The Lede

National Mortgage News, Jan. 15, 2019--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Consecutive-month default rates for home loans are increasing, and they could remain higher the next few months, according to data from Standard & Poor's Dow Jones Indices and Experian.

HousingWire, Jan. 15, 2019--Ben Lane"We recently restructured some of our departments within our originations organization and, while we regret a small number of positions were eliminated, we believe our changes will further our strategic goals and best position us for continued growth in the market," the company said.

Reuters, Jan. 15, 2019--Ann SaphirIn a remarkable shift by one of the U.S. central bank's most hawkish policymakers, Esther George, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, on Tuesday made the case for patience and caution on interest rate hikes to avoid choking off growth.

MarketWatch, Jan. 15, 2019--Andrea RiquierWith earnings from three of the four biggest banks in, one metric stands in sharp relief. Mortgage lending just keeps plunging.

National Mortgage Professional, Jan. 15, 2019--Phil HallEduardo "Eddy" Perez, president of Equity Prime Mortgage LLC, will serve as MORPAC chairman and Jeffrey C. Taylor, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Digital Risk LLC, will chair the Mortgage Action Alliance.

HousingWire, Jan. 15, 2019--Jessica GuerinMany predict the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in the year ahead, and this means HELOC borrowers can expect their loan payments to creep upward.