Compliance & Regulation

From deregulation to digital innovation, here's a look at the top storylines that defined the mortgage industry in 2017.

Shifting policy stances and a renewed focus on housing finance reform from the White House could make 2018 a breakout year for Congress to finally resolve the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Lending outside the qualified mortgage rule will likely become more prominent in 2018, as originators continue to struggle to replace lost refinance volume and their compliance and risk management processes become more robust.

The seven largest national banks held less than 5% of loans that were delinquent at the end of the third quarter, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said Friday.

The regulator on Thursday announced a delay in the implementation of its prepaid rule, along with safe harbor for HMDA data reporting.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Thursday that it plans to reopen its rulemaking for the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and will not assess penalties against mortgage lenders for any errors in data collected in 2018.

The announcement Thursday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt agreed to let Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each build a $3 billion capital buffer avoided a potential crisis.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be allowed to build capital buffers to protect against losses under an agreement between the Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced on Thursday.

The Trump administration and acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau chief Mick Mulvaney won round one in a legal battle challenging Mulvaney's leadership. His critics will have a tall order trying to win round two.

For decades, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac helped working-class Americans get mortgages. That essential and powerful role in the national economy is fading.