On February 11, it was reported that, despite the temporary halt in the CFPB’s operations, the Bureau’s tables for the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) will continue to be updated weekly by the CFPB. A Bureau spokesperson reportedly stated, “Yesterday, CFPB Chief Legal Officer Mark Paoletta directed Jason Brown, the Assistant Director of Research at the CFPB, to continue all necessary functions, including the publication of the APOR on a weekly basis indefinitely.”

APOR tables determine the interest rate boundaries for qualified mortgages, which are exempt from certain regulatory requirements. The APOR benchmark is based on average interest rates, fees and other terms on mortgages offered to borrowers; the benchmark is used for mortgage lending by financial institutions to comply with the CFPB’s Ability-to-Repay rules.

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