Politics

A Government Accountability Office report Thursday said emergency actions taken by federal regulators in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank's failure were justified and appear to have stemmed further disruption, but noted those actions could contribute to moral hazard.

Scott Turner, President Trump's pick to head the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, faced opposition from Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee, but his nomination was nonetheless approved by a vote of 13-11.

The president has signed dozens of executive orders touching a wide range of government functions, but banking policy has largely gone untouched — so far.

Senate Republicans would like to do a large bill on immigration and energy first and then tackle tax reform in a second bill. House Republicans prefer one large bill.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a proposed version of the consent order on Jan. 17 and the company involved said it was finalized that day.

Matthew Ammon served as interim secretary between January and March 2021, ahead of the confirmation of now-retired head Marcia Fudge.

Trump's pick for treasury secretary commits to a thorough and careful recapitalization and release process for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

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.

Scott Bessent, Donald Trump's pick to serve as Treasury Secretary, handled a policy-heavy confirmation hearing with poise, highlighting his preference for relaxed bank regulation, support of the 2017 Trump tax cuts and a hawkish approach to spending.

The removal of the fourth-quarter implementation date also impacts the planned addition of a bi-merge report option.

The nominee to lead Federal Housing Finance is head of Pulte Capital Partners, which invests in homebuilding related businesses.