate of 6% on the loan and stops paying interest on $5,000 of the $10,000 certificate for the term of the loan. The interest lost is a finance charge and must be reflected in the annual percentage rate on the loan.
  However, the consumer must be entitled to the interest that is not paid in order for the lost interest to be a finance charge. For example:
  • A consumer wishes to buy from a financial institution a $10,000 certificate of deposit paying 15% interest but has only $4,000. The financial institution offers to lend the consumer $6,000 at an interest rate of 6%, but will pay the 15% interest only on the amount of the consumer's deposit, $4,000. The creditor's failure to pay interest on the $6,000 does not result in an additional finance charge on the extension of credit, provided the consumer is entitled by the deposit agreement with the financial institution to interest only on the amount of the consumer's deposit.
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  • A consumer enters into a combined time deposit/credit agreement with a financial institution that establishes a time deposit account and an open-end line of credit. The line of credit may be used to borrow against the funds in the time deposit. The agreement provides for an interest rate on any credit extension of, for example, 1%. In addition, the agreement states that the creditor will pay 0% interest on the amount of the time deposit that corresponds to the amount of the credit extension(s). The interest that is not paid on the time deposit by the financial institution is not a finance charge (and therefore does not affect the annual percentage rate computation).
  4.  Treatment of fees for use of automated teller machines.  Any charge imposed on a cardholder by a card issuer for the use of an automated teller machine (ATM) to obtain a cash advance (whether in a proprietary, shared, interchange, or other system) is not a finance charge to the extent that if does not exceed the charge imposed by the card issuer on its cardholders for using the ATM to withdraw cash from a consumer asset account, such as a checking or savings account. (See the commentary to § 226.6(b).)
  5.  Taxes.   i.  Generally, a tax imposed by a state or other governmental body solely on a creditor is a finance charge if the creditor separately imposes the charge on the consumer.
    ii.  In contrast, a tax is not a finance charge (even if the tax is collected by the creditor) if applicable law imposes the tax:
      A.  Solely on the consumer;
      B.  On the creditor and the consumer jointly;
      C.  On the credit transaction, without indicating which party is liable for the tax; or
      D.  On the creditor, if applicable law directs or authorizes the creditor to pass the tax on to the consumer. (For purposes of this section, if applicable law is silent as to passing on the tax, the law is deemed not to authorize passing it on.)
    iii.  For example, a stamp tax, property tax, intangible tax, or any other state or local tax imposed on the consumer, or on the credit transaction, is not a finance charge even if the tax is collected by the creditor.
    iv.  In addition, a tax is not a finance charge if it is excluded from the finance charge by an other provision of the regulation or commentary (for example, if the tax is imposed uniformly in cash and credit transactions).
  4(a)(1) Charges by third parties.
  1.  Choosing the provider of a required service. An example of a third-party charge included in the finance charge is the cost of required mortgage insurance, even if the consumer is allowed to choose the insurer.
  2.  Annuities associated with reverse mortgages. Some creditors offer annuities in connection with a reverse mortgage transaction. The amount of the premium is a finance charge if the creditor requires the purchase of the annuity incident to the credit. Examples include the following:
  i.  The credit documents reflect the purchase of an annuity from a specific provider or providers.
  ii.  The creditor assesses an additional charge on consumers who do not purchase an annuity from a specific provider.
  iii.  The annuity is intended to replace in whole or in part the creditor's payments to the consumer either immediately or at some future date.
  4(a)(2) Special rule; closing agent charges.
  1.  General. This rule applies to charges by a third party serving as the closing agent for the particular loan. An example of a closing agent charge included in the finance charge is a courier fee where the creditor requires the use of a courier.
  2.  Required closing agent. If the creditor requires the use of a closing agent, fees charged by the closing agent are included in the finance charge only if the creditor requires the particular service, requires the imposition of the charge, or retains a portion of the charge. Fees charged by a third-party closing agent may be otherwise excluded from the finance charge under § 226.4. For example, a fee that would be paid in a comparable cash
{{4-30-98 p.6889}}transaction may be excluded under § 226.4(a). A charge for conducting or attending a closing is a finance charge and may be excluded only if the charge is included in and is incidental to a lump-sum closing fee excluded under § 226.4(c)(7).
