Economy

The relatively small addition of 266,000 positions to the broader market in April suggests that income uncertainty, which could impact some borrowers’ ability to qualify for or pay loans, could become a concern among lenders and brokers.

COVID-19 has shown us that technology can rapidly evolve to meet customer needs, in areas from contactless payments to digital banking to mobile wallets. However, we still see great disparities when it comes to the use of contactless and digital banking by low- to moderate-income (LMI) workers. The question is, will emerging tech in the post-COVID economy provide an opportunity to include new people in the financial system-- or leave them even further behind?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is calling for input on how to better safeguard against potential lending risks associated with residential buildings filled with short-term rental units.

While cash-out refinances were a “significant driver” of risky loans leading to the Great Recession, those mortgages pose less of a threat due to tighter underwriting standards, according to Milliman.

The digital transformation of payments has reached its next phase — with banks and fintechs leading the way. Avoiding the one-size-fits-all approach to deliver the experience customers want is key.

Loans bought on the secondary market have become increasingly important as borrower demand has ebbed and companies have sought to obtain mortgages through additional outlets to maintain production levels.

The head of the Federal Reserve appeared to support Congress’s expanding the scope of the Community Reinvestment Act to unregulated institutions, just as regulators weigh how to modernize the framework for banks.

The unusually strong production numbers seen in the first quarter of this year show loanDepot is emerging as a contender in the battle for loan volume and market share amid an industry price war.

Hedge accounting will align Fannie’s reporting with competitor Freddie Mac, and will address a mismatch between the recorded value of financial instruments used to offset interest-rate volatility on mortgages and the loans themselves.

Depressed Treasury yields have kept mortgage rates under 3% recently, but positive economic news could indicate larger increases will follow this week’s uptick.