What are the prohibited and protected classes under Reg B ECOA?

Asked by: Dr. Jeremie Williamson  |  Last update: October 11, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (49 votes)

'' Moreover, the statute makes it unlawful for ''any creditor to discriminate against any applicant with respect to any aspect of a credit transaction (1) on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex or marital status, or age (provided the applicant has the capacity to con tract); (2) because all or part ...

What is prohibited under ECOA and Regulation B?

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and its implementing regulations, referred to as Regulation B, ensure that creditors do not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, or age.

What are the protected classes under ECOA?

This Act (Title VII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, receipt of public assistance, or good faith exercise of any rights under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.

Which of the following is one of the prohibited bases protected by REG B?

The ECOA requires bankers to treat all similarly situated credit applicants equally based solely on their credit qualifications and not any of the prohibited bases such as race, national origin, gender or age.

What are some of the prohibited factors covered under ECOA FHAct?

  • race or color.
  • national origin.
  • religion.
  • sex.
  • marital status.
  • age.*
  • applicant's receipt of income from a public assistance program.
  • applicant's exercise, in good faith, of any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.

Protected Classes: ECOA vs FHA

15 related questions found

Which of the following is considered a prohibited basis in both ECOA and Fair Housing Act?

Redlining may violate both the FHAct and the ECOA.

Which of the following is not a protected class under the fha?

Among the protected classes are race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and handicap. However, sexual orientation is not explicitly listed as a protected class under the Fair Housing Act.

Which of the following is not permitted under reg b?

Regulation B protects consumers and prohibits lenders from discriminating based on age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, or marital status. Reg B mandates that lenders provide explanations to rejected applicants within 30 days of receiving their completed applications.

What are examples of prohibited bases?

An employer may not base hiring decisions on stereotypes and assumptions about a person's race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

What is the most common Reg B violation?

We recommend that every financial institution take a couple minutes to review the "most frequently cited Regulation B violations" in order to compare their existing Fair Lending compliance management system: Common Violation #1: Discrimination on a prohibited basis in a credit transaction.

What are 4 examples of protected classes?

Protected Classes
  • Race.
  • Color.
  • Religion (includes religious dress and grooming practices)
  • Sex/gender (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/ or related medical conditions)
  • Gender identity, gender expression.
  • Sexual orientation.
  • Marital status.

What is covered in ECOA?

prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, because an applicant receives income from a public assistance program, or because an applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection ...

What are the protected classes under the USDA?

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or ...

Which of the following are protected under the ECOA?

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) promotes the availability of credit to all creditworthy applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, or age (provided the applicant has the capacity to contract); to the fact that all or part of the applicant's income derives from a public ...

What questions are prohibited by ECOA?

We recommend that you avoid asking applicants about personal characteristics that are protected by law, such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin or age.

What is considered an application under reg. B?

Under Regulation B, an. “application” means an oral or written request for an extension of credit made in accordance with. procedures used by a creditor for the type of credit requested. “

What are the 9 prohibited bases?

Race or color, • Religion, • National origin, • Sex1, • Marital status, • Age (provided the applicant has the capacity to contract), • The applicant's receipt of income derived from any public assistance program, or • The applicant's exercise, in good faith, of any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.

What are examples of prohibited things?

Examples of prohibited items are dangerous toys, cars that don't protect their occupants in a crash, bush meat, or illegal substances like absinthe and Rohypnol. Restricted means that special licenses or permits are required from a federal agency before the item is allowed to enter the United States.

Which of the following is a prohibited basis?

Answer: There are nine prohibited factors under the ECOA. Most people are familiar with seven of them: gender, race, color, religion, national origin, marital status and age.

What does ECOA Reg B prohibit?

Regulation B prohibits creditors from requesting and collecting specific personal information about an applicant that has no bearing on the applicant's ability or willingness to repay the credit requested and could be used to discriminate against the applicant.

Which of the following is not covered by reg e?

These transactions do not fall under the Reg E umbrella: Fund transfers initiated by check or similar paper instruments. Wire transfers. Credit card transactions.

What is an example of an ECOA violation?

Imposing unfair terms or conditions on a loan (such as lower loan amount or higher interest rates) based on personal characteristics protected under the ECOA. Asking detailed personal information regarding marital status, such as whether you are widowed or divorced.

What are the 7 federal protected classes?

Applicants, employees and former employees are protected from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability and genetic information (including family medical history).

What is not considered a protected class?

What Is Not Considered a Protected Class? Groups not explicitly outlined in federal anti-discrimination laws do not fall under protected classes. For example, discrimination based on political affiliation, physical appearance, or income level is generally not protected under federal law.

What are protected classes under Fhact and ECOA?

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act, again, was passed in 1974. This has a prohibition on discrimination against protected classes, which are defined as individuals based on race or color, religion, national origin and gender, just like we saw in the Fair Housing Act.