The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is watching closely to ensure lenders never discriminate against a borrower.

However, an article in Bloomberg explained that banks have strengthened their compliance programs for mortgage lending, and yet they still maintain weak compliance programs for other types of lending.

CFPB Director Richard Cordray wrote in a letter to Rep. Terri Sewell, Ala.-D, saying the bureau is examining possible discrimination beyond the housing and auto finance market.   

In housing, assessing discrimination is made easier by the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, a law requiring data-collection on race, gender and ethnicity, Cordray wrote. In other areas, the bureau uses statistical proxy methodologies to assess race.