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In a split 5-4 decision, the justices gave presidents new power to remove the agency's head at will. The ruling could have far-reaching implications for other regulators with single directors.

The Mortgage Bankers Association points to better lender diversity and a stronger housing finance network as reasons for its support.

With just 13 decisions remaining on the docket this session, the high court's highly anticipated ruling in a case challenging the agency's leadership structure could come as early as next Monday.

An imminent high court ruling about the independence of the bureau's director, coupled with an election victory for Joe Biden, could doom a plan to extend GSEs' exemption from tough debt-to-income requirements on mortgages.

Whatever path Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac take, the Mortgage Bankers Association would like to see them preserve many of the changes they made while in government conservatorship.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to change the definition of what constitutes a qualified mortgage from a 43% debt-to-income limit to a price-based threshold, and further extend a temporary exemption given to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The FHFA and FHA both announced for the second time that they were delaying the freeze to protect borrowers and renters during the coronavirus pandemic.

A lawsuit filed Tuesday argues that the bureau's establishment of the panel looking into regulatory changes violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

The Federal Reserve pledged to maintain at least the current pace of asset purchases and projected interest rates will remain near zero through 2022, as Chairman Jerome Powell committed the central bank to using all its tools to help the economy recover from the coronavirus.

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.

Former Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting landed a post with Black Knight, which provides technology solutions to mortgage and real estate companies.

The funds will be used to support housing, job training and aid for small businesses in communities that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Several Senate Banking Committee members from both parties are facing tough reelection challenges in a year when control of the entire chamber — and the banking policy agenda — may be up for grabs.

Even after the Fed eased some limitations in April to promote emergency lending, the bank has had to make some “tough choices” to heed the $1.95 trillion growth ceiling set by regulators in the aftermath of its phony-accounts scandal.

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.

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.

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.