On November 5, Washington’s Department of Financial Institutions issued a consent order requiring a mortgage broker to pay a $60,000 fine, a $1,700 investigation fee, and $950 restitution for alleged violations of the Mortgage Broker Practices Act, the Consumer Loan Act, and related federal regulations governing mortgage broker conduct. According to the order, the broker failed to file accurate call reports for multiple quarters and operated at least 79 webpages without the necessary licensing disclosures, among other issues. Additional alleged violations with respect to the websites included the use of prohibited advertising terms — such as “best,” “lowest,” and “#1” — and the use of unregistered trade names. With respect to borrowers, the Department alleged that the broker issued preapproval letters without proper approvals, provided untimely borrower disclosures, charged closing costs higher than those disclosed, and paid loan originator compensation in violation of federal requirements. In addition to penalties, the order mandated ongoing compliance with state mortgage laws.