Corporate governance

Even after the Fed eased some limitations in April to promote emergency lending, the bank has had to make some “tough choices” to heed the $1.95 trillion growth ceiling set by regulators in the aftermath of its phony-accounts scandal.

From what it takes to accommodate remote notarization to figuring out how to process an influx of forbearance requests through limited communication channels, here are five takeaways from coronavirus-related work restrictions.

Nonbank financial firms spent years lobbying against tougher regulation and stricter capital requirements, arguing they didn't pose a risk to the financial system. Now, many of those companies say they are in desperate need of a bailout.

Williston Financial Group accounted for a pandemic in business continuity plans, and it helped some, but COVID-19 was a much larger scale than it anticipated.

Social-distancing restrictions related to the coronavirus have hit hospitality employment particularly hard, and that presents a hiring opportunity for an online lender needing more help with consumer-facing work.

Mortgage real estate investment trusts are taking stock of their financial ability to respond to market shocks and other concerns stemming from the coronavirus.

The actions include cutting the federal funds rate to between 0% and 0.25% and other steps to ease economic stress from the spread of the coronavirus.

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors on Friday launched a centralized link to state websites highlighting information relevant to business continuity plans for licensed mortgage loan officers.

The North Carolina company will hold onto the loans after the Fed's decision to slash interest rates.

Fears stemming from the coronavirus have resulted in lower mortgage rates and more business for now, but if the situation deteriorates further, consumers could decide to put off buying a home.

The 10-digit penalty marks an important milestone for the bank, but individual ex-bankers may still be at risk and grueling hearings lie ahead for current leadership.

A deferred-prosecution agreement with the Justice Department spares the bank a potential criminal conviction — provided it cooperates with continuing probes and abides by other conditions.

A new National Credit Union Administration proposal would raise the threshold for residential mortgages that require appraisals. However, the final rule is by no means a done deal.

The National Credit Union Administration has unveiled a proposal to address a federal judge's concerns that its 2016 field-of-membership overhaul could discourage lending in low-income areas.

Count Citizens Financial’s Bruce Van Saun among those who think interest rate cuts could halt by mid-2020. The key, he says, is to focus on delivering services customers are willing to pay fees for and to skillfully reprice deposits until then.

Charles Scharf’s most immediate priorities will be mending fences with regulators and getting the bank out from under a Fed-imposed asset cap. But he also must come up with strategies for spurring revenue growth and reining in expenses.

Business intelligence software from a compensation management technology provider and an auto-fulfillment service for disclosures were among new offerings introduced by companies at Digital Mortgage.

The industry has taken some steps to lower barriers to affordable housing, but some observers say that more can be done.

Syracuse Securities Inc., a family-run lender and servicer in New York, is planning to wind down and transfer its outstanding pipeline to Premium Mortgage Corp.

Sheila Bair, who holds board seats at several other organizations, will sit on Fannie's compensation, corporate governance and risk policy committees.