Consumer lending

Hudson City Bancorp in Paramus, N.J., reported lower quarterly profitsas its loan book keeps shrinking.

Sun Bancorp in Mount Laurel, N.J., reported a quarterly loss as it continues to shrink its balance sheet.

Freedom Mortgage will hire 500 additional employees to accommodate an anticipated increase in Federal Housing Administration refinance and purchase transactions.

Earnings at Discover Financial Services plunged by 33% in the fourth quarter, largely due to a charge tied to the firm's mortgage business and a previously announced revision to its flagship credit card program.

Five Star Bank is the latest financial institution to settle claims that it avoided lending to minorities. More redlining cases can be expected, industry experts say.

PNC Financial in Pittsburgh recorded a quarterly loss in its residential mortgage division, as compliance costs outweighed interest income.

Mortgage-focused real estate investment trusts, including those affiliated with Western Asset Management and Pine River Capital Management, are backing loans to Americans who don't meet banks' requirements.

Lower litigation costs helped Bank of America's mortgage unit curb its losses, while Citi's fourth quarter origination volume dropped 18% from a year ago.

Wells Fargo saw more of its origination volume come from refinancings, while JPMorgan Chase continues to rebuild its correspondent channel, the banks said in their fourth-quarter results.

Being a mortgage originator means juggling many tasks but marketing your business takes precedence above all of the others.

Mortgage employment slowly edged up this year, but will it continue to track the recent hiring boom in the national economy? Some industry observers believe so.

Refinance volume may be waning, but lenders' reliance on consumer direct tools will only increase next year. Plus, the rise of mini-correspondents will keep the warehouse lending renaissance going strong in 2015.

The new estimate shows a 15% increase in purchase mortgage originations, compared to a drop in 2014.

GuardHill Financial Corp. CEO Alan Rosenbaum has recruited veteran New York City mortgage originator—and former competitor—Melissa Cohn to bring an under-the-radar lender out of the shadows.

George Engelke Jr., former chairman, president, and chief executive of the Astoria Financial in Lake Success, N.Y., has died.

AmeriSave Mortgage Corp. in Atlanta has closed on its acquisition of CertusBank's mortgage business.

Impac Mortgage Holdings in Irvine, Calif., is currently in negotiations to acquire an unnamed mortgage originator, the company said in a recent regulatory filing.

Profits from originating mortgages dipped during the third quarter, with independent mortgage banks and mortgage subsidiaries of banks reporting an average gain of $897, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

A company's evolution from startup to established business requires executives to have a wide array of leadership skills, particularly given the intricate compliance requirements that can complicate the growth trajectory of many mortgage firms.

FDIC third quarter report shows pop in loan buybacks and indemnifications.