  4(a)(3) Special rule; mortgage broker fees.
  1.  General. A fee charged by a mortgage broker is excluded from the finance charge if it is the type of fee that is also excluded when charged by the creditor. For example, to exclude an application fee from the finance charge under § 226.4(c)(1), a mortgage broker must charge the fee to all applicants for credit, whether or not credit is extended.
  2.  Coverage. This rule applies to charges paid by consumers to a mortgage broker in connection with a consumer credit transaction secured by real property or a dwelling.
  3.  Compensation by lender. The rule requires all mortgage broker fees to be included in the finance charge. Creditors sometimes compensate mortgage brokers under a separate arrangement with those parties. Creditors may draw on amounts paid by the consumer, such as points or closing costs, to fund their payment to the broker. Compensation paid by a creditor to a mortgage broker under an agreement is not included as a separate component of a consumer's total finance charge (although this compensation may be reflected in the finance charge if it comes from amounts paid by the consumer to the creditor that are finance charges, such as points and interest).
  4(b) Examples of finance charges.
  1.  Relationship to other provisions.  Charges or fees shown as examples of finance charges in § 226.4(b) may be excludable under § 226.4(c), (d), or (e). For example:
  • Premiums for credit life insurance, shown as an example of a finance charge under § 226.4(b)(7), may be excluded if the requirements of § 226.4(d)(1) are met.
  • Appraisal fees mentioned in § 226.4(b)(4) are excluded for real property or residential mortgage transactions under § 226.4(c)(7).
  Paragraph 4(b)(2).
  1.  Checking account charges.  A checking or transaction account charge imposed in connection with a credit feature is a finance charge under § 226.4(b)(2) to the extent the charge exceeds the charge for a similar account without a credit feature. If a charge for an account with a credit feature does not exceed the charge for an account without a credit feature, the charge is not a finance charge under § 226.4(b)(2). To illustrate:
  i.  A $5 service charge is imposed on an account with an overdraft line of credit (where the institution has agreed in writing to pay an overdraft), while a $3 service charge is imposed on an account without a credit feature; the $2 difference is a finance charge. (If the difference is not related to account activity, however, it may be excludable as a participation fee. See the commentary to § 226.4(c)(4).)
  ii.  A $5 service charge is imposed for each item that results in an overdraft on an account with an overdraft line of credit, while a $25 service charge is imposed for paying or returning each item on a similar account without a credit feature; the $5 charge is not a finance charge.
  Paragraph 4(b)(3).
  1.  Assumption fees.  The assumption fees mentioned in § 226.4(b)(3) are finance charges only when the assumption occurs and the fee is imposed on the new buyer. The assumption fee is a finance charge in the new buyer's transaction.
  Paragraph 4(b)(5).
  1.  Credit loss insurance.  Common examples of the insurance against credit loss mentioned in § 226.4(b)(5) are mortgage guaranty insurance, holder in due course insurance, and repossession insurance. Such premiums must be included in the finance charge only for the period that the creditor requires the insurance to be maintained.
  2.  Residual value insurance.  Where a creditor requires a consumer to maintain residual value insurance or where the creditor is a beneficiary of a residual value insurance policy written in connection with an extension of credit (as is the case in some forms of automobile balloon payment financing, for example), the premiums for the insurance must be included in the finance charge for the period that the insurance is to be maintained. If a creditor pays for residual value insurance and absorbs the payment as a cost of doing business, such costs are not considered finance charges. (See comment 4(a)--2.)
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  Paragraphs 4(b)(7) and (8).
  1.  Pre-existing insurance policy.  The insurance discussed in § 226.4(b)(7) and (8) does not include an insurance policy (such as a life or an automobile collision insurance policy) that is already owned by the consumer, even if the policy is assigned to or otherwise made payable to the creditor to satisfy an insurance requirement. Such a policy is not "written in connection with" the transaction, as long as the insurance was not purchased for use in that credit extension, since it was previously owned by the consumer.
    2.  Insurance written in connection with a transaction.   Insurance sold after consummation in closed-end credit transactions or after the opening of a plan in open-end credit transactions is not "written in connection with" the credit transaction if the insurance is written because of the consumer's default (for example, by failing to obtain or maintain required property insurance) or because the consumer requests insurance after consummation or the opening of a plan (although credit sale disclosures may be required for the insurance sold after consummation if it is financed).
