Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Jan. 15.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Jan. 8.

The more aggressive nonbank lenders are attracting top producers by essentially allowing loan officers to set their own rate of pay. While so-called "pick-a-pay" compensation plans are not illegal, critics say they can encourage loan officers to steer consumers into more expensive loans in order to increase their own pay.

As the mortgage industry begins the New Year, National Mortgage News takes a look at the biggest trends and topics that will shape 2016.

National Mortgage News is pleased to begin accepting submissions for the 2016 Top Producers, an annual ranking of mortgage loan officer and broker origination volume.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Jan. 1.

From the rollercoaster ride toward the TILA-RESPA implementation deadline to concerns about other areas the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would zero in on for scrutiny, these seven stories dominated National Mortgage News during 2015. Following are both the stories and an update on where the situation stands now.

A number of factors, including the shift back to a purchase market and burgeoning Hispanic and millennial demographics, are expected to spur mortgage industry hiring across the board in 2016, with one major exception: appraisers.

What mortgage companies pay LOs, and how compensation plans are determined and structured, can give regulatory agencies more information about a company's priorities than lenders might think.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Dec. 25.

While marketing services agreements dominated the conversation around compliance in the latter half of 2015, loan officer compensation will be under more scrutiny during 2016.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Dec. 18.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Dec. 11.

Calvin Hagins, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's deputy assistant director for originations, warned mortgage lenders this week about four contentious areas that its examiners will zero in on next year.

Hiring by nonbank mortgage lenders stalled in October after adding new employees to their payrolls for eight straight months.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Dec. 4.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Nov. 27.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Nov. 20.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Nov. 13.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Nov. 6.