FHFA Did Not Consistently Comply with Policies and Procedures for Paying Employee Reimbursements and Stipends

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Date Issued

Monday, March 30, 2026

Submitting OIG

Federal Housing Finance Agency OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

Federal Housing Finance Agency

Report Number

EVL-2026-002

Report Type

Review

Agency Wide

Yes

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

$65,690

Funds for Better Use

Report updated under NDAA 5274

Open Recommendations

This report has 9 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
EVL-2026-002-1	No	$65,690	$0
FHFA’s OHRM Director should determine the allowability of the questioned reimbursement and stipend costs totaling $65,690 and take appropriate action including recoupment of funds.
EVL-2026-002-2	No	$0	$0
FHFA’s OHRM Director should strengthen compliance with applicable policies and procedures over reimbursements and stipends through targeted training of OHRM staff responsible for initiating, reviewing, and approving payments. Training on the requirements of Policy 113, the Duty Station Policy, and other applicable guidance should reinforce the following: a. Reimbursements must be supported by verifiable documentation of an employee’s eligible job-related expenses with required, supporting documentation; b. Payments must not exceed reimbursement and stipend thresholds and must be accurate; c. Stipends should be issued exclusively to employees who meet eligibility criteria; and d. Agreements and other certifications must be properly executed and maintained.
EVL-2026-002-3	No	$0	$0
FHFA’s OHRM Director should develop and implement standardized controls to systematically review and verify the accuracy of out-stationed employee stipend payments for consistency across the Agency.
EVL-2026-002-4	No	$0	$0
FHFA’s OHRM Director should conduct periodic testing of controls over reimbursements and stipends to ensure payments are made in accordance with Policy 113 and other applicable guidance.
EVL-2026-002-5	No	$0	$0
FHFA’s DBR Director should reinforce controls governing out-stationed employee stipends through periodic reminders and targeted training of officials responsible to ensure recipient eligibility, accurate payment through coordination with OHRM, as necessary, and maintenance of properly executed duty station agreements.
EVL-2026-002-6	No	$0	$0
FHFA’s DBR Director should train DBR staff responsible for initiating, reviewing, processing, and approving stipends on the requirements of Policy 113, 2021-DBR-OPB-04, the Duty Station Policy, and any procedural updates.
EVL-2026-002-7	No	$0	$0
FHFA’s OHRM Director should develop a centralized recordkeeping system for managing reimbursement and stipend records that allows timely and accurate retrieval of supporting documentation.
EVL-2026-002-8	No	$0	$0
FHFA’s OHRM Director should perform periodic checks of reimbursement and stipend documents to verify that they are accurate, complete, and have been retained for the required period of time.
EVL-2026-002-9	No	$0	$0
FHFA’s OHRM Director should provide supplemental, as-needed training to FHFA staff responsible for initiating, reviewing, and approving reimbursements and stipends on the requirements of FHFA’s Records and Information Management Policy; FHFA’s Comprehensive Records Schedule; and the National Archives and Records Administration’s General Records Schedules when retaining information and documentation created under Policy 113 and any corresponding updates. This training should complement, not replace, other mandatory training.