Title Insurance: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of the Title Industry and Better Protect Consumers

HUD has taken at least one significant action to better protect consumers from illegal title insurance marketing practices. HUD has initiated an enforcement working group that brings together HUD enforcement staff with state insurance regulators and NAIC officials. The working group meets quarterly to discuss emerging enforcement issues related to title insurance as well as ongoing HUD and state enforcement actions. According to state insurance regulators from Florida and California, the working group has been valuable in pursuing several enforcement actions. According to HUD officials, they will also continue to consider other actions, including actions related to affiliated business arrangements.

As of June 2010, HUD had taken steps to implement 3 of the 4 actions that GAO suggested they consider, and had begun to implement the fourth. Specifically, HUD 1) Updated the home-buyer information booklet to include information on affiliated business arrangements, to encourage home buyers to ask about discounts on refinancing transactions, and to encourage home buyers to shop around for title insurance services; 2) Amended RESPA rules and the HUD-1 form so that the total amount paid for title insurance is broken down into the portion retained by the title agent and the portion paid to the title insurer; 3) Created a title insurance working group where HUD officials and state insurance regulators meet quarterly to discuss ongoing investigations and potential future issues; and 4) Issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that would clarify rules related to referral fees and affiliated business arrangements.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has taken several actions to address GAO's recommendation to detect and deter inappropriate practices in the marketing and sale of title insurance, particularly among title agents. First, in 2008 NAIC and HUD formed a title insurance working group that meets several times a year to discuss ongoing enforcement actions as well as potential concerns related to the sale of title insurance. As of September 2011, NAIC's Title Insurance Task Force has taken over coordination and management of these enforcement calls, which allow state insurance regulators and HUD to discuss ongoing enforcement actions and issues. According to HUD and NAIC officials, the working group has resulted in more effective enforcement of state regulations as well as RESPA. NAIC has also been holding webinars specifically for title insurance regulators to provide guidance on carrying out effective market conduct exams. Second, to address the need to improve oversight of title agents, NAIC has developed and approved a nationwide title statistical plan, called the Title Insurance Agent Statistical report, comprising 60 data elements. The report targets data from title insurers, title agents and others involved in "the business of title insurance." It will help state regulators improve analysis of market conditions. The Task Force has also created a Title Agent Statistical Data Plan Implementation Guideline detailing how states can collect and maintain confidentiality of data related to the plan, and outlining strategies to assist the states in gaining legislative approval. Full approval of the guidelines is projected for November 2011. To address strengthening the regulation of title agents, the Task Force has been coordinating with the Financial Condition Committee to modernize the solvency regulation of title insurance. These efforts include: determining the attributes of recent title company financial failures; developing risk-based capital requirements, early warning tools, and risk-focused financial examination guidelines for title insurers; reconsidering existing accounting standards for title insurers' liabilities and assets; and requesting the NAIC to provide statistical compilations of Title Annual Statements. NAIC is also monitoring developments in some states, such as Washington, which is moving to a prior approval model where title insurers need to receive state approval before they change rates. Further, the Task Force has been examining ways to mitigate the impact of title insurer insolvencies on policyholders, such as reviving work on the Title Insurance Guaranty Fund Model Act; promoting the use of blanket lenders' policies and individual owners' policies to replace policies issued by insolvent insurers; and examining the financial failures of title agents. The Task Force is also combating fraudulent and unfair real estate settlement activities by working with the Antifraud Task Force and other NAIC bodies to combat mortgage fraud; and mitigating title agent defalcations through the promotion of closing protection letters and other remedies. NAIC is also considering drafting a white paper on the pros and cons of closing protection letters. To promote effective consumer shopping and to increase transparency of title insurance costs, the Task Force has been following activities in various jurisdictions, such as web-based title insurance quotations, cost comparison websites, and internet-based real estate closing services. The Task Force plans to have a presentation related to an interactive title insurance resource website at its fall meeting in November 2011. In addition, NAIC collaborated with HUD on a revision to the Good Faith Estimate that separated out the costs for title insurance. NAIC officials reported as of September 2011 they will not be changing the Title Insurance Agent Model Act. NAIC officials expect any ongoing actions will be completed by 2012.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has taken several actions to address GAO's recommendation to increase consumers' ability to shop for title insurance based on price. First, in 2008 NAIC and HUD formed a title insurance working group that meets several times a year to discuss ongoing enforcement actions as well as potential concerns related to the sale of title insurance. As of September 2011, NAIC?s Title Insurance Task Force has taken over coordination and management of these enforcement calls, which allow state insurance regulators and HUD to discuss ongoing enforcement actions and issues. According to HUD and NAIC officials, the working group has resulted in more effective enforcement of state regulations as well as RESPA. NAIC has also been holding webinars specifically for title insurance regulators to provide guidance on carrying out effective market conduct exams. Second, to address the need to improve oversight of title agents, NAIC has developed and approved a nationwide title statistical plan, called the Title Insurance Agent Statistical report, comprising 60 data elements. The report targets data from title insurers, title agents and others involved in "the business of title insurance." It will help state regulators improve analysis of market conditions. The Task Force has also created a Title Agent Statistical Data Plan Implementation Guideline detailing how states can collect and maintain confidentiality of data related to the plan, and outlining strategies to assist the states in gaining legislative approval. Full approval of the guidelines is projected for November 2011. To address strengthening the regulation of title agents, the Task Force has been coordinating with the Financial Condition Committee to modernize the solvency regulation of title insurance. These efforts include: determining the attributes of recent title company financial failures; developing risk-based capital requirements, early warning tools, and risk-focused financial examination guidelines for title insurers; reconsidering existing accounting standards for title insurers? liabilities and assets; and requesting the NAIC to provide statistical compilations of Title Annual Statements. NAIC is also monitoring developments in some states, such as Washington, which is moving to a prior approval model where title insurers need to receive state approval before they change rates. Further, the Task Force has been examining ways to mitigate the impact of title insurer insolvencies on policyholders, such as reviving work on the Title Insurance Guaranty Fund Model Act; promoting the use of blanket lenders? policies and individual owners? policies to replace policies issued by insolvent insurers; and examining the financial failures of title agents. The Task Force is also combating fraudulent and unfair real estate settlement activities by working with the Antifraud Task Force and other NAIC bodies to combat mortgage fraud; and mitigating title agent defalcations through the promotion of closing protection letters and other remedies. NAIC is also considering drafting a white paper on the pros and cons of closing protection letters. To promote effective consumer shopping and to increase transparency of title insurance costs, the Task Force has been following activities in various jurisdictions, such as web-based title insurance quotations, cost comparison websites, and internet-based real estate closing services. The Task Force plans to have a presentation related to an interactive title insurance resource website at its fall meeting in November 2011. In addition, NAIC collaborated with HUD on a revision to the Good Faith Estimate that separated out the costs for title insurance. NAIC officials reported as of September 2011 they will not be changing the Title Insurance Agent Model Act. NAIC officials expect any ongoing actions will be completed by 2012.