Compliance

Lenders and Realtors are hailing a new law that delays flood insurance premium increases, but unless the government takes actuarially prudent measures, rising sea levels could cost taxpayers dearly.

The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to vote on its bill to overhaul the mortgage finance market on April 29, but questions are now being raised about whether that date will slip, as supporters struggle to secure additional votes.

Done right, the mini-correspondent channel is a legitimate way to create mortgage servicing rights, but the annals of the mortgage industry are filled with solid ideas that went terribly wrong.

Some nonmortgage technologists think lenders are behind the times when it comes to reaching consumers, and they can help.

People who lack a credit or work history in the United States may have trouble getting a mortgage under the new qualified-mortgage rule, bankers say. A number of immigrants are self-employed, which makes it even harder to qualify.

Mortgage-bond traders at JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Royal Bank of Scotland Group were placed on leave in recent weeks or months, according to people familiar with the matter.

Distressed homeowners who obtained loan modifications fell to approximately 42,000 in February, a 5% decrease from the month before and a sign that the number of borrowers needing assistance is declining, according to the Hope Now alliance.

The number of underwater homeowners who received principal reductions on their mortgages through the Keep Your Home California program increased dramatically in 2013.

But be aware of the business and regulatory risks associated with closing loans in your own name.

Commissioner Carole Galante says the Federal Housing Administration's insurance fund must be strengthened before insurance premiums can be reduced, but outlined alternatives to improve credit availability.

Legal Battles Took a Toll on JPMorgan Chase, but CEO Jamie Dimon is now urging investors to focus on the future. Among his top initiatives for 2014: making the most of big data and strengthening cybersecurity.

The Michigan company has pledged $1 million to help people buy homes in the Marygrove College neighborhood. Homeowners can get up to $25,000 and have $5,000 shaved off the balance each year they live there.

The USDA's Rural Housing Service is seeking congressional approve for a lender-funded update to its loan-guarantee program that will speed up loan processing.

Freddie Mac will soon add another automated review on the appraisal reports it receives through the Uniform Collateral Data Portal.

Bank of America Corp.'s Countrywide unit and insurer Allstate Corp. settled a 2010 lawsuit over $700 million in devalued mortgage-backed securities.

Disclosing loan-level data is crucial to rebuilding investor confidence in mortgage-backed securities. It also introduces the risk of compromising borrowers' personal information.

CoreLogic has agreed to add Equifax's the Work Number platform to Credco, its verification-of-employment service.

Stewart Title Co. has acquired quality control firm Wetzel Trott in a move to expand its origination and servicing audit and due diligence services.

Efforts to overhaul the housing-finance system could hinge on how far Congress is willing to go to ensure that young, low-income and minority homebuyers can get mortgages.

Citigroup Inc. agreed to pay $1.13 billion to settle claims from mortgage-bond investors as it seeks to curb liabilities tied to the financial crisis.