The Lede

National Mortgage News, Dec. 18, 2018--Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)A proposal issued over a year ago by federal banking agencies to simplify risk-based capital rules and ease compliance burdens for community banks has still not been finalized, and mortgage brokers and bankers are calling on them to do just that. (MBA mention)

Wall Street Journal, Dec. 18, 2018--Nick Timiraos (subscription)President Trump continued on Tuesday morning his public campaign calling on the Federal Reserve to refrain from raising interest rates during the central bank's two-day meeting that begins later in the day.

HousingWire, Dec. 18, 2018--Ben LaneExperian announced Tuesday that it is launching a new program called "Experian Boost." Through the program, consumers grant access to their bank accounts to allow Experian to use utility and telecommunications payments in the calculation of their credit score.

Bloomberg, Dec. 18, 2018--Saleha Mohsin, Jennifer JacobsTreasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he plans to stay in his post through the 2020 presidential election--and perhaps longer if asked.

National Mortgage News, Dec. 18, 2018--Paul Centopani (subscription)Rising rents combined with growing housing inventory could lead to increased purchase mortgage originations in the near future.

Bloomberg, Dec. 18, 2018--Reade Pickert, Jonathan LevinOne way to measure the economic fortunes of a place is by the concentration of households earning $200,000 or more, the highest threshold in the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

CNBC, Dec. 19, 2018--Diana OlickEven with mortgage rates at the lowest level in three months, homebuyers are pulling away from the housing market. The Mortgage Bankers Association said mortgage application volume fell 5.8 percent last week. Volume was 17 percent lower than a year ago.