Economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated income inequality in America, and that has implications for banks and other lenders. Among those suffering most: renters, front-line workers and minority small-business owners.

Community banks have played and will continue to play a key role in supporting local economies across the country. Join us in a lively conversation with Dennis E. Nixon, President & CEO of International Bank of Commerce (Laredo, Texas) & Chairman, International Bancshares Corporation and Eddie Aldrete, Senior Vice President at International Bank of Commerce as we discuss: (1) the need for bankers and the business community to become involved in political issues. From minimum wage and issues that affect small businesses to regulatory issues that directly affect the banking industry, banking and business leaders need to be thought leaders in the public conversation and (2) how bankers can play a pivotal advocacy role in the free trade process.

This year's assessment for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is the first to take into account a January agreement between the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Treasury Department that allowed the companies to retain more earnings.

The guarantor of mortgage-backed securities has been without a Senate-confirmed president for four and a half years. The vacancy makes it difficult for other government agencies to coordinate housing objectives, according to stakeholders.

The company’s $204 million in net income was down from unusual highs seen recently but still historically strong thanks to the balance between its loan channels and servicing operation, representatives said.

Increased purchase lending and added pressure from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s new loan limits should drive the likelihood of borrower misrepresentation.

The gain reinforces other estimates that suggest more work-intensive purchase originations have spurred companies to increase staffing. Hiring addressing changing needs in servicing may come next.

The hot hot real estate market has pulled homeowners out of a debt trap that many had been stuck in since the great financial crisis more than a decade earlier.

While the hot market’s actual and forecast home price gains were key drivers of Fannie’s results, they also present a challenge to the affordable housing mission that it’s working to address.

The industry had tightened up last year in the face of COVID-19. But as the economic outlook improves, banks are now easing criteria amid heightened competition, according to the Federal Reserve’s survey of loan officers.