An executive with the National Credit Union Foundation stressed that credit unions need to avoid offering their members direct advice on how to address problems on mortgages not with the credit union.
Lois Kitsch, national program director with the NCUF's REAL Solutions program warned credit unions not to give members direct advice on their mortgage problems unless they have staff explicitly trained to do so. Instead, she said, credit unions should strive to establish relationships with agencies that specialize in helping resolve troubled mortgages.
"Many credit unions don't understand that if they give mortgage advice that winds up not being entirely accurate or on target, they could wind up bearing some fiduciary responsibility," Kitsch explained.
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She drew a distinction between credit unions working with members who have mortgages with the credit union or in circumstances where the credit union would be able to refinance the loan. The need for specialization arises from situations where members are struggling under mortgages issued or owned by another institution, she explained.
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