Semiannual Report to Congress

Introduction

Congress established the OIG as an independent oversight authority of the Board and the CFPB. In fulfilling this responsibility, the OIG conducts audits, evaluations, investigations, and other reviews related to Board and CFPB programs and operations. By law, OIGs are not authorized to perform program functions.

In accordance with the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, our office has the following responsibilities:

• to conduct and supervise independent and objective audits, evaluations, investigations, and other reviews related to Board and CFPB programs and operations to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within the Board and the CFPB
• to help prevent and detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in Board and CFPB programs and operations
• to review existing and proposed legislation and regulations and make recommendations regarding possible improvements to Board and CFPB programs and operations
• to keep the Board of Governors, the Director of the CFPB, and Congress fully and currently informed

Congress has also mandated additional responsibilities that influence the OIG's priorities, including the following:

• Section 38(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), requires that the OIG review Board-supervised financial institutions that failed when the failure resulted in a material loss to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) and produce a report within six months. Section 38(k) also requires that the OIG conduct an in-depth review of any nonmaterial losses to the DIF that exhibit unusual circumstances.
• Section 211(f) of the Dodd-Frank Act requires that the OIG review the Board's supervision of any covered financial company that is placed into receivership and produce a report. The OIG is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Board's supervision, identify any acts or omissions by the Board that contributed to or could have prevented the company's receivership status, and recommend appropriate administrative or legislative action.
• Section 989E of the Dodd-Frank Act established the Council of Inspectors General on Financial Oversight (CIGFO).¹ CIGFO is required to meet at least quarterly to share information and discuss the ongoing work of each Inspector General (IG), with a focus on concerns that may apply to the broader financial sector and ways to improve financial oversight. Additionally, CIGFO is required to issue an annual report that highlights the IGs' concerns and recommendations, as well as issues that may apply to the broader financial sector. CIGFO also has the authority to convene a working group of its members to evaluate the effectiveness and internal operations of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which was created by the Dodd-Frank Act and is charged with identifying threats to the nation's financial stability, promoting market discipline, and responding to emerging risks to the stability of the nation's financial system.
• FISMA, as amended by the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014, established a legislative mandate for ensuring the effectiveness of information security controls over resources that support federal operations and assets. In accordance with FISMA requirements, we perform annual independent reviews of the Board's and the CFPB's information security program and practices, including the effectiveness of security controls and techniques for selected information systems.
• The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 requires our office to conduct periodic risk assessments and audits of the CFPB's purchase card, convenience check, and travel card programs to identify and analyze risks of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments.
• The USA Patriot Act of 2001 grants the Board certain federal law enforcement authorities. Our office performs the external oversight function for the Board's law enforcement program.
• Section 11B of the Federal Reserve Act mandates annual independent audits of the financial statements of each Federal Reserve Bank and of the Board. The Board performs the accounting function for the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), and we oversee the annual financial statement audits of the Board and of the FFIEC.² Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the U.S. Government Accountability Office performs the financial statement audit of the CFPB.
• The Improper Payments Information Act of 2002, as amended (IPIA), requires agency heads to periodically review and identify programs and activities that may be susceptible to significant improper payments. The CFPB has determined that the CFPB’s Civil Penalty Fund is subject to IPIA. The Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 requires our office to determine, each fiscal year, whether the agency is in compliance with IPIA.

• 1.  CIGFO comprises the Inspectors General of the Board and the CFPB, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the National Credit Union Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Return to text
• 2. The FFIEC is a formal interagency body empowered to prescribe uniform principles, standards, and report forms for the federal examination of financial institutions by the Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, the OCC, and the CFPB and to make recommendations to promote uniformity in the supervision of financial institutions. Return to text