The Mortgage Bankers Association expressed support for a proposed collection of a system user fee in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s single-family housing guaranteed loan program while underscoring the need for transparency and accountability regarding the use of the funds. “The [USDA] should be clear that it is limited in the scope of acceptable uses for the funds and that these funds will not be used for unspecified or unrelated activities,” the trade group said in its comment letter. The call for closer oversight of the proposed user-fees was among several recommendations the MBA made regarding the USDA proposal. Published in the July 13 Federal Register, the proposal would authorize the USDA to assess and collect a $25 fee from lenders for information technology upgrades. The fee will be collected through the USDA’s Lender Loan Closing (LLC) system when a loan goes to ...