THE MORTGAGE

ASSISTANCE RELIEF
SERVICES RULE
A COMPLIANCE GUIDE FOR BUSINESS

Federal Trade Commission | business.ftc.gov

Homeowners facing foreclosure are often desperate for a way to

hold on to their homes. Some companies claim they can help
fight off foreclosure by negotiating new mortgage terms with
lenders or servicers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC),
the nations consumer protection agency, has issued a Rule to
curb unfair and deceptive practices associated with mortgage
assistance relief services. If you offer mortgage assistance relief
services or work with companies that do its wise to know
about the provisions of the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services
(MARS) Rule.
This guide, which represents the views of FTC staff and is not
binding on the Commission, offers tips on complying with the
Rule. Here are some compliance highlights:

Its illegal to charge upfront fees. You cant collect

money from a customer unless you deliver and the customer agrees to a written offer of mortgage relief from
the customers lender or servicer.

You must clearly and prominently disclose certain

information before you sign people up for your

services. You must tell them upfront key information
about your services, including:
the total cost,
that they can stop using your services at any time,
that youre not associated with the government or

their lender, and

that their lender may not agree to change the terms

of their mortgage.

If you advise someone not to pay his or her mort-

gage, you must clearly and prominently disclose

the negative consequences that could result. You
must warn customers that failure to pay could result in
the loss of their home or damage to their credit rating.

 Dont advise customers to stop communicating

with their lender or servicer. Under the Rule, its

illegal to tell people they shouldnt communicate with

their lender or servicer.

You must disclose key information to your cus-

tomer if you forward an offer of mortgage relief

from a lender or servicer. You must give your cus-

tomer a written notice from the lender or servicer describing all material differences between the terms of the offer
and the customers current loan. You also have to tell your
customer that if the lender or servicers offer isnt acceptable to them, they dont have to pay your fee.

Dont misrepresent your services. Under the Rule,

its illegal to make claims that are false, misleading, or
unsubstantiated.

IS MY BUSINESS COVERED BY THE RULE?

If your business is a for-profit provider of mortgage assistance

relief services, the Rule applies to you. Bona fide non-profit
organizations arent covered, but the Rule applies to companies
that falsely claim non-profit status.
The Rule defines mortgage assistance relief service as a service,
plan, or program that is represented, expressly or by implication,
to help homeowners prevent or postpone foreclosure or help
them get other kinds of relief, like loan modifications, forbearance agreements, short sales, deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure, or
extensions of time to cure defaults or reinstate loans. The Rule
applies whether you work directly with consumers lenders or
servicers to get mortgage relief or you offer services to help
consumers do it on their own (for example, by conducting a
forensic audit or other review of consumers loan documents).
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How does the Rule apply to businesses in the

mortgage industry?
Mortgage Brokers. The Rule covers mortgage brokers

who promote loan origination or refinancing transactions

as a way for homeowners to avoid foreclosure. Mortgage
brokers who dont promote their services this way generally arent covered by the Rule.

Real Estate Agents. The Rule covers real estate agents

who promote their services as a way to help consumers

to avoid foreclosure, for example, by getting a lenders
approval for a short sale. However, the Rule doesnt cover
real estate agents who dont promote their services this
way, and who only provide services to help people in buying or selling homes like listing homes for sale, showing
homes, or finding homes that meet buyers needs.

Lenders and servicers. The Rule doesnt cover lenders

and servicers that offer mortgage assistance relief services

in connection with loans they own or service. For example, the Rule wouldnt apply if a business that services a
homeowners loan helps the homeowner in modifying the
loan to avoid foreclosure.

Accountants and Financial Planners. The Rule

doesnt cover professionals like accountants or financial

planners as long as they dont claim expressly or by implication that using their services will help a homeowner get
a loan modification or other mortgage relief.

Attorneys. The Rule has special provisions for attorneys

who provide mortgage assistance relief services. Read
Mortgage Assistance Relief Services Rule: A Compliance
Guide for Lawyers at www.business.ftc.gov to find out
more. Having an attorney on your staff or using outside

attorneys to perform some of your services doesnt exempt

you from the Rule. Nor does having an attorney place fees
in a client trust account, by itself, allow you to collect fees
in advance.

an affiliation with the government, public programs, or

Even if you dont provide mortgage assistance relief services, you

still may have obligations under the Rule. Its illegal to provide
substantial assistance to someone if you know or consciously
avoid knowing that theyre violating the Rule. What amounts
to substantial assistance depends on the facts. Activities like
procuring leads (the contact information of potential customers) for MARS providers, helping a MARS provider with its
back-room operations, reviewing customer files, processing
customers payments, or contacting customers servicers are
just a few examples. If you work with MARS providers, review
their policies, procedures, and operations to make sure theyre
complying with the Rule because willful ignorance on your part
simply isnt a defense.

your refund and cancellation policies;

whether homeowners will be getting legal services;
the benefits and costs of using alternatives to for-profit

HOW DO TRUTH-IN-ADVERTISING
PRINCIPLES APPLY TO CLAIMS WE MAKE
ABOUT OUR SERVICES?

