Finance

Doug Duncan joined Fannie Mae in 2008 after holding the chief economist position at the Mortgage Bankers Association for almost 16 years.

In August's roundup of top mortgage news: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sides with plaintiffs against Mr. Cooper in alleged "junk fee" lawsuit, updates to 203(k) and more.

Home Loan bank executives said Congress would have to pass a law for the system to increase its affordable housing contribution above 10% of earnings.

Treasuries have returned 1.7% this month through Aug. 28, on pace for a fourth straight monthly gain, according to the Bloomberg US Treasury Total Return Index.

While lower rates have piqued borrower interest, most are waiting for some key events to pass before buying or refinancing, originators said.

The latest proposal for the two government-sponsored enterprises' affordable housing targets scales down some benchmarks for a tough market, but also raises one.

Lower interest rates could bolster loan demand, credit quality and securities portfolios. But they could also curb lending profitability faster than they ease deposit costs, crimping net interest margins and eating into near-term profits.

Trade groups welcome a proposed reverse-mortgage option for buyouts and are working with Ginnie Mae to hammer out the final operational details.

The revisions also revise how the surplus is calculated to evaluate risk of the bonds used as part of the available asset portion of the capital requirements.

From a "dislocation" in single-family servicing to a spike in a multifamily performance indicator, Q2 numbers point to emerging opportunities and risks.