Compliance & Regulation

Regulators have warned about the dangers of high commercial real estate concentrations despite bankers' assertions that they are managing risk better compared to the financial crisis. Still, CRE concerns could influence M&A and loan diversification in 2017.

Barclays was sued by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly deceiving investors who bought mortgage-backed securities, according to court papers filed in federal court in Brooklyn.

Opposition is lining up against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's arbitration plan. A Republican-controlled Congress is expected to overturn a final rule even as industry groups file lawsuits to stop it from going into effect. Some attorneys think the arbitration rule-making is already dead on arrival.

The case against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is stronger than the argument for their survival.

Treasury Secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin is facing growing pressure from Senate Democrats to account for his leadership of a bank accused of shoddy foreclosure practices.

Ginnie Mae, at the urging of the mortgage industry, has revised the wording of the acknowledgment agreements necessary to finance servicing rights. It hopes the move improves Ginnie MSRs' liquidity.

Flagstar Bancorp in Troy, Mich., said that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has terminated its 2012 consent order with its Flagstar Bank on Monday.

The National Association of Realtors is warning House Republicans leaders that their tax reform plan would marginalize two long-standing tax incentives for owning a home, which could hurt the housing market.

A district court in Texas has filed an injunction against last year's Department of Labor ruling on loan officer compensation but lenders should hold themselves to that standard as basic compliance regardless of the outcome.

Loans originated in the third quarter were among the highest in credit quality since 2000, according to CoreLogic.