  3.  Substitution of life insurance.  The premium for a life insurance policy purchased and assigned to satisfy a credit life insurance requirement must be included in the finance charge, but only to the extent of the cost of the credit life insurance if purchased from the creditor or the actual cost of the policy (if that is less than the cost of the insurance available from the creditor). If the creditor does not offer the required insurance, the premium to be included in the finance charge is the cost of a policy of insurance of the type, amount, and term required by the creditor.
  4.  Other insurance.  Fees for required insurance not of the types described in § 226.4(b)(7) and (8) are finance charges and are not excludable. For example:
  • The premium for a hospitalization insurance policy, if it is required to be purchased only in a credit transaction, is a finance charge.
  Paragraph 4(b)(9).
  1.  Discounts for payment by other than credit.  The discounts to induce payment by other than credit mentioned in § 226.4(b)(9) include, for example, the following situation:
  • The seller of land offers individual tracts for $10,000 each. If the purchaser pays cash, the price is $9,000, but if the purchaser finances the tract with the seller the price is $10,000. The $1,000 difference is a finance charge for those who buy the tracts on credit.
  2.  Exception for cash discounts.  Discounts offered to induce consumers to pay for property or services by cash, check, or other means not involving the use of either an open-end credit plan or a credit card (whether open-end or closed-end credit is extended on the card) may be excluded from the finance charge under § 167(b) of the act (as amended by Pub. L. 97--25, July 27, 1981). The discount may be in whatever amount the seller desires, either as a percentage of the regular price (as defined in § 103(z) of the act, as amended) or a dollar amount. This provision applies only to transactions involving an open-end credit plan or a credit card. The merchant must offer the discount to prospective buyers whether or not they are cardholders or members of the open-end credit plan. The merchant may, however, make other distinctions. For example:
  • The merchant may limit the discount to payment by cash, and not offer it for payment by check or by use of a debit card.
  • The merchant may establish a discount plan that allows a 15% discount for payment by cash, a 10% discount for payment by check, and a 5% discount for payment by a particular credit card. None of these discounts is a finance charge.
  Section 171(c) of the act excludes § 167(b) discounts from treatment as a finance charge or other charge for credit under any state usury or disclosure laws.
  3.  Determination of the regular price.  The "regular price" is critical in determining whether the difference between the price charged to cash customers and credit customers is a "discount" or a "surcharge," as these terms are defined in amended section 103 of the act. The "regular price" is defined in section 103 of the act as "the tag or posted price charged for the property or service if a single price is tagged or posted, or the price charged for the property or service when payment is made by use of an open-end credit
{{4-30-98 p.6891}}account or a credit card if either (1) no price is tagged or posted, or (2) two prices are tagged or posted. . . ." For example, in the sale of motor vehicle fuel, the tagged or posted price is the price displayed at the pump. As a result, the higher price (the open-end credit or credit card price) must be displayed at the pump, either alone or along with the cash price. Service station operators may designate separate pumps or separate islands as being for either cash or credit purchases and display only the appropriate prices at the various pumps. If a pump is capable of displaying on its meter either a cash or a credit price depending upon the consumer's means of payment, both the cash price and the credit price must be displayed at the pump. A service station operator may display the cash price of fuel by itself on a curb sign, as long as the sign clearly indicates that the price is limited to cash purchases.
  4(b)(10) Debt cancellation fees.
  1.  Definition. Debt cancellation coverage provides for payment or satisfaction of all or part of a debt when a specified event occurs. The term includes guaranteed automobile protection or "GAP" agreements, which pay or satisfy the remaining debt after property insurance benefits are exhausted.
  4(c) Charges excluded from the finance charge.
  Paragraph 4(c)(1).
  1.  Application fees.  An application fee that is excluded from the finance charge is a charge to recover the costs associated with processing applications for credit. The fee may cover the costs of services such as credit reports, credit investigations, and appraisals. The creditor is free to impose the fee in only certain of its loan programs, such as mortgage loans. However, if the fee is to be excluded from the finance charge under § 226.4(c)(1), it must be charged to all applicants, not just to applicants who are approved or who actually receive credit.
  Paragraph 4(c)(2).
