Employment in the mortgage industry hit a new high in February as lenders added 6,500 full-time employees after trimming their payrolls during the previous three months.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employment in the mortgage industry jumped from 498,399 in January to 504,000 in February. Freddie Mac deputy chief economist Amy Crews Cutts said originations declined in the first quarter but that refinancings held up better than expected as homeowners got out of their adjustable-rate home equity and home improvement loans. Refi activity also got a boost from resets on hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages. Ms. Cutts noted that one large company fired a lot of workers, but had to hire them back again. "They thought the refi boom was totally dead, but it turned out to be just slower," she said. Anticipation that originations will increase in the spring selling season may also be a factor in hiring decisions. Freddie Mac estimates that originations will jump from $540 billion in the first quarter to $655 billion in the second quarter. In addition, lenders are willing to take on the more complex and labor-intensive loans to borrowers who are going through divorces or face other issues. "In the past, these borrowers would not have gotten a return phone call," the Freddie economist said.
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According to the Federal Reserve Board's latest financial stability report, persistent inflation and policy uncertainty are the primary worries for banks. Survey respondents expressed heightened anxiety over murky policy outlooks due to geopolitical turmoil and rapidly approaching domestic elections.
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Leaders of ORNL Federal Credit Union are piloting Zest AI's new artificial intelligence-powered assistant to ensure equitable underwriting practices and measure performance against similar institutions.
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McCargo stabilized the agency at a crucial time as she helped navigate it through both a pandemic and subsequent dramatic interest-rate cycle change.
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The quasi-public entity's plan to buy certain closed-end seconds would constitute "unnecessary government encroachment," the Structured Finance Association said.
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The mortgage subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings posted another quarterly loss and volume slipped, but management also sees signs of optimism.
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The increasing frequency and severity of droughts was top of mind for panelists at AmeriCatalyst's "Going to Extremes" conference Thursday.
April 18