Politics

President Trump reinstated a revised executive order from his first term that would make it easier for the White House to remove policy-facing federal employees — including Senior Executive Service employees. The National Treasury Employees Union sued the White House in response.

Mortgage trade groups responded to the executive order by proposing potential solutions such as having the FHA cut the mortgage insurance premium and reining in third-party service providers.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s newly installed Acting Chairman Travis Hill issued a statement laying out his priorities for the agency, including reviewing and repealing Biden-era bank regulations, a softer approach to fintech and crypto and addressing so-called debanking.

Sunsetting the federal oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could ease the cost of renewing President Trump's 2017 tax act, but doing so is an uphill battle.

Part one of five in a series: TRID and the regulatory landscape.

With the Fed continuing to run off its balance sheet, both in terms of securities investments and reverse repurchase agreements, demand for risk-free collateral is rising even as production volumes fall, writes Whalen.

A one-page outline of priorities for Trump's inauguration day obtained American Banker includes financial policy items, including firing Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra, issuing a "reset" of that agency and designating crypto as a "national priority."

Industry leaders and mortgage trade groups expressed hope that Bill Pulte's nomination to head the agency could result in more housing supply.

The loss mitigation directives place limits on options and include a long ramp-up period that could accommodate future change from new leadership in Washington.

The president-elect's Cabinet nominee, Scott Turner, committed his support for affordable housing but also said he would examine the effectiveness of all HUD programs.