Loss mitigation

The Federal Housing Finance Agency wants mortgage servicers reaching out to delinquent borrowers to be exempt from tough restrictions on robo-calling. But the idea is being panned by consumer groups, who say it would give a free pass to mortgage servicers that have a record of consumer-protection violations.

Fitch Ratings will now conduct reviews of residential mortgage-backed securities deal agents as part of its RMBS master criteria, with Clayton Holdings as the first deal agent to receive an assessment.

Mortgage servicers have failed to make significant investments in technology and compliance systems, resulting in substantial harm to consumers, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

A Massachusetts court's recent ruling affirming homeowners associations' right to super lien priority highlights the importance of preserving condominium properties — and some banks agree.

While negative equity rates continue to drop nationally from their 2012 peak, the share of homeowners underwater in the Rust Belt remains elevated, according to Zillow.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is set to make the sales of nonperforming loans by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac more transparent, including providing information on trends at the individual pool level, according to a top agency official.

JPMorgan Chase has received credit for $3.89 billion of consumer relief, plus it says it has provided an additional $113 million, putting the bank over the top on its obligation.

The Federal Housing Administration's loan sales are drawing more attention after a recent critical report said it was resulting in vulnerable borrowers losing their homes.

American International Group's mortgage insurance business has secured indemnity reinsurance coverage for a portfolio of policies from 2008 and earlier.

After the Home Affordable Modification Program ends, servicers will employ myriad proprietary workout options to meet ongoing compliance requirements. But will more discretion in loss mitigation practices create consumer and investor confusion?

The Making Home Affordable program has been extended and expanded so many times that it's gotten hard to imagine life without it. But its two primary initiatives have served their purpose and the days may be numbered for HAMP and HARP.

Under the Federal Housing Finance Agency's new mortgage modification program, less than 1% of all seriously underwater properties might qualify for principal loan forgiveness, according to RealtyTrac.

Nationstar Mortgage Holdings reported a $132.4 million loss for the first quarter of 2016, showcasing once more the toll falling interest rates have taken on companies across the mortgage industry.

During the mortgage crisis, servicers recruited people from the origination business to help with loan modifications. Now the two sides of the industry are coming together in a new way.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is expected to finalize its second round of mortgage servicing rules in July, a top agency official said. Laurie Maggiano, a program manager for servicing and secondary markets at the CFPB, also offered insights into the bureau's long-anticipated rulemaking on debt collection.

Even while FHFA finally embarked on a principal reduction plan, critics argued it was a dangerous idea that made Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac less safe while helping relatively few people.

FHFA Director Mel Watt acknowledged that the principal reduction program may seem "too small and too late."

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's pending rule hinging on excessive document collection, when the focus should be on prohibitive privacy laws.

Fannie Mae is selling four large pools of nonperforming loans which have a total balance of $1.5 billion.

Banc of California in Irvine has agreed to sell its wholly owned investment adviser subsidiary, The Palisades Group.