Politics

The rule addresses concerns related to what has previously been a lack of coverage for funds used to cover delinquent borrowers’ principal and interest payments, and clarifies guidance for specific situations.

Due to the rollback in stimulus and uncertainties related to other mortgage policy measures and rates, servicers are moving into uncharted waters, according to a Fannie Mae economist.

The change aims to streamline the processing of certain pandemic-related loan options that accommodate lower monthly payment amounts for borrowers with long-term economic hardships.

The mortgage industry has long sought a reduction, which could make homes more affordable to entry-level buyers with limited incomes, but such a measure also would limit the agency’s claims-paying resources.

The settlement is a reminder that officials who oversee the loan officer licensing system do actively police the fulfillment of professional requirements by loan officers.

The Federal Reserve Board would become far more diverse if Sarah Bloom Raskin, Philip Jefferson and Lisa Cook are confirmed by the Senate. Jefferson and Cook are respected economists seen as likely to get the nod, but Republicans will challenge Raskin's assertions that bank regulators can play a vital role in combating climate change.

The coming change will further test the effectiveness of Biden administration policies aimed at putting more affordable properties in the hands of consumers or charitable organizations.

In a Senate confirmation hearing, the acting Federal Housing Finance Agency director echoed her predecessor’s view that restructuring of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should fall to Congress, and pointed to measures aimed at mitigating risk for the agencies.

In letters sent Thursday, the Massachusetts Democrat asked housing firms Progress Residential LLC, Invitation Homes Inc. and American Homes 4 Rent about recent rent hikes, plans to acquire more properties and the number of evictions in recent years.

The Federal Housing Administration has released a statement indicating it’s reviewing allegations by a group of 21 attorneys general that some mortgage companies failed to offer a modification option as required.

While some in the industry support the change, mortgage broker trade group AIME called on the agency to reconsider it.

The new leader, who officially joined the government mortgage-bond insurer on Jan. 3, is the first Senate-confirmed holder of the post in close to five years.

The Trump-appointed head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Jelena McWilliams, said she plans to leave the agency in early February. The announcement comes weeks after Democratic appointees making up a majority of the board had threatened her leadership by acting on policy related to bank mergers without her consent.

Biden administration appointees moved quickly to highlight climate change risks and unwind Trump-era regulatory relief and housing finance measures. These regulators and lawmakers will have a seat at the table as the progressive shift in banking policy continues.

The current patchwork approach to financing the retrofitting of low-income apartment buildings is one of the key issues that should be addressed, the company’s report found.

The state has distinct loss mitigation policies, and particularly complex rules for foreclosures scheduled to fully restart when its ban ends — and other states could write similar rules.

The state Department of Financial Protection and Innovation issued a cease-and-desist order against Nano Banc, saying the troubled bank violated an earlier consent agreement when it replaced five board members and appointed a new CEO without the regulator’s permission.

Under the Federal Housing Finance Agency rule, the GSEs would need to lay out how levels will change under a variety of stress tests, including required ratios separately proposed for amendment.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra has helped assert the authority of the three Democrats — including himself — who serve on the governing body of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. GOP lawmakers responded with a bill to strip the consumer agency's head of voting powers on the FDIC board.

Sandra Thompson has won praise from homeownership advocates for suspending a fee imposed on borrowers that was meant to recoup Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's pandemic-related losses, among other actions she reversed. On Tuesday, President Biden said he will nominate her to be the permanent director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.