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Regulatory Bulletin

Regulatory Bulletin  5.2-101 Bond Requirements for Mortgage Lenders, Mortgage Brokers and Mortgage Loan Originators

Date: 11/19/2010
Referenced Sources: G.L. c. 255E
209 CMR 42.00
G.L. c. 255F
209 CMR 41.00

Table of Contents

1.0 Applicability and scope

Each mortgage lender and mortgage broker licensed under General Laws chapter 255E, section 2 and the Division of Banks ("Division") implementing regulations at 209 CMR 42.00 et seq. shall file a corporate surety bond with the Division as described herein. In addition, each mortgage loan originator licensed under General Laws chapter 255F and the Division's implementing regulations at 209 CMR 41.00 et seq. shall be covered by a surety bond. The purpose of this bulletin is to enumerate guidelines relative to the establishment and maintenance of said surety bonds. In addition, this Bulletin has been updated to reflect the filing of electronic surety bonds through the Nationwide Multi-State Licensing System & Registry (“NMLS”).

2.0 Policy

A. Mortgage Lenders

Pursuant to the Division's regulation 209 CMR 42.03(2)(a)(2), as a condition of obtaining and holding a mortgage lender license, a mortgage lender must establish and maintain a corporate surety bond in a sum to be based on the volume of its mortgage loan business in Massachusetts, but in no event shall the sum of the corporate surety bond be less than $100,000, up to a maximum of $500,000. The sum of such bond may be increased by the Commissioner of Banks at any time to such amount as shall be shown to be necessary, up to the $500,000 maximum. The amount of the corporate surety bond shall be established in accordance with the following:

Aggregate Annual Dollar Amount of Closed

 

Massachusetts Residential Loans

Required Principal Amount of Surety Bond

 

 

$250,000,000 or more

$500,000

$50,000,000 - $249,999,999

$250,000

$0 - $49,999,999

$100,000

The principal amount of the corporate surety bond shall be determined by the information reported by the licensee on the Mortgage Lender Annual Report and/or the Mortgage Call Reports for the preceding calendar year. The duration of the corporate surety bond must be continuous and shall be issued by a bonding company or insurance company authorized to do business in Massachusetts. A surety bond must be executed by an authorized representative for the surety company and by the principal prior to submitting the surety bond to the Division through the NMLS. The name of the principal on the bond shall match the mortgage lender’s legal name Surety bond(s) that provide continuous coverage which is contingent upon payment of an annual premium should be established to renew on December 31st of each year.

B. Mortgage Brokers

Pursuant to the Division's regulation 209 CMR 42.05(2)(a)(2), as a condition of obtaining and holding a mortgage broker license, a mortgage broker must establish and maintain a corporate surety bond of $75,000. The duration of the corporate surety bond must be continuous and shall be issued by a bonding company or insurance company authorized to do business in Massachusetts. A surety bond must be executed by an authorized representative for the surety company and by the principal prior to submitting the surety bond to the Division through the NMLS. The name of the principal on the bond shall match the mortgage broker’s legal name. Surety bond(s) that provide continuous coverage which is contingent upon payment of an annual premium should be established to renew on December 31st of each year.

C. General Provisions Applicable to Mortgage Lenders and Mortgage Brokers

Such bond shall be in the form prescribed by the Commissioner through the NMLS and shall be for use of the Commissioner of Banks for the protection of consumers in residential property transactions, as that term is defined in General Laws chapter 255E, section, 1 and to satisfy any past due Division costs, assessments, penalties, or other obligations which have been charged to the Licensee.

If a bond is cancelled or terminated for any reason, the Commissioner may automatically suspend the license on the date the cancellation takes effect, unless the licensee has replaced or renewed the surety bond. If a licensee files a new surety bond to replace a prior surety bond that has been cancelled, the effective date of the replacement surety bond must run concurrently with the cancellation date of the prior surety bond to ensure that no lapse in coverage occurs.

For clarification purposes, 209 CMR 42.03(2)(a)2 and 209 CMR 42.05(2)(a)2 set forth a corporate surety bond requirement for licensed mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers, respectively. Accordingly, any individual or entity which holds both a mortgage lender and a mortgage broker license will be required to maintain two corporate surety bonds as follows: (1) a mortgage lender surety bond for a principal amount determined in accordance with the provisions set forth in this regulatory bulletin and (2) a mortgage broker surety bond with a principal amount of $75,000.

D. Mortgage Loan Originators

Pursuant to General Laws chapter 255F, section 12, as a condition of obtaining and holding a mortgage loan originator license, a mortgage loan originator must be covered by a surety bond. If a mortgage loan originator is an employee or exclusive agent of a mortgage broker or mortgage lender licensed under General Laws chapter 255E, the surety bond of the mortgage broker or mortgage lender may be used to satisfy the mortgage loan originator's surety bond requirement.

