Consumer lending

The results of the 2016 Top Producers Survey reflect a year of booming business for loan officers, both in terms of the dollar volume and number of loans reported by each loan officer, as well as the tremendous response to the survey itself.

Citing rising cost and time constraints, PHH Corp. will stop internally building its retail originations business and instead focus on acquisitions and its joint venture with Realogy Corp., PHH Home Loans.

Mechanics Bank in Walnut Creek, Calif., has entered the residential mortgage market and hired a banker to lead the new loan group.

Bank mortgage originations were up 7% in the fourth quarter of 2015, while the number of Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.-insured institutions that deal primarily in mortgages dropped more than 9% from a year ago.

Caliber Home Loans has named former CitiMortgage head Sanjiv Das as its next chief executive.

Flagstar Bancorp in Troy, Mich., has launched a national homebuilder lending platform.

Bank of Botetourt in Buchanan, Va., said Thursday it has opened a mortgage division to pursue unmet demand for home loans in southwestern Virginia.

Financial companies from Quicken Loans to SoFi will be advertising in Sunday's game — a rare sight in recent years — despite the estimate $5 million price tag.

The near future may find more banks ceasing to originate residential mortgages in an effort to stop the slide in stock prices.

CU Companies on Monday said it finished 2015 with "significant growth" in its mortgage lending partnerships.

The final deadline for all Top Producers Survey responses is here. All entries must be submitted online by 6 p.m. EST Monday, Feb. 1.

TFS Financial in Cleveland reported a higher fourth-quarter profit, citing a $1 million negative loan-loss provision.

Umpqua Holdings in Portland, Ore., posted stronger quarterly earnings because of an increase in mortgage banking fees and lower costs.

John Kanas, BankUnited's CEO, said the business never turned a profit, and there were no indications that it would. The company, meanwhile, remains committed to other residential lending operations while focusing on expanding its other businesses across Florida.

Credit unions' share of the mortgage origination market has climbed steadily since the financial crisis. The sector expects to build on that momentum in 2016, even as significant headwinds loom.

Bank of America's mortgage banking income was down 26% from a year ago due to a decrease in core loan production revenue and higher intercompany charges during the fourth quarter.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported a higher fourth-quarter profit on stronger interest and fee income.

Fourth-quarter mortgage banking income at Wells Fargo & Co. totaled $1.7 billion, up 10% from the $1.5 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2014, as the gain on originations and sales increased by $145 million year-over-year.

Loan officers from the Top Producers rankings share some of their best career anecdotes and advice behind their success in the mortgage industry.

JPMorgan Chase reported a 21% drop in year-over-year earnings for its mortgage business as revenue dropped 10%.