  1.  Late payment charges.  Late payment charges can be excluded from the finance charge under § 226.4(c)(2) whether or not the person imposing the charge continues to extend credit on the account or continues to provide property or services to the consumer. In determining whether a charge is for actual unanticipated late payment on a 30-day account, for example, factors to be considered include:
  • The terms of the account. For example, is the consumer required by the account terms to pay the account balance in full each month? If not, the charge may be a finance charge.
  • The practices of the creditor in handling the accounts. For example, regardless of the terms of the account, does the creditor allow consumers to pay the accounts over a period of time without demanding payment in full or taking other action to collect? If no effort is made to collect the full amount due, the charge may be a finance charge.
  Section 226.4(c)(2) applies to late payment charges imposed for failure to make payments as agreed, as well as failure to pay an account in full when due.
  2.  Other excluded charges.  Charges for "delinquency, default, or a similar occurrence" include, for example, charges for reinstatement of credit privileges or for submitting as payment a check that is later returned unpaid.
  Paragraph 4(c)(3).
  1.  Assessing interest on an overdraft balance.  A charge on an overdraft balance computed by applying a rate of interest to the amount of the overdraft is not a finance charge, even though the consumer agrees to the charge in the account agreement, unless the financial institution agrees in writing that it will pay such items.
  Paragraph 4(c)(4).
  1.  Participation fees--periodic basis.  The participation fees mentioned in § 226.4(c)(4) do not necessarily have to be formal membership fees, nor are they limited to credit card plans. The provision applies to any credit plan in which payment of a fee is a condition of access to the plan itself, but it does not apply to fees imposed separately on individual closed-end transactions. The fee may be charged on a monthly, annual, or other periodic basis; a one-time, nonrecurring fee imposed at the time an account is open is not a fee that is charged on a periodic basis, and may not be treated as a participation fee.
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  2.  Participation fees--exclusions.  Minimum monthly charges, charges for non-use of a credit card, and other charges based on either account activity or the amount of credit available under the plan are not excluded from the finance charge by § 226.4(c)(4). Thus, for example, a fee that is charged and then refunded to the consumer based on the extent to which the consumer uses the credit available would be a finance charge. (See the commentary to § 226.4(b)(2). Also, see comment 14(c)--7 for treatment of certain types of fees excluded in determining the annual percentage rate for the periodic statement.)
  Paragraph 4(c)(5).
  1.  Seller's points.  The seller's points mentioned in § 226.4(c)(5) include any charges imposed by the creditor upon the non-creditor seller of property for providing credit to the buyer or for providing credit on certain terms. These charges are excluded from the finance charge even if they are passed on to the buyer, for example, in the form of a higher sales price. Seller's points are frequently involved in real estate transactions guaranteed or insured by governmental agencies. A "commitment fee" paid by a non-creditor seller (such as a real estate developer) to the creditor should be treated as seller's points. Buyer's points (that is, points charged to the buyer by the creditor), however, are finance charges.
  2.  Other seller-paid amounts.  Mortgage insurance premiums and other finance charges are sometimes paid at or before consummation or settlement on the borrower's behalf by a noncreditor seller. The creditor should treat the payment made by the seller as seller's points and exclude it from the finance charge if, based on the seller's payment, the consumer is not legally bound to the creditor for the charge. A creditor who gives disclosures before the payment has been made should base them on the best information reasonably available.
  Paragraph 4(c)(6).
  1.  Lost interest.  Certain federal and state laws mandate a percentage differential between the interest rate paid on a deposit and the rate charged on a loan secured by that deposit. In some situations because of usury limits the creditor must reduce the interest rate paid on the deposit and, as a result, the consumer loses some of the interest that would otherwise have been earned. Under § 226.4(c)(6), such "lost interest" need not be included in the finance charge. This rule applies only to an interest reduction imposed because a rate differential is required by law and a usury limit precludes compliance by any other means. If the creditor imposes a differential that exceeds that required, only the lost interest attributable to the excess amount is a finance charge. (See the commentary to § 226.4(a).)
  Paragraph 4(c)(7).
