FHFA

The agency flagged faulty risk management and other issues at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines and Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco in exams conducted last year.

The measures extended by the Federal Housing Finance Agency include alternative methods used for certain appraisals and for verification of employment.

Groups representing community banks and credit unions generally support the new percentage-based goals set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Some lawmakers fear that when forbearance plans and enhanced unemployment coverage expire, the consequences for mortgage borrowers still affected by the pandemic will be severe.

A federal grand jury indicted Ronald J. McCord, 69, of Oklahoma City, on charges of defrauding two banks, Fannie Mae, and others of millions of dollars, money laundering, and making a false statement to a financial institution, said Timothy J. Downing, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

The FHFA’s proposal is intended to strengthen Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but many experts warn that it could boost guarantee fees for lenders that they say may be passed on to borrowers.

One criticism of the CARES Act is that it provides relief only to borrowers with government-backed loans. Bills in New York and California would cover the remaining 30% of homeowners.

The new FHFA rule sets a percentage-based threshold to measure compliance, rather than Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data.

The FHFA looks to shed light on the amount of funds Fannie and Freddie will need to hold for their risk-sharing deals.

The firm also predicts that the coronavirus pandemic will delay the GSEs' release from government control.

With no way of knowing just how many borrowers will need the mods after the coronavirus forbearance period ends, lenders are deploying artificial intelligence and servicing protocols to tame the ferocious piles of paperwork awaiting them.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have different timelines for the switch.

Some observers wonder if proposed regulatory targets for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will stoke concerns about low shareholder returns. But others suggest those fears are unfounded.

As the growth rate in forbearance requests downshifts, a vast stockpile of loans await modifications.

Not only is FHFA Director Mark Calabria preparing the GSEs to raise capital, but he must also help them decide just what they are selling to private investors in the way of equity returns and risk.

The much-anticipated proposal, which would not go into effect until after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are privatized, reflects Director Mark Calabria’s aggressive efforts to get the companies on a strong financial footing.

The MBA also said it has been lobbying for a measure that would enable cash-out refinances in forbearance to be sold to the GSEs.

To deal with the crunch, servicers should combine cloud and digital workflow automation technologies.

Director Mark Calabria, who abandoned the Fannie and Freddie capital proposal written by his predecessor, said he expects a revised framework to be ready “very soon.”

The Federal Housing Finance Agency clarified that borrowers with Fannie Mae- or Freddie Mac-backed mortgages who have entered into forbearance plans can be eligible for a refi or new purchase once they are considered “current” on their mortgage.