Joe Wilson Quoted in National Mortgage News on How the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act Restricts Trigger Lead Activity

Bradley attorney Joe Wilson was quoted in National Mortgage News discussing how the much-anticipated Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act curbs how consumer credit data can be shared, emphasizing that prior protections under the Fair Credit Reporting Act were ineffective at shielding consumers from unwanted solicitations.

"While the Fair Credit Reporting Act imposes limits on when the consumer reporting agencies can provide this type of information, those limits have really not been particularly effective in protecting consumers from these often unwanted solicitations," Wilson said.

Although the new law amends FCRA, Wilson underscored that it does not make trigger leads illegal. Instead, it narrows the circumstances under which consumer reports tied to mortgage transactions can be shared. 

"The act is ultimately about data privacy,” Wilson explained. “So I think it would be unwise to assume that there will be no liability on the part of lenders requesting this information; we just don't know yet, because we've not seen this in practice.”

Wilson recommends lenders should proactively review and update internal policies, particularly those involving data privacy, marketing practices and lead acquisition, even if the statutory language appears aimed primarily at credit bureaus.

The full article, “New trigger lead rules: A lender’s guide,” was published by National Mortgage News on Feb. 26, 2026. (login required)