DoJ

Sen. Sherrod Brown called on the Trump administration to support the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement action against PHH Corp., which agreed to a $45 million settlement this week related to foreclosure abuses.

From deregulation to digital innovation, here's a look at the top storylines that defined the mortgage industry in 2017.

Shifting policy stances and a renewed focus on housing finance reform from the White House could make 2018 a breakout year for Congress to finally resolve the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson has spent much of his first year trying to convince lenders they wouldn't be harshly penalized if FHA-guaranteed loans went bad. But he still has a ways to go.

A Stratford, Conn., man faces up to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud, according to the Department of Justice.

RCO Legal, once one of the largest foreclosure law firms in the Northwest, is shutting down permanently in December, a victim of the strong economy and housing market.

Trump officials have made clear their intent to reexamine how Federal Housing Administration lenders are cited under the False Claims Act, but whether that means lenders can rest easier is an open question.

The U.S. Justice Department has sued the largest foreclosure trustee in the Pacific Northwest, claiming it illegally foreclosed on at least 28 military members or veterans in the past six years.

Credit Suisse's plan for consumer relief in a multibillion-dollar Department of Justice settlement related to residential mortgage-backed securities could reduce the costs involved, according to the settlement monitor's first report.

Barclays and the Justice Department, engaged in a legal battle over the suspected fraudulent sale of mortgage securities a decade ago, have revived discussions about reaching an out-of-court settlement, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

Most secondary market outlets, along with the non-qualified mortgage lenders, remain reluctant to lend to legal cannabis workers because of the source and nature of their compensation, but opportunities are beginning to emerge.

Cannabis businesses are legal in 29 states, but compliance questions on the federal level are keeping mortgage lenders from making loans to the industry's workers.

The Trump administration says it has put a stop to Operation Choke Point, a controversial initiative aimed at discouraging financial institutions from servicing high-risk businesses.

Critics of recent False Claims Act enforcement argue the Justice Department is too heavy-handed toward lenders and servicers. But in an industry reputed for shoddy processes during the crisis, perhaps stringent oversight is warranted.

PHH Corp. will pay the Justice Department $75 million to settle a False Claims Act investigation of its underwriting practices on government-insured mortgages and loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The year opened with hopes that regulatory and enforcement pressures would abate for the mortgage industry. The reality has turned out quite differently.

If HSBC reaches an agreement with the government, it could give an early indication of how the Trump administration will levy financial penalties.

The Trump administration's Justice Department was expected to be less aggressive in its pursuit of False Claims Act cases against the mortgage industry. Instead, its focus has shifted to Federal Housing Administration-insured reverse mortgages.

A former Nomura Holdings trader was found guilty of conspiring to lie to clients about mortgage-bond prices, while another was cleared of all charges in a verdict that highlights the challenge of policing fraud in the market.

Reverse mortgage lender Financial Freedom has agreed to pay $89 million to settle False Claims Act allegations involving unearned interest payments it received from the Federal Housing Administration.