With so many rules, it must be hard for regulators and financial firms to keep things straight, which is why a good compliance person is becoming worth every penny spent on their salaries and the boxes of coffee that must be acquired to keep them awake during the day.

My favorite take on the subject comes this week from the Rob Chrisman report. Everyone knows compliance is a hot topic right now, and if you can help mortgage servicers and lenders comply with all the new rules, you’re now in the ‘very hire-able’ box.

But with so many regulators issuing different rules, Chrisman points out in a humorous way that it’s difficult to keep things straight. However, if you’re looking for a compliance person to hire, he may have found one for you.

Here’s the latest from the Rob Chrisman report.

“Speaking of notes asking questions, I also received this one from a new compliance person in Arizona.

‘I was going through the CFPB’s examination manual. (Fortunately it is not as bad as the 900+ pages sounds – a lot of it is fluff and addendums.) I have a question for you. The information noted on page 612, section 4, paragraph 3, line 7, seems to directly conflict with the information included in the HUD ‘Housing Choice Voucher’ worksheet that is distributed to the public, chapter 4, and also the RESPA document titled, ‘Exemptions from Coverage Under Sections 4 and 5 of RESPA for Certain Subordinate Loans Provided by Assistance Programs for Low and Moderate Income People,’ which refers to Section 19(a) of RESPA. What are your thoughts?’

Chrisman’s reply is classic:  “First off, I don’t have any. Second, please let me know if you ever become unhappy with your current employer – I can think of hundreds of other companies that would be happy to hire you.”

Very true. What an eye for detail!

It must take tons of coffee to keep these compliance teams awake.