Trump administration

Many industry observers believe Federal Reserve Board Janet Yellen will retire from the central bank once her term as chair expires in February. But there are reasons she might stay.

Growth in loans with higher debt-to-income ratios is reviving focus on a regulatory exemption for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other federal agencies that back mortgages.

Fed Gov. Jerome Powell, who was first nominated to the central bank by former President Obama, is widely seen as a continuity choice.

With little fanfare, President Trump officially nixed the rule prohibiting financial firms from including mandatory arbitration clauses.

CFPB Director Richard Cordray sent a letter to President Trump Monday asking him to veto a Republican resolution to nullify the bureau's arbitration rule.

If President Trump picks Federal Reserve Board Gov. Jerome Powell as its next chair, it may represent the best of all worlds for bankers — a policymaker who will continue the central bank's monetary policy but be open to regulatory changes.

Brian Montgomery appears headed for easy confirmation for another stint as commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration, despite objections by Sen. Elizabeth Warren that he is too close to the financial services industry.

For the past eight years, Brian Montgomery has helped mortgage lenders fight penalties sought by the Federal Housing Administration. Now he's President Trump's nominee to lead the agency.

Regulators usually avoid the public fights that define other realms of the polarized Washington landscape, but the recent tiff over the arbitration rule is an exception.

The obvious impact of the Trump administration's moves to undermine the Affordable Care Act will be on consumers in nongroup insurance, but they also carry consequences for all lenders.

The National Association of Home Builders is backing off long-held support for the mortgage interest deduction in hopes that the Trump administration can deliver on its promise of lower taxes.

President Trump nominated Paul Compton, an Alabama attorney, nearly six months ago for the job seen as critical for hurricane recovery efforts.

The Trump administration has implemented an apparent role reversal for the Financial Stability Oversight Council, leaving the true intended role of the post-crisis systemic risk body unclear.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Pam Patenaude to be the deputy secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

As expected, President Trump has nominated Brian Montgomery to serve as the commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration.

Vice President Mike Pence warned that housing for storm victims is emerging as the top long-term challenge in the recovery from Hurricane Harvey as he arrived in Texas on Thursday to view the damage and meet with survivors.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is facing a leadership crisis as top jobs go unfilled, leaving key decisions unresolved.

Critics of recent False Claims Act enforcement argue the Justice Department is too heavy-handed toward lenders and servicers. But in an industry reputed for shoddy processes during the crisis, perhaps stringent oversight is warranted.

If CFPB Director Richard Cordray leaves ahead of his July 2018 term expiration, President Trump would be limited in who he could pick as an acting director and may face challenges in rolling back the rule banning mandatory arbitration clauses.

The year opened with hopes that regulatory and enforcement pressures would abate for the mortgage industry. The reality has turned out quite differently.