Compliance & Regulation

Banks and mortgage lenders may have received too much relief from loan buybacks, putting taxpayers at greater risk for losses, according to a Federal Housing Finance Agency inspector general's report.

U.S. Bank in Minneapolis will pay nearly $11,500 to a Native American couple in North Dakota to settle a lending-discrimination complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In his first major policy speech as the new housing secretary, Julian Castro voiced support for a Senate bill to reform housing finance and said policymakers should "remove the stigma associated with promoting homeownership."

Citigroup Inc., Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. are among 13 banks whose units were sued for $1.15 billion by the state of Virginia, over claims they misled its retirement system about the sale of residential mortgage-backed securities.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency's plan to restrict membership to the Federal Home Loan Bank System could cost lenders hundreds of billions in mortgage funding, according to the CEO of the Chicago FHLB.

Mortgage REIT wants more control over servicing so it can transfer delinquent loans to special servicers.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Fannie Mae may actually be helping banks and mortgage lenders boost their bottom lines through better oversight of their third-party vendors.

New York regulator Benjamin Lawsky has begun investigating possible predatory lending practices at companies that originate short-term, high-interest loans secured by a borrower's home.

The Federal Housing Administration raised mortgage insurance fees during the financial crisis in order to cover a wave of defaults. Now that the housing market has steadied, the agency should adjust its policies.

An identity theft victim provides some tips for everyone -- consumers, mortgage originators and referral sources -- on how to protect themselves.