Credit scores

Mortgage activity plunged before the start of the year, but subprime originations dropped the least, according to TransUnion. Despite dwindling volume, borrower delinquency rates hit historic lows in the first quarter.

Mortgage rates descended through the onset of spring's home buying season, pushing up the share of refinance loans and volume of new-home purchase applications, according to Ellie Mae and the MBA.

Whether online or advertised on a sign, very few consumers will qualify for that incredible low-rate deal. Here's why.

Mortgage lending credit standards loosened a bit last month as investors displayed more interest in non-qualified mortgage and nonagency jumbo loans to stay competitive, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Having poor credit doesn't necessarily keep someone looking to become a mortgage broker from obtaining a surety bond, but it can complicate matters.

Mortgage rates continued to decline through the spring home buying season, driving up the share of refinance loans and overall closing rates, according to Ellie Mae.

With interest rates down, purchase mortgages accounted for the vast majority of millennial homebuyers' loans in February, according to Ellie Mae.

Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York signaled which legislative provisions Democratic leaders would accept in a bipartisan housing finance package.

Home equity is at an all-time high, but consumers aren't taking advantage of this financing option, according to LendingTree.

The Federal Housing Administration is returning to manual reviews of higher-risk loans it insures because it's finding that a growing share have lower credit scores, higher debt-to-income ratios, or both.

Millennials make up the largest cohort of homebuyers, but a quarter of them don't even know their credit score, which could be a call for mortgage lenders to help them prepare to enter the housing market.

Millennial homebuyers took advantage of a winter lull in interest rates, using the opportunity to refinance their loans, according to Ellie Mae.

Ahead of testimony by the CEOs of the major bureaus, House Financial Services Committee leaders proposed sweeping changes for the credit reporting industry and credit-score protections for furloughed government workers.

Fewer mortgage borrowers are falling behind on their payments, and consumers' broader borrowing habits indicate an increased willingness to turn to nontraditional sources like fintechs for their lending needs, according to TransUnion.

Some hopeful souls in Washington believe the commercial banking industry will return to originating and servicing higher-risk mortgages, but most banks are more likely to continue withdrawing from the sector.

A new marketing tool lets consumers start the mortgage prequalification process by sending a text message, providing would-be borrowers with credit and loan program details and offering lenders a low-cost source of leads.

Adjustable-rate mortgages in November had their highest share of closed loans since Ellie Mae started tracking this data in 2011 as rates for 30-year loans reached 5.15%.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has proposed barring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from using credit scores developed by VantageScore over concern about conflicts of interest with the joint venture of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Growing home prices and climbing interest rates didn't stop millennials from buying houses in October, Ellie Mae said.

Average credit scores for mortgage borrowers remain at a 2018 high, a sign that lenders aren't easing standards despite refinance candidates already falling off on higher rates, according to Ellie Mae.