Secondary

Flagstar Bancorp will pay $105 million to settle allegations it misrepresented the quality of loans backing securities insured by Assured Guaranty.

After five years in conservatorship, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac still use separate automated underwriting systems with different credit standards.

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has given a little bit more guidance on where the Fed is headed with its plans for unwinding mortgage-backed securities purchases.

Yields on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage bonds that guide U.S. home-loan rates headed toward the largest weekly increase in four years.

A U.S. House subcommittee has approved an appropriations bill that includes cuts to federal spending for public housing and transit.

Amherst Securities Group has brought on UBS veteran Chris McDowell as part of an effort to expand its commercial real estate finance business.

Moody’s Investors Service has put on review for downgrade 1,079 tranches from 299 shifting interest/pro-rata U.S. residential mortgage-backed securities transactions that are reaching or getting closer to the end of their terms.

The coming week could be an important milestone in the march toward GSE reform as the White House comes under pressure to reveal its approach to winding down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed loan climbed to 3.93% earlier this week from 3.35% last month and the record low 3.31% reached in November.

Freddie Mac plans to eliminate a $7,500 annual low-activity fee that has met with a backlash among rural banks that sell a small number of loans each year to the government-sponsored enterprise.