Hurricane Maria

The largest bank in Puerto Rico said hundreds of millions of dollars of its mortgages and consumer loans are tied to the parts of the island hit by the recent quake or still recovering from two hurricanes.

The new policy, meant to assist borrowers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, will let servicers evaluate borrowers using pre-disaster payment information.

Lawmakers want the agency to utilize two programs to help families still struggling to recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

It’s still not business as usual, but the decision to unify its two brands — Popular Community Bank on the U.S. mainland, Banco Popular in the U.S. territories — under a single, simpler name is a welcome sign that Puerto Rico’s largest bank is moving forward after the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had a 9% increase in total foreclosure prevention actions taken during 2017 as a result of three September hurricanes, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Tax reform caused Fannie Mae to burn through retained earnings that had been approved just two months ago and to post a fourth-quarter loss. CEO Timothy Mayopoulos argued it was a one-time event that overshadowed strong fundamentals.

Arch Capital Group's mortgage insurance subsidiary increased its cushion under the secondary market capital standards in the fourth quarter even as its delinquent inventory grew.

Senate leaders have unveiled a budget agreement that includes $64.2 billion to help states and U.S. territories recover from last year's hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters.

Likely changes to the National Flood Insurance Program are poised to raise costs for many Jersey Shore homeowners, perhaps substantially.

Regulators said they were taking steps to recognize contributions to the recovery made by banks anywhere in the nation.