If a mortgage loan originator is an employee or exclusive agent of an entity that is exempt from licensure as a mortgage broker or mortgage lender under General Laws chapter 255E, section 2 ("exempt entity"), said mortgage loan originator must either: (i) establish and maintain an individual surety bond, as further described below; or (ii) be covered under an exempt entity's corporate surety bond, as described below in Section E.

The individual surety bond shall be in the amount of $25,000. The duration of the individual surety bond must be continuous and shall be issued by a bonding company or insurance company authorized to do business in Massachusetts. A surety bond must be executed by an authorized representative for the surety company and by the mortgage loan originator prior to submitting the surety bond to the Division through the NMLS. The name of the principal on the bond shall match the legal name of the mortgage loan originator. Surety bond(s) that provide continuous coverage which is contingent upon payment of an annual premium should be established to renew on December 31st of each year. If the surety bond is canceled or terminated for any reason, the mortgage loan originator's license shall become inactive and the mortgage loan originator will not be authorized to engage in mortgage loan origination activity until the mortgage loan originator has replaced or renewed the surety bond.

The required surety bond shall be in the form prescribed by the Commissioner; such bond being for exclusive use of the Commissioner of Banks for the protection of consumers and for any fees or penalties due and owing to the Division.

E. Mortgage Entities that are Exempt from Licensure under M.G.L. c. 255E, section 2

Exempt entities that employ, or are associated with, mortgage loan originator(s) licensed under General Laws chapter 255F, must ensure that all such mortgage loan originators are covered by a surety bond. An exempt entity may either: (i) ensure that such mortgage loan originators establish and maintain individual surety bonds as described in Section D; or (2) establish and maintain a corporate surety bond to cover all mortgage loan originators employed by or associated with the exempt entity, as described below. Exempt entities electing to maintain the corporate surety bond are required to complete and maintain an exempt entity registration through the NMLS.

The duration of the corporate surety bond must be continuous and shall be issued by a bonding company or insurance company authorized to do business in Massachusetts. A surety bond must be executed by an authorized representative for the surety company and by the exempt entity prior to submitting the surety bond to the Division through the NMLS. The name of the principal on the bond shall match the legal name of the exempt entity. Surety bond(s) that provide continuous coverage which is contingent upon payment of an annual premium should be established to renew on December 31st of each year. If the corporate surety bond is canceled or terminated for any reason, the Commissioner may suspend the licenses of all mortgage loan originators employed by, or associated with, the exempt entity and the mortgage loan originators will not be authorized to engage in mortgage loan origination activity until the exempt entity has replaced or renewed the corporate surety bond.

The corporate surety bond shall be in the form prescribed by the Commissioner; such bond being for exclusive use of the Commissioner of Banks for the protection of consumers and for any fees or penalties due and owing to the Division as a result of the activities of the mortgage loan originator(s) employed by or associated with the exempt entity.

If the exempt entity engages in the activities of a mortgage broker in Massachusetts, as those activities are defined under General Laws chapter 255E, section 1, the corporate surety bond shall be maintained in the amount of $75,000. If the exempt entity engages in the activities of a mortgage lender in Massachusetts, as those activities are defined under General Laws chapter 255E, section 1, the corporate surety bond during the initial calendar year in which the exempt entity registration is completed in the NMLS, shall be in the amount of $100,000. As a condition of maintaining its exempt entity registration status in Massachusetts, an exempt entity engaging in the activities of either a mortgage lender or mortgage broker, or both, in Massachusetts will be required to complete the Mortgage Call Report developed by, and maintained on, the NMLS.

For all subsequent years following the initial year of registration, the amount of the corporate surety bond for an exempt entity engaging in the activities of a mortgage lender in Massachusetts shall be based upon the aggregate annual dollar amount of closed Massachusetts residential loans as reported in the Mortgage Call Report and set in accordance with Section II.A of this regulatory bulletin.

An exempt entity engaging in the activities of both a mortgage lender and a mortgage broker in Massachusetts, and electing to maintain the corporate surety bond, will be required to maintain two corporate surety bonds as follows: (1) a mortgage lender surety bond for a principal amount determined in accordance with Section II.A of this regulatory bulletin and (2) a mortgage broker surety bond with a principal amount of $75,000.

3.0 Historical notes

This Bulletin was first issued on January 24, 2008. Chapter 44 of the Acts of 2009, which was effective as of July 31, 2009, required that mortgage loan originators be covered by a surety bond as a condition of obtaining and holding a mortgage loan originator license. On September 15, 2009, the Division published for comment proposed amendments to this Bulletin to address the surety bond requirements for individual mortgage loan originators. Further revisions were made and the amendments to this Bulletin were finalized on November 19, 2010.  On November 23, 2016, the Bulletin was amended to reflect the filing of electronic surety bonds through the NMLS.

4.0 Authority

G.L. c. 255E; 209 CMR 42.00, et seq.; G.L. c. 255F; 209 CMR 41.00, et seq.

Referenced Sources:

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