  1.  Real estate or residential mortgage transaction charges.  The list of charges in § 226.4(c)(7) applies both to residential mortgage transactions (which may include, for example, the purchase of a mobile home) and to other transactions secured by real estate. The fees are excluded from the finance charge even if the services for which the fees are imposed are performed by the creditor's employees rather than by a third party. In addition, the cost of verifying or confirming information connected to the item is also excluded. For example, credit report fees cover not only the cost of the report, but also the cost of verifying information in the report. In all cases, charges excluded under § 226.4(c)(7) must be bona fide and reasonable.
  2.  Lump sum charges.  If a lump sum charged for several services includes a charge that is not excludable, a portion of the total should be allocated to that service and included in the finance charge. However, a lump sum charged for conducting or attending a closing (for example, by a lawyer or a title company) is excluded from the finance charge if the charge is primarily for services related to items listed in § 226.4(c)(7) (for example, reviewing or completing documents), even if other incidental services such as explaining various documents or disbursing funds for the parties are performed. The entire charge is excluded even if a fee for the incidental services would be a finance charge if it were imposed separately.
  3.  Charges assessed during the loan term.  Real estate or residential mortgage transaction charges excluded under § 226.4(c)(7) are those charges imposed solely in connection with the initial decision to grant credit. This would include, for example, a fee to search for
{{4-30-02 p.6893}}tax liens on the property or to determine if flood insurance is required. The exclusion does not apply to fees for services to be performed periodically during the loan term, regardless of when the fee is collected. For example, a fee for one or more determinations during the loan term of the current tax lien status or flood insurance requirements is a finance charge, regardless of whether the fee is imposed at closing, or when the service is performed. If a creditor is uncertain about what portion of a fee to be paid at consummation or loan closing is related to the initial decision to grant credit, the entire fee may be treated as a finance charge.
  4(d) Insurance and debt cancellation coverage.
  1.  General.  Section 226.4(d) permits insurance premiums and charges and debt-cancellation charges to be excluded from the finance charge. The required disclosures must be made in writing. The rules on location of insurance and debt-cancellation disclosures for closed-end transactions are in § 226.17(a). For purposes of § 226.4(d) all references to insurance also include debt cancellation coverage unless the context indicates otherwise.
  2.  Timing of disclosures.  If disclosures are given early, for example under § 226.17(f) or § 226.19(a), the creditor need not redisclose if the actual premium is different at the time of consummation. If insurance disclosures are not given at the time of early disclosure and insurance is in fact written in connection with the transaction, the disclosures under § 226.4(d) must be made in order to exclude the premiums from the finance charge.
  3.  Premium rate increases.  The creditor should disclose the premium amount based on the rates currently in effect and need not designate it as an estimate even if the premium rates may increase. An increase in insurance rates after consummation of a closed-end credit transaction or during the life of an open-end credit plan does not require redisclosure in order to exclude the additional premium from treatment as a finance charge.
  4.  Unit-cost disclosures.  i.  Open-end credit. The premium or fee for insurance or debt cancellation for the initial term of coverage may be disclosed on a unit-cost basis in open-end credit transactions. The cost per unit should be based on the initial term of coverage, unless one of the options under comment 4(d)--12 is available.
  ii.  Closed-end credit.  One of the transactions for which unit-cost disclosures (such as 50 cents per year for each $100 of the amount financed) may be used in place of the total insurance premium involves a particular kind of insurance plan. For example, a consumer with a current indebtedness of $8,000 is covered by a plan of credit life insurance coverage with a maximum of $10,000. The consumer requests an additional $4,000 loan to be covered by the same insurance plan. Since the $4,000 loan exceeds, in part, the maximum amount of indebtedness that can be covered by the plan, the creditor may properly give the insurance cost disclosures on the $4,000 loan on a unit-cost basis.
  5.  Required credit life insurance.  Credit life, accident, health, or loss-of-income insurance must be voluntary in order for the premium or charges to be excluded from the finance charge. Whether the insurance is in fact required or optional is a factual question. If the insurance is required, the premiums must be included in the finance charge, whether the insurance is purchased from the creditor or from a third party. If the consumer is required to elect one of several options--such as to purchase credit life insurance, or to assign an existing life insurance policy, or to pledge security such as a certificate of deposit--and the consumer purchases the credit life insurance policy, the premium must be included in the finance charge. (If the consumer assigns a preexisting policy or pledges security instead, no premium is included in the finance charge. The security interest would be disclosed under § 226.6(c) or § 226.18(m). See the commentary to § 226.4(b)(7) and (8).)
