Compliance & Regulation

The legislation comes a day before CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger is set to testify to Congress.

New York regulators rejected Fidelity National Financial's acquisition of Stewart Information Services because the combination would have a dominant share of title insurance in the state.

Following a congressional mandate, the consumer bureau solicited public feedback on Property Assessed Clean Energy loans, which have been deemed risky by the Federal Housing Administration.

The Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Realtors and 26 other groups warned the agency not to pursue steps reducing the scope of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that could upset the mortgage market.

Community banks and credit unions fear a Senate plan and other legislative ideas will nullify steps taken by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that have made it easier for smaller institutions to compete.

The new regulation, codifying requirements already in practice, is meant to help the mortgage giants prepare for the adoption of a uniform security in June.

Being too dependent on the automated underwriting tools created by the government-sponsored enterprises to originate loans underlying private-label mortgage-backed securitizations could negatively affect their credit quality, a report from Moody's said.

If confirmed to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Mark Calabria would have a central role in any efforts to reform the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Without the ability to issue unsecured debt nearly as cheaply as U.S. Treasury bonds, Freddie Mac could not afford to repurchase defaulted loans from MBS, Freddie CEO Don Layton said.

Policymakers could improve independent mortgage banks' financial stability by giving these companies improved access to liquidity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.