Under the Rule, its illegal to misrepresent, either expressly or by

implication, any material aspect of your services. That includes
any information thats likely to affect a consumers decision to
use your service or choose one service over another. Here are
some examples of claims that would be material:

the likelihood of negotiating, getting, or arranging a

specific form of mortgage relief;

lenders or servicers;

the terms and conditions of homeowners mortgages,

including how much they currently have to pay;

MARS providers;

the amount homeowners may save if they use your service;

the total cost of your service; and
the terms, conditions, or limitations of a lender or servicers offer of mortgage relief, including how much time
the homeowner has to accept the offer.

In addition, if you make claims about the benefits, performance,

or efficacy of your services, your statements must be truthful
and you must have competent and reliable evidence to back
them up. So, for example, if you make claims about how much
your customers will save like We can reduce your mortgage
payments by 20% to 50% your claims must accurately reflect
the results youve achieved for previous customers. Similarly,
if you claim that your customers have reduced their mortgage
debt by up to 50%, its likely youre conveying to new customers that they, too, will get savings of around 50%. If you dont
have solid proof to back up that claim, your claim is considered
deceptive.
Beyond requiring that your claims are truthful, the Rule makes
it illegal to tell a customer or potential customer to stop communicating with their lender or servicer.

how long it will take to get the advertised mortgage relief;

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WHAT INFORMATION MUST I DISCLOSE TO

CUSTOMERS OR PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS?

The Rule spells out several key pieces of information you must
disclose clearly and prominently to consumers. (See page 9) for
more on how to make disclosures clear and prominent.) Some
disclosures must be made in all advertising for general audiences. Other disclosures must be made in one-on-one communications you have with prospective customers, like telephone
calls, letters, or email. A third type of disclosure must be made
when you give a customer an offer of mortgage relief from his or
her lender or servicer. The Rule also requires that if you ever tell
a customer that he or she should stop making timely mortgage
payments, you must tell them, using these words, If you stop
paying your mortgage, you could lose your home and damage your credit rating.

Disclosures you must make in ads meant for a

general audience
The Rule requires certain disclosures in what it calls general
commercial communications that is, advertising meant for a
general audience, like ads on TV, radio, or the Internet. In those
ads, you must clearly and prominently disclose two key facts, in
these words:

The Rule requires additional disclosures in any consumerspecific commercial communication that is, a letter, phone
call, email, text, or the like, directed at a specific person youre
soliciting for your service. In every communication you have
with prospective customers, the Rule requires that you clearly
and prominently disclose three key facts, in these words:

1. You may stop doing business with us at any time. You

may accept or reject the offer of mortgage assistance we

obtain from your lender [or servicer]. If you reject the
offer, you do not have to pay us. If you accept the offer,
you will have to pay us [insert amount or method for
calculating the amount] for our services.

2. [Name of your company] is not associated with the

government, and our service is not approved by the
government or your lender; and

3. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your
lender may not agree to change your loan.

The three disclosures must be presented together. The Rule has

specific requirements for presenting these disclosures to prospective customers.

1. [Name of your company] is not associated with the

Disclosures you must make when you give

customers an offer of mortgage relief from their
lender or servicer

2. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your

Under the Rule, when you give a customer an offer of mortgage

relief from their lender or servicer, you have additional disclosure requirements:

government, and our service is not approved by the

government or your lender; and
lender may not agree to change your loan.

The two disclosures must be presented together. The Rule has

specific requirements for presenting them.
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Disclosures you must make in communications with

prospective customers

1. You have to give your customer a separate written page

that clearly and prominently says This is an offer of
mortgage assistance we obtained from your lender

[or servicer]. You may accept or reject the offer. If you

reject the offer, you do not have to pay us. If you accept
the offer, you will have to pay us [same amount you
disclosed upfront] for our services.

That the customer may not qualify for a permanent

mortgage loan modification; and

If the customer doesnt qualify, the likely amount in

suspended payments, arrears, or fees the customer

would owe once the trial loan modification period
ends.

2. You have to give your customer a separate one-page

written notice from the customers lender or servicer

that explains all material differences between the offer of
mortgage relief you got from the lender or servicer and
the customers current loan. Some examples of differences
in loan terms that would be material to customers and
would have to be disclosed include:
the principal balance;

The Rule has specific requirements for presenting these disclosures to customers.

HOW DO I MAKE DISCLOSURES CLEAR AND

PROMINENT?

the interest rate on the loan, including the maximum

rate and any adjustable rates;

the number of payments on the loan;

how much the customer must pay each month

for principal, interest, taxes, and any mortgage

insurance;

any delinquent payments the customer owes;

any fees or penalties; and
the duration of the loan.