  6.  Other types of voluntary insurance.   Insurance is not credit life, accident, health, or loss-of-income insurance if the creditor or the credit account of the consumer is not the beneficiary of the insurance coverage. If such insurance is not required by the creditor as an incident to or a condition of credit, it is not covered by § 226.4.
  7.  Signatures.  If the creditor offers a number of insurance options under § 226.4(d), the creditor may provide a means for the consumer to sign or initial for each option, or it may provide for a single authorizing signature or initial with the options selected designated by some other means, such as a check mark. The insurance authorization may be signed or initialed by any consumer, as defined in § 226.2(a)(11), or by an authorized user on a credit card account.
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  8.  Property insurance.  To exclude property insurance premiums or charges from the finance charge, the creditor must allow the consumer to choose the insurer and disclose that fact. This disclosure must be made whether or not the property insurance is available from or through the creditor. The requirement that an option be given does not require that the insurance be readily available from other sources. The premium or charge must be disclosed only if the consumer elects to purchase the insurance from the creditor; in such a case, the creditor must also disclose the term of the property insurance coverage if it is less than the term of the obligation.
  9.  Single interest insurance.  Blanket and specific single interest coverage are treated the same for purposes of the regulation. A charge for either type of single interest insurance may be excluded from the finance charge if:
  • The insurer waives any right of subrogation.
  • The other requirements of § 226.4(d)(2) are met. This includes, of course, giving the consumer the option of obtaining the insurance from a person of the consumer's choice. The creditor need not ascertain whether the consumer is able to purchase the insurance from someone else.
  10.  Single interest insurance defined.  The term "single interest insurance" as used in the regulation refers only to the types of coverage traditionally included in the term "vendor's single interest insurance" (or "VSI"), that is, protection of tangible property against normal property damage, concealment, confiscation, conversion, embezzlement, and skip. Some comprehensive insurance policies may include a variety of additional coverages, such as repossession insurance and holder-in-due-course insurance. These types of coverage do not constitute single-interest insurance for purposes of the regulation, and premiums for them do not qualify for exclusion from the finance charge under § 226.4(d). If a policy that is primarily VSI also provides coverages that are not VSI or other property insurance, a portion of the premiums must be allocated to the nonexcludable coverages and included in the finance charge. However, such allocation is not required if the total premium in fact attributable to all of the non-VSI coverages included in the policy is $1.00 or less (or $5.00 or less in the case of a multi-year policy).
  11.  Initial term.  i.  The initial term of the insurance or debt cancellation coverage determines the period for which a premium amount or fee must be disclosed, unless one of the options discussed under comment 4(d)--12 is available. For purposes of § 226.4(d), the initial term is the period for which the insurer or creditor is obligated to provide coverage, even though the consumer may be allowed to cancel the coverage or coverage may end due to nonpayment before that term expires.
  ii.  For example:
  A.  The initial term of a property insurance policy on an automobile that is written for one year is one year even though the premiums are paid monthly and the term of the credit transaction is four years.
  B.  The initial term of an insurance policy is the full term of the credit transaction if the consumer pays or finances a single premium in advance.
  12. Initial term; alternative.  i.  General.  A creditor has the option of providing cost disclosures on the basis of an assumed initial term of one year of insurance or debt-cancellation coverage instead of a longer initial term (provided the premium or fee is clearly labeled as being for one year) if:
  A.  The initial term is indefinite or not clear, or
  B.  The consumer has agreed to pay a premium or fee that is assessed periodically but the consumer is under no obligation to continue the coverage, whether or not the consumer has made an initial payment.
  ii.  Open-end plans.  For open-end plans, a creditor also has the option of providing unit-cost disclosure on the basis of a period that is less than one year if the consumer has agreed to pay a premium or fee that is assessed periodically, for example monthly, but the consumer is under no obligation to continue the coverage.
  iii.  Examples.  To illustrate:
  A.  A credit life insurance policy providing coverage for a 30-year mortgage loan has an initial term of 30 years, even though premiums are paid monthly and the consumer is not
{{4-30-02 p.6895}}required to continue the coverage. Disclosures may be based on the initial term, but the creditor also has the option of making disclosures on the basis of coverage for an assumed initial term of one year.
