Mortgage defaults

Essent Group has priced a $267 million secondary public offering of its common stock.

Consumer credit default rates rose slightly in October from the previous month. But even with the recent increases, these rates are still much lower than levels seen a year ago.

An independent actuarial report showed the Federal Housing Administration's mortgage insurance fund's capital ratio hit 0.41% this year, which is below the earlier estimate of 1.2%.

Mortgage loan delinquency rates through the third quarter fell to their lowest levels in seven years, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. are selling multiple pools of soured U.S. mortgages to meet demand from investment firms that are pushing prices higher.

Commercial mortgage-backed security delinquencies declined during October, according to Fitch Ratings.

Mortgage insurers Radian Guaranty Inc. and MGIC Investment Corp. both saw their inventory of delinquent loans drop during October.

Despite policy changes that apply to new reverse mortgages, the rights for existing spouses of deceased borrowers remain unclear and subject to change until HUD and litigants agree on a final policy in line with court directives.

Continuing housing problems and increasing economic inequality are bringing illness to low-income neighborhoods. To solve the problem, policymakers and financial industry leaders need to develop programs that address the intersecting issues of health and poverty.

United Guaranty Corp. reported higher third-quarter earnings compared to last year, due to a drop in first-lien claims.

Mortgage aggregators that paid billions of dollars in fines over faulty loans may soon play a new role: plaintiffs in their own lawsuits against originators.

Wide-ranging efforts to reform Home Equity Conversion Mortgage lending and servicing practices are designed to close loopholes and resolve policy inconsistencies, but some obstacles remain unresolved and more work needs to be done.

In a surprise victory for mortgage servicer PHH Corp., a California judge overturned a $16.2 million jury verdict awarded to a California homeowner in July for a botched loan modification.

EverBank Financial in Jacksonville, Fla., reported higher quarterly profit due to an uptick in residential lending.