Key Points on Fair Lending Compliance in 2025
In 2025, fair lending compliance remains a cornerstone of financial services, yet its enforcement and analysis have evolved to keep pace with technology and regulatory priorities. Today, the heart of fair lending laws is unchanged: they prohibit discrimination based on protected characteristics such as race, sex, or national origin, ensuring every stage of the credit process - from application to collections - is free from bias.
However, recent regulatory updates have shifted the focus of examinations. Where disparate impact once played a significant role, now agencies like the FDIC and OCC concentrate more closely on disparate treatment, examining whether applicants are handled differently due to prohibited factors.