  13.  Loss-of-income insurance. The loss-of-income insurance mentioned in § 226.4(d) includes involuntary unemployment insurance, which provides that some or all of the consumer's payments will be made if the consumer becomes unemployed involuntarily.
  4(d)(3) Voluntary debt cancellation fees.
  1.  General. Fees changed for the specialized form of debt cancellation agreement known as guaranteed automobile protection ("GAP") agreements must be disclosed according to § 226.4(d)(3) rather than according to § 226.4(d)(2) for property insurance.
  2.  Disclosures. Creditors can comply with § 226.4(d)(3) by providing a disclosure that refers to debt cancellation coverage whether or not the coverage is considered insurance. Creditors may use the model credit insurance disclosures only if the debt cancellation coverage constitutes insurance under state law.
  4(e) Certain security interest charges.
  1.  Examples.
    i.  Excludable charges.  Sums must be actually paid to public officials to be excluded from the finance charge under § 226.4(e)(1) and (3). Examples are charges or other fees required for filing or recording security agreements, mortgages, continuation statements, termination statements, and similar documents, as well as intangible property or other taxes even when the charges or fees are imposed by the state solely on the creditor and charged to the consumer (if the tax must be paid to record a security interest). (See comment 4(a)--5 regarding the treatment of taxes, generally.)
    ii.  Charges not excludable.  If the obligation is between the creditor and a third party (an assignee, for example), charges or other fees for filing or recording security agreements, mortgages, continuation statements, termination statements, and similar documents relating to that obligation are not excludable from the finance charge under this section.
  2.  Itemization.  The various charges described in § 226.4(e)(1) and (3) may be totaled and disclosed as an aggregate sum, or they may be itemized by the specific fees and taxes imposed. If an aggregate sum is disclosed, a general term such as security interest fees or filing fees may be used.
  3.  Notary fees.  In order for a notary fee to be excluded under § 226.4(e)(1), all of the following conditions must be met:
  • The document to be notarized is one used to perfect, release, or continue a security interest.
  • The document is required by law to be notarized.
  • A notary is considered a public official under applicable law.
  • The amount of the fee is set or authorized by law.
  4.  Non-filing insurance.  The exclusion in § 226.4(e)(2) is available only if non-filing insurance is purchased. If the creditor collects and simply retains a fee as a sort of "self-insurance" against non-filing, it may not be excluded from the finance charge. If the non-filing insurance premium exceeds the amount of the fees excludable from the finance charge under § 226.4(e)(1), only the excess is a finance charge. For example:
  • The fee for perfecting a security interest is $5.00 and the fee for releasing the security interest is $3.00. The creditor charges $10.00 for non-filing insurance. Only $8.00 of the $10.00 is excludable from the finance charge.
  4(f) Prohibited offsets.
  1.  Earnings on deposits or investments.  The rule that the creditor shall not deduct any earnings by the consumer on deposits or investments applies whether or not the creditor has a security interest in the property.
References
  Statute:  §§ 106, 167, and 171(c).
  Other sections:  §§ 226.9(d) and 226.12.
  Previous regulation:  § 226.4 and Interpretations §§ 226.401 through 226.407.
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  1981 changes:  While generally continuing the rules under the previous regulation, § 226.4 reflects amendments to § 106 of the act and makes certain other changes in the rules for determining the finance charge. For example, § 226.4(a) expressly excludes from the finance charge amounts payable in comparable cash transactions. Section 226.8(o) of the previous regulation, dealing with discounts for prompt payment of a credit sale, was deleted in the revised regulation since the general test for a finance charge now focuses on a comparison of cash and credit transactions. With respect to various exclusions from the finance charge: application fees imposed on all applicants are no longer finance charges; continuing to extend credit to a consumer is no longer a controlling test for determining whether a late payment charge is bona fide; seller's points are not to be included in the finance charge; and the special exclusions for real estate transactions apply to all " residential mortgage transactions."
  The simplified rules for excluding insurance from the finance charge allow unit-cost disclosure in certain closed-end credit transactions; permit initials as well as signatures on the authorization; permit any consumer to authorize insurance for other consumers; and delete the requirement that the authorization be separately dated.


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