Politics

The changes add some steps that would have to be taken before Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could exit following statements from a Trump ally indicating plans for a near-term release.

Bill Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, predicts Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be removed from conservatorship within the next two years.

Although a new administration means policy uncertainty, most analysts see the economy growing above trend next year, although inflation will remain a concern.

On the housing front, Carter's presidency is remembered for mortgage rates in the range of 15% to 20%, but after leaving office, he became well-known for his work with Habitat for Humanity.

The Bank Policy Institute, the American Bankers Association and others said proposed changes would address "some if not all" of banks' concerns about stress tests, but they are filing the lawsuit to preserve their legal right to do so.

The Federal Reserve will seek comment on the current stress-testing regime with an eye toward increasing transparency and reducing volatility. Modifications would not go into effect until at least 2026.

The scorecard the Federal Housing Finance Agency draws up yearly applies to two influential loan buyers and an entity overseeing the fungibility of their bonds.

The industry agenda calls for amending longstanding rules like loan officer compensation, to nixing Biden-era plans trade groups say hurt both consumers and industry players.

Releasing the GSEs from government conservatorship is on the agenda for the incoming Trump administration. Doing so could threaten the 30-year fixed rate mortgage.

The legislation went to Biden early Saturday morning after the Senate voted 85 to 11 to approve the measure, which sailed through the House hours earlier. 

The fiscal condition at the government agency is much healthier today than when the Department of Housing and Urban Development put the policy into effect back in 2013.

Flood insurance could hold up some home sales and lending, while major bank regulatory agencies will remain funded even if the government is unable to pass the necessary legislation before funding runs out.

The Federal Housing Administration is suggesting servicers get early access to the funds they have advanced at a time when many T&I payments have been high.

The senior vice president who played a key role in instituting an industry scorecard passes on some insights with future relevance as she prepares to depart.

A Congressional Budget Office report updating one from four years ago finds 60% of its 250 scenarios will result in the Treasury getting fully repaid, up from 12%.

Monetary policy officials greenlighted a 25 basis-point federal funds cut but mixed economic signals dimmed hopes for more affordable home financing costs.

Releasing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship without legislation is very high risk for the shareholders, writes the chairman of Whalen Global Advisors.

After a legislative initiative on trigger leads was cut from a defense bill, the bipartisan Homebuyers' Privacy Protection Act passed the Senate and is now heading to the House.

Proposals to streamline U.S. banking regulators have resurfaced with the Trump administration's focus on efficiency, but experts and history suggest such changes are unlikely amid political and industry resistance.

Six years after Pres. Trump signed Dodd-Frank reform, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued rules bringing these loans under Truth-in-Lending.