NEW YORK – (September 6, 2012) – FSG (Finance Scholars Group, Inc.), a privately held consulting firm that specializes in expert testimony services, today announced its affiliation with two leading experts in fair lending and compliance, credit risk and scoring, and regulatory compliance, M. Cary Collins and Peter J. Nigro.
Both Dr. Collins and Dr. Nigro specialize in the quantitative analysis and evaluation of complex issues in the retail and wholesale lending channels for mortgage, automobile, consumer and small business lending. Their expertise in consumer protection matters is based on more than 80 fairness inquiries, examinations, and systems implementations. They’ve expertly managed more than one hundred inquiries, examinations, investigations, and systems implementations all revolving around the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), and Home Ownership Equity Protection Act (HOEPA), as well as around national and state level laws regarding fairness in foreclosure, loan modifications, and mortgage broker behaviors.
“It is a pleasure to welcome M. Cary Collins and Peter J. Nigro to FSG,” said President Jeff Andrien. “Their expertise and proven experience will further solidify FSG’s outstanding reputation for understanding complex issues in consumer protection and regulatory economics. Collectively, Cary and Peter bring more than 50 years’ experience analyzing and consulting on econometric, financial, economic, and statistical issues.”
M. Cary Collins is the Trustee Professor of Entrepreneurship and an Associate Professor of Finance at Bryant University. Dr. Collins is an applied financial economist with professional experience in advanced quantitative methods, microeconomics and statistical methods. While at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Collins founded Risk Management Solutions, Inc., a company he later sold to a public holding company. Specifically, Cary was the creator of the leading fair lending software system adopted by industry and regulators. Cary worked with more than 60 large financial services firms to implement fairness systems; and then to diagnose fairness, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) issues.
Peter J. Nigro is the Sarkisian Chair in Financial Services at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. His research portfolio highlights the applied nature of his work. Dr. Nigro has published articles on bank capital, fair lending, credit risk, credit scoring, and small business finance. Dr. Nigro worked for over a decade at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in Washington, DC. During his time at the OCC, he focused on bank supervision. Specifically, Peter was responsible for targeting (using HMDA data) and conducting fair lending examinations. During his tenure, Peter conducted Regulation B examinations at almost every large national bank. Dr. Nigro also conducted credit risk and credit scoring examinations from a safety and soundness perspective. In addition to examination support, he also conducted examiner training on the use of statistics in Fair Lending and Credit scoring.
FSG’s Consumer Protection practice includes a number of seasoned economists, who along with other industry and academic experts, specialize in survey design and research, econometric damage estimation, and behavioral finance and economics. FSG’s experts have experience with the following government agencies and institutions: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, States’ Attorneys General, and Federal and State Courts (private litigation).
About Finance Scholars Group
FSG is a privately held consulting firm which specializes in providing accounting, economic, and financial consulting services on litigation and management related issues. Nationally acclaimed law firms, Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies turn to FSG for its unique blend of academic thought leadership, practical experience, and rigorous analytical approach to problem solving. FSG has offices in California, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Washington D.C. The firm’s current expert capabilities include six practice areas: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Intellectual Property, Marketing, and Valuation. For more information about FSG, please visit www.FSGExperts.com.
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