Corporate governance

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.

The Delaware company, best known for issuing prepaid cards, has ramped up commercial real estate securitizations. The shift promises to deliver big fees, but it could also cause headaches if defaults spike.

Altisource Portfolio Solutions cut its previous-quarter net loss by 49% in its most recent fiscal period, when property maintenance revenue and new Hubzu real estate auction site inventory increased.

While regulation and nonbank competition are spooking some banks, others believe low funding costs and the right relationships can help them succeed.

Americans continued to take on debt in the first quarter, though new mortgage borrowing slowed to the weakest level since late 2014, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York report.

Marianne Lake, seen in recent months as a leading candidate to replace CEO Jamie Dimon, got the post she may have needed to round out her resume — consumer lending chief. And Jennifer Piepszak, another rising star at the company, will take over as CFO from Lake.