Secondary

First Commonwealth Financial had avoided making home loans for roughly a decade before determining that it needed to add the products to compete more effectively against smaller banks. It added the product at a time when a number of other banks are scaling back.

Until Congress gets around to GSE reform, the FHFA could at least make Fannie and Freddie less expensive to run. Combining the companies would reduce the threat that they will need more support from the Treasury and perhaps lower the cost of obtaining a mortgage.

The recent dip in mortgage rates isn't likely to spur a refi boom, but with the industry now into the fourth quarter of a tough year, many lenders are looking for ways to boost business.

JPMorgan began marketing another $402 million of securities backed by residential mortgages this week, adding to its robust pipeline of fourth-quarter deals.

In order to make homeownership more affordable, the FHFA should make sure that GSE guarantee fees fully recognize private mortgage insurance and restore the longstanding tax-deductible treatment of mortgage insurance premiums.

It's time for the Federal Housing Finance Agency to make good on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's funding obligations to two affordable housing programs.

United Guaranty Corp. reported higher third-quarter earnings compared to last year, due to a drop in first-lien claims.

The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority's plans to sell $97.5 million of housing mortgage financing this week in transactions that include two private placements.

Industry veteran David Applegate will serve as CEO of Common Securitization Solutions LLC, the new firm co-owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop a common securitization platform for the mortgage secondary market.

Mortgage aggregators that paid billions of dollars in fines over faulty loans may soon play a new role: plaintiffs in their own lawsuits against originators.