8 Hours of 2023 Maryland MLO Continuing Education

The Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulations (the "Office") requires Maryland mortgage licensees to take a 1-hour course on Maryland-specific regulations as part of their annual continuing education requirement to maintain their license.

This 1-hour course will explain many of the Maryland state laws that are enforced by the Office and must be followed by those working in the lending industry.

The first module of this course will start by reviewing the state's usury laws, which limits the amount of interest that can be charged to a borrower.

We'll then review a variety of acts and regulations such as the Secondary Mortgage Loan Law (SMLL) and Maryland Mortgage Fraud Protection Act (MMFPA).

The third module will outline the mediation rules that must be followed for borrowers who are in default, and the last module will summarize mortgage contract rules.

Topics and Learning Objectives

This course is broken down into several learning topics. At the end of the course a 15-question final exam will be given. The topics included in this course are:

1. The Interest and Usury Law (10 minutes)
2. Maryland Specific Mortgage Laws (15 minutes)
3. Foreclosure Mediation Rules (9 minutes)
4. Mortgage Loan Negotiations and Contracts Rules (6 minutes)
5. Final Exam (10 minutes)

Total study time: 1 credit hour (50 minutes)

This course will prepare Maryland-licensed MLOs to:

• Outline the interest rate limits for residential property loans as well as various expenses that do not count towards the maximum interest rate allowed by law.
• Describe the rules pertaining to lender escrow accounts.
• Summarize the purpose of the Secondary Mortgage Loan Law (SMLL), the Financing Agreements Law, the reverse mortgage law, and the Maryland Mortgage Fraud Protection Act (MMFPA).
• List the steps necessary to offer law-required foreclosure mediation options to a borrower facing mortgage default.
• Recognize the borrower protection requirements that must be followed when negotiating mortgage loans.
• Understand the penalties for violating the state's usury laws, the Financing Agreements Law, reverse mortgage regulations, and the MMFPA.

NMLS ID Required

You must have an NMLS ID to receive credit for this course. You will need this number before you begin the course.

If you already have an NMLS ID but don't remember what it is:

• Login into NMLS
• Click on the Composite View tab.
• Click View Individual on the sub-header row.
• The number that appears in parentheses after your name is your NMLS ID number.

If you do not have an NMLS ID and need to obtain one, use the instructions available in the NMLS Resource Center.

This course will instruct mortgage loan originators on a number of regulations that they will have to comply with while taking part in their mortgage loan origination activities. Rules, such as those implemented by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, are set in place to protect the interest and well-being of consumers who apply for mortgages to purchase or refinance their properties. To ensure that their business practices satisfy the regulations adopted by federal laws, mortgage loan originators need to keep current on the guidelines published by entities such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Topics and Learning Objectives

This course consists of three sections and a final exam

1. Top 10 Federal Topics for 2023

2. Ethical Treatment of Consumers

3. The VA Home Loan Program

4. Final exam

Total study time: 7 credit hours (5 hours, 30 minutes)

Module 1: Top 10 Federal Topics for 2023

Study Time: 3 clock hours (150 minutes of federal law)

Fair lending along with compliance to the law, established rules, and implemented regulations is everyone’s responsibility. When compliance failures occur, everyone, including the customer, loses.

The topics outlined in this module are mandated by the NMLS and state regulators, covering the more egregious regulatory compliance failures recently discovered through various regulatory examinations, investigations, and audits.

Module 2: Ethical Treatment of Consumers

Study Time: 2 clock hours (100 minutes of ethics, fraud, and consumer protection)

The ethical treatment of consumers and ethical practices in mortgage lending are a high focus of regulators and consumer advocacy groups. This module will cover ethics, including identity theft prevention, fraud prevention, and consumer protection requirements.

Module 3: The VA Home Loan Program

Study Time: 2 clock hours (100 minutes of non-traditional mortgage)

The objective of the Veterans Administration (VA) mortgage loan program is to provide long-term financing to eligible American military veterans and their surviving spouses, helping veterans purchase properties with no down payment. The program allows eligible veterans to buy, build, repair, retain, or adapt a home for personal occupancy as well as refinance an existing mortgage loan.

NMLS ID Required

You must have an NMLS ID to receive credit for this course. You will need this number before you begin the course.

If you already have an NMLS ID but don't remember what it is:

• Login into NMLS
• Click on the Composite View tab.
• Click View Individual on the sub-header row.
• The number that appears in parentheses after your name is your NMLS ID number.

If you do not have an NMLS ID and need to obtain one, use the instructions available in the NMLS Resource Center