3. If the offer of mortgage relief you get for a customer is a

trial loan modification that is, a loan modification thats

temporary the written notice you give your customer
from his or her lender or servicer also must disclose the
material terms, conditions, and limitations of this type of
relief, including:

One goal of the Rule is to make sure that key disclosures about
the nature of mortgage assistance relief services are read and
understood by consumers. Thats why the Rule requires you to
present disclosures clearly and prominently. These requirements
apply to general commercial communications advertising meant for a general audience, like ads on TV, radio, or the
Internet and to consumer-specific commercial communications letters, phone calls, email, and the like directed at a
specific person who has not yet signed up for your service. What
makes a disclosure clear and prominent depends on the method
you use to communicate with prospective customers. The Rule
has more details on how to make sure your disclosures are clear
and prominent.

That its a trial loan modification and the duration of

the trial period;

WHEN CAN I COLLECT MY FEE?

The Rule says you cant collect any fee from a customer until
youve met three requirements:

1. You get an offer of mortgage relief from your cus-

tomers lender or servicer. You must have persuaded

your customers lender or servicer to reduce, modify, or
otherwise change the terms of the customers mortgage
loan;

2. You give your customer the written offer. You must

provide your customer with a written agreement from the
lender or servicer to reduce, modify, or otherwise change
the terms of the customers mortgage loan; and

3. Your customer accepts the written offer. The

customers acceptance must be in the form of an executed

written agreement with the lender or servicer that incorporates the changes to the terms of his or her mortgage loan.

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You cant collect any fees for intermediate steps you take as part
of the process. For example, it would be illegal to charge separately for:
conducting an initial consultation with a customer;
reviewing or auditing a customers mortgage or foreclosure documents to detect errors, including robosigning or
title problems;
gathering financial or other information from a customer;
sending an application for mortgage relief or any other
request to a customers lender or servicer;
communicating with a lender or servicer on a customers
behalf; or
responding to requests for information from a customers
lender or servicer.

DOES THE RULE HAVE RECORD-KEEPING OR

MONITORING REQUIREMENTS?

The Rule requires you to keep certain records for at least two
years from the date the document is created, generated, or
received:

Advertising and promotional materials. You must

keep a copy of each substantially different advertisement, brochure, telemarketing script, website, training
document, or other material related to the advertising
or marketing of your service. You dont have to keep
separate copies of documents that have minor, immaterial
differences.

Sales records. You have to keep records showing the

name, last known address, and telephone number of each

of your customers; the services they bought from you; and
how much they paid you. You need to maintain records
relating only to customers who agree to use your services.
You dont have to keep records relating to people who
asked about your services, but didnt sign up.

Communications with customers. You must keep

copies of all written communications between you and

customers that occurred before they agreed to use your
service.

Agreements with customers. You must keep copies of

all contracts or other agreements between you and your
customer.

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You also must take reasonable steps to ensure that your employees and independent contractors comply with the Rule. At a
minimum, that would include:

performing random, blind monitoring and recording of

sales and customer service calls involving your employees

or people who do telemarketing on your behalf;

establishing a procedure for receiving and responding

to consumer complaints and investigating each one
promptly and thoroughly;

determining the number and nature of consumer

complaints related to transactions involving individual

employees or contractors and taking corrective action
which may include training, discipline, or termination
if theyre not complying with the Rule;

keeping records sufficient to establish that youre meeting

your monitoring responsibilities under the Rule.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

MARS Rule
www.ftc.gov/os/fedreg/2010/december/R911003mars.pdf
Mortgage Assistance Relief Services Rule: A Compliance
Guide for Lawyers
http://business.ftc.gov/documents/
bus77-mortgage-assistance-relief-services-rule-lawyers

Questions about the MARS Rule? Contact:

Division of Financial Practices
Bureau of Consumer Protection
Federal Trade Commission
Washington, DC 20580
(202) 326-3224
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair practices in the marketplace and to provide
information to businesses to help them comply with the law.
To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer
issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP
(1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a video, How
to File a Complaint, at www.ftc.gov/video to learn more. The
FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel
Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used
by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in
the U.S. and abroad. For free compliance resources, visit the
Business Center, www.business.ftc.gov.
Opportunity to Comment. The National Small Business
Ombudsman and 10 Regional Fairness Boards collect comments from small businesses about federal compliance and
enforcement activities. Each year, the Ombudsman evaluates
the conduct of these activities and rates each agencys responsiveness to small businesses. Small businesses can comment
to the Ombudsman without fear of reprisal. To comment,
call toll-free 1-888-REGFAIR (1-888-734-3247) or go to
www.sba.gov/ombudsman.

The BCP Business Center: Your Link to the Law

www.business.ftc.gov

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Federal Trade Commission

BCP Business Center
business.ftc.gov
February 2011