What would be a violation of ECOA?

Denying loan applications based on race constitutes a violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), which is a federal law aimed at ensuring that all individuals have an equal opportunity to obtain credit. The ECOA prohibits discrimination in any aspect of the credit process, including loan application denials. This means that a lender cannot take into account a borrower's race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, or age when making decisions about creditworthiness. The intent of the ECOA is to prevent discriminatory practices that could hinder access to credit for certain groups of people, thus promoting fairness and equality in lending.

The other options presented involve standard criteria that lenders can assess when evaluating loan applications. Employment history, income levels, and previous loans are all relevant factors that can impact a borrower's ability to repay a loan, and they do not violate ECOA as they are not based on discriminatory practices.