Politics

President Donald Trump downplayed criticism of the potential creation of a 50-year mortgage product, saying it would help more Americans afford monthly payments on homes. 

While the program is still going strong in spite of the shutdown, many misconceptions about its rules, even in normal times, are holding back use.

The bill would provide pay for furloughed government workers, resume withheld federal payments to states and localities and recall agency employees who were laid off during the shutdown.

The impacts of the federal government shutdown are hitting both originators and servicers, and as things drag out, the disruptions will increase.

President Trump and housing regulator Bill Pulte are considering introducing a 50-year fixed rate mortgage that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would purchase.

The FHFA director hinted at a partnership in the works and doubled down on criticism of homebuilders and the Fed chair in a housing conference interview.

A trade group for participants in the clean energy loan program argues the upcoming regulations will be too burdensome and costly for participants.

Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said there was a popular "misunderstanding" Thursday regarding who can qualify for a "skinny" master account, noting that only firms with a bank charter would qualify for approval.

Industry professionals shared stories of homeowners looking to get out and investors pausing deals, while others cautioned a wait-and-see approach.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is considering a proposal to reduce its oversight of auto finance lenders, saying the benefits of supervision may not justify the "increased compliance burdens."

What makes the situation alarming is the government attack on the fair lending enforcement infrastructure, said Lisa Rice of the National Fair Housing Alliance.

While FHFA reduced most of the single-family low-income goals, the MBA wants the refinance target for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac cut as well, its letter said.

Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould said Tuesday that chartering compliant fintechs is "the only way" to level the playing field between banks and nonbanks. His comments come as the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency weighs new trust charters and stablecoin rules.

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said she wants banks to be competitive in the digital assets space, provided those operations are siloed from the traditional finance side of the business.

The inspector general's office, responsible for overseeing the regulator, now sits vacant amid Director Bill Pulte's swift changes and numerous fraud probes.

Now that quantitative tightening is ending, the debate on who should be the MBS buyer of last resort, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, or the Fed, is taking hold

The head of the government-sponsored enterprise's oversight agency said the cuts were made to positions that weren't central to mortgages and new home sales.

The Federal Open Market Committee voted to reduce interest rates by 25 basis points Wednesday, but the emergence of dissents on the committee makes the chance of another quarter-point cut in December less certain.

The Federal Reserve's interest rate-setting body is expected to announce a 25 basis point cut and provide guidance on the trajectory of its balance sheet Wednesday afternoon.

A regulation requiring nonbanks to report violations of local and state orders to federal offices was redundant and offered no benefit, mortgage leaders said.