Trump Picks Brian Montgomery to Lead FHA

Theft of Equifax data could lead to years of grief for home buyers and mortgage applicantsWashington Post, Sept. 13, 2017–Kenneth Harney The catastrophic theft of 143 million consumers’ personal data from national credit bureau Equifax could cause financial grief for years for home buyers and mortgage applicants.

MBA White Paper Considers Changes to CFPB Operating Procedures

National Mortgage Professional, Sept. 13, 2017–Phil HallThe Mortgage Bankers Association is considering the future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with a new white paper, “CFPB 2.0: Advancing Consumer Protection,” which was prepared for the trade group by law firm Covington and Burling.

Low Demand for Homes Creating Excess Supply in Some Markets

National Mortgage News, Sept. 13, 2017–Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Not every housing market is dealing with an inventory shortage, as over one-third of respondents said there was excess supply in their local area, according to a First American Financial survey.

Pandit Says 30% of Bank Jobs May Disappear in Next Five Years

Bloomberg, Sept. 13, 2017 (updated)–Chanyporn ChanjaroenVikram Pandit, who ran Citigroup Inc. during the financial crisis, said developments in technology could see some 30 percent of banking jobs disappearing in the next five years.

Surging Gasoline Prices Boost U.S. Producer Inflation

Reuters, Sept. 13, 2017–Lucia MutikaniThe Labor Department said on Wednesday its producer price index for final demand increased 0.2 percent last month after slipping 0.1 percent in July.

Refinance Outlook Raised by Mortgage Bankers

Mortgage Daily, Sept. 13, 2017The Mortgage Bankers Association said single-family loan originations are expected to reach $465 billion. Lending activity is then expected to fall to $370 billion in the fourth quarter.

Guaranteed Rate Adding 100 California Jobs

Mortgage Daily, Sept. 12, 2017Following a successful recruiting campaign in its home town, Guaranteed Rate will run the same campaign in Southern California.

U.S. Probing High-Pressure Mortgage Sales That Target Veterans

Bloomberg, Sept. 14, 2017–Joe LightGinnie Mae is investigating lenders for allegedly pressuring veterans and members of the military into unneeded mortgage refinances–unsavory conduct that not only leads to higher consumer costs but has consequences for one of the world’s largest bond markets.