Law and regulation

President Obama is expected to announce a half-percentage-point reduction in the Federal Housing Administration's annual premium during a housing policy speech Thursday in Phoenix.

With Republicans now controlling both chambers of Congress and signals from Democrats that they are open to alterations, revisions to Dodd-Frank are at the top of the agenda in addition to other subjects, like terrorism insurance and housing finance reform.

With 2015 in full swing, National Mortgage News is taking a look at the biggest trends and topics that will shape 2015.

Mortgage lenders are hoping the new Republican-controlled Congress will be more receptive to making changes to the "qualified mortgage" rule.

The CFPB’s rapid pace is likely to continue this year as it tackles some of its trickiest areas yet, including payday loans, debt collection and overdraft protection, which are likely to have a significant impact on the financial services arena.

The Lasting Impact Award honors an individual, group or company responsible for a technology initiative or development proven to have an enduring influence that's transformed mortgage finance. Learn about this year's finalists and see who won the 2014 MT Award.

The Justice Department is aiming to settle a probe into Morgan Stanley's subprime mortgage business by early 2015.

Incentives for companies aren't the same as incentives for people. The QRM risk-retention rule doesn't solve "IBG, YBG" — "I'll be gone, you'll be gone." Banks appear to have been slow to adopt clawback policies for individual lenders.

Borrowers who are being sued by lenders over the money owed on foreclosed mortgages are making novel use of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. They argue that they cannot be sued if they live in a state different from the one where the property is located.

After 2014's sweeping reforms, which put huge strain on lenders' operations, 2015 may not look so bad. But big potential changes still loom

The guarantee fees collected by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be used as a tool to moderate the boom and bust cycles in the housing market, according to a new report by a Treasury Department office.

The ongoing push for more robust loan data will continue in 2015, as market participants across the mortgage lifecycle adopt new regulatory requirements and take advantage of recent developments in paperless processing and self-service capabilities.

The government-sponsored enterprises' changes to their representations and warranties regulations could increase lending — and some risks. Here's the downside to the move and how lenders can mitigate related concerns.

Federal regulators formally issued a final risk retention rule for mortgage securitizations, a long-awaited and hotly debated measure that is nevertheless expected to have little market impact when it takes effect a year from now.

The CFPB has at least six active investigations into servicers amid concerns that defaulted borrowers will not get foreclosure relief if their loan is bought and transferred to a new servicer.

The number of mortgages outstanding is down considerably from pre-recession levels but is starting to slowly increase. How much further it needs to go depends on certain public policy goals.

The government-sponsored enterprises' changes to their representations and warranties regulations could increase lending, or cause taxpayer losses related to GSE purchases of bad loans. Here's why advocates like the move.

Market participants are encouraged by the FHFA's move to ease repurchase requirements — which will likely result in a continued domination of the market by government agencies.

Investor confidence in Ocwen Financial was clearly shaken Monday after New York state regulators forced the firm's founder out as part of a $150 million settlement.

A group of 17 Congressional Democrats sent a letter to Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, calling for more foreclosure protections for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage borrowers' spouses.