Compliance & Regulation

Testing of the common securitization platform is taking longer than expected, but the Federal Housing Finance Agency said it won't delay the 2019 launch of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's new single "uniform mortgage-backed security."

Private mortgage insurers are better positioned to weather a flatter or even inverted yield curve than other financials from an investment perspective, a report from FBR Capital Markets said.

The ill will between Democrats and Republicans in the controversy over appointing an acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau chief adds a new wrinkle to bipartisan efforts to pass regulatory relief.

Mortgage servicers should be especially concerned by the rise in Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawsuits, which often hinge on whether consent to call borrowers exists or has been revoked.

The former heads of the House and Senate banking committees argued Thursday that the Dodd-Frank Act clearly intended to allow the CFPB's deputy director to serve as acting director after the full-time head of the agency departed.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency's final guidelines for evaluating "duty to serve" activities create new ways for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to get extra credit for going above mandatory levels of lending to underserved markets.

The financial services industry has cheered a proposed reduction in the corporate tax rate, but a lower rate could force Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to write down assets, increasing the odds that the companies will need Treasury support.

With leadership of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau resolved by a federal court, the banking industry is eager to find out what interim head Mick Mulvaney plans to do once he gets a handle on the agency, including whether he will delay pending new mortgage rules.

Brian Montgomery seems on his way to being confirmed to lead the Federal Housing Administration. But once he gets there, he may find it difficult to be as innovative as he was during his first stint as commissioner — particularly when it comes to reducing FHA premiums.

Richard Cordray took a big gamble in his final act as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, attempting to appoint his own interim successor. He lost Tuesday, but he was far from the only one.