Government says no worries; your financial data is safe

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

I’ve never considered myself much of a conspiracy nut, but the government’s latest data gathering plan has me concerned for my privacy. As part of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s crusade to discover housing discrimination (even where it doesn’t exist), it will start collecting far more intrusive data about every mortgage, including your income and credit score.

Do you really trust the government with your information? This is the same government that had data breaches at the Office of Personnel Management, the State Dept, the Defense Dept, the IRS, the Federal Reserve – the list goes on. Why in the world would I be comfortable with the CFPB holding this data?

What’s more, do you really trust the government to behave? Think the IRS might want to look the income you reported to your lender?

This seems to be a done deal at this point unless Congress steps in. Fortunately, the data collection doesn’t start until 2018, so we have a chance. However, if the rule doesn’t change, the only way to avoid the government collecting your sensitive information is to pay cash for your home.