Even after posting production losses in two of four quarters last year, independent mortgage bankers made $443 on every loan originated during 2024.

Fifth Third Bancorp revised its guidance, but still expects record net interest income for 2025, even as commercial clients signal that economic volatility will drive up inflation.

The super-regional bank cited "a material slowdown" in investment banking and trading income as one reason for the lower revenue forecast. Interest rates are also a factor, executives said.

As tariff turbulence continues, BofA is predicting a slowdown, not a downturn. But America's second-largest bank is also signaling that it's prepared for a more severe scenario.

The Seattle-based company, which had made home loans for more than a century, announced it was quitting the mortgage business in January. It booked nearly 400 small business loans in the first quarter and expects that total to grow as its team gains traction.

The Buffalo, New York-based bank also said Monday that the commercial real estate lending market has started showing signs of life, but that the renewed competition is crimping its loan growth.

Publicly traded lenders, including UWM, Rocket Mortgage and Guild Mortgage, saw personnel expenses increase significantly throughout last year.

The lender says its technology will supercharge scale, preventing a potential hiring and firing spree which doomed it after the recent refinance boom.

Large mortgage companies are targeting mergers and acquisitions as well as home equity lending in their 2025 business plans, Boston Consulting Group said.

After two consecutive quarters of profits, independent mortgage bankers lost money in the most recent period, for the ninth time in the last three years.