We have a couple of applicants that wrote in their race (Asian Indian) under Ethnicity: Other Hispanic or Latino, and then marked the race appropriately in that section. Do we report Asian Indian for Ethnicity on the LAR since it was written in this way? The loan has been declined so there isn't any going back to ask the applicants if they meant to answer this way under Ethnicity.

What is everyone doing if a section is completed "incorrectly" by the applicant and it either wasn't clarified with the applicant or if the applicant insists this is how they want to complete it? Report as it is completed? I'm not trying to be controversial such as someone's right to chose the sex they indicate, only if someone puts race in ethnicity, or puts ethnicity or sex in the race section, etc.

Thanks in advance.

When a borrower complete that form, you enter it exactly as they entered it.

Oh and...don't ask a customer if they 'meant to'.

right to chose the sex they indicate

[or sexes!]

I agree with others here, report it as the applicant indicated. There's no wrong way for an applicant to complete this part of the application.

Another question...

If they misspelled what they wrote in - for example, a customer wrote "caucasion" under Other Hispanic or Latino - should it be reported exactly how the applicant spelled it or would it be ok to spell it correctly on the LAR?

I'm fairly certain my OCD would require a correct spelling.

Exactly how the customer spelled it, the CFPB has been pretty clear on that particular issue.

Report the misspelling. It's not our job to assume. I think in one of the CFPB materials, it uses the example of someone writing in "Sue" instead of "Sioux" for tribe, and they indicated to report "Sue." I would have to go back to find it.

Here's a different twist:

Applicant marks "Asian", but then in the free from field under "other Asian" (which they did NOT check), they have written in "Cambodian". LP will not let you write in anything under "other Asian" unless you actually check "other Asian"....so i'm basically left with having to mark "Asian" and having no free form field information....or marking "other Asian" (and NOT marking "Asian") so that i can get the "Cambodian" part in there.

You can mark "Other Asian" so you can report "Cambodian". Here's an excerpt from Appendix B that shows this is allowed:

If the applicant provides only a particular… “write-in” subcategory …in the space provided, you are permitted, but are not required, to report Other (includes any of the “Other” options)… or American Indian or Alaska Native (i.e. the main category) in addition to reporting the particular… “write-in” subcategory …provided by the applicant. [Appendix B to §1003]

Thanks David...the only part of that that concerns me is that the applicant DID mark "Asian", which will not be reported if i mark "other Asian"......so it's not that they didn't report a main category.....they just didn't report the main category that corresponds to the subcategory choice they made.

But i don't see a good solution really, so i think your idea makes as much sense as any....thanks.

I agree. Not much else you can do.

I guess what i'm really trying to figure out is if LaserPro has it wrong by not allowing you to pick both Asian and Other Asian.

And now that i check QuestSoft...it appears that it is indeed a LaserPro issue...it looks like i can pick both on QuestSoft...so i guess that solves that.

I don't understand why LP wouldn't let you pick both Asian and Other Asian and then write in Cambodian. I'd bring this to their attention.

I just sent off the email.

Ok...here's the actual issue (just looked again).....LaserPro won't let you access the free form field (for "Cambodian") unless you have selected "Other Asian". The part you quoted above David would seem to say it is optional to list them as "Other Asian" (since they didn't actually make that selection themselves)....so it still seems to me like LaserPro has an issue....the free form field should be accessible even if "Other Asian" isn't selected.

It is optional. I'm very much in the camp of reporting exactly what they marked, so I don't like the idea of marking "Other Asian", but you can.

That's the camp i'm in too David, so i amended my email to address the issue....that is, that you should be able to access the free form field without having to check "Other Asian" in order to do so.

Talking about reporting what was marked...I had a borrower fill in "South Dakota" under the Other Pacific Islander free form field. I reported it. But it feels wrong.

That's funny.

We have an applicant that chose "Other Hispanic...." but didn't write anything in the free form field. Just report "Other Hispanic..."?

I'm in the camp of reporting exactly what the applicant lists.

So, yes, I would report just "Other Hispanic" if my system allowed me to do that.

I agree. Always report exactly what they gave you.