MBA Newslinks Archive
Why House Democrats are at Odds over Rate Cap Bill
American Banker, Feb. 5, 2020–Neil Haggerty (subscription)An intraparty rift went public Wednesday over legislation that would impose a 36% rate limit on all consumer loans. Critics are concerned it would …
U.S. Trade Deficit Narrows in 2019 for First Time in Six Years
Reuters, Feb. 5, 2020–Lucia MutikaniThe U.S. trade deficit fell for the first time in six years in 2019 as the White House’s trade war with China curbed the import bill, …
Genworth’s U.S. Mortgage Insurance Business Nearly Doubles in 4Q
National Mortgage News, Feb. 5, 2020–Brad Finkelstein (subscription)The U.S. mortgage business remained a bright spot for Genworth Financial, whose fourth quarter adjusted operating income increased by 29 percent.https://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/genworths-u-s-mortgage-insurance-business-nearly-doubles-in-4q19
Allstate, Chubb Profits Rise on Disaster Claim Decline, Premium Growth
Wall Street Journal, Feb. 5, 2020–Leslie Scism (subscription)Property-and-casualty insurance giants Chubb Ltd. and Allstate Corp. posted strong profit gains in the fourth quarter, thanks to fewer catastrophe claims and premium …
Coronavirus Could Push Mortgage Rates to All-Time Low
HousingWire, Feb. 5, 2020–Kathleen HowleyAn increase in competition for bonds means investors, including the people who buy mortgage-backed bonds, have to take lower yields. That translates into lower mortgage rates.https://www.housingwire.com/articles/coronavirus-could-push-mortgage-rates-to-all-time-lows/
JPMorgan Mulls Return to FHA-Backed Mortgages After Era of Fines
American Banker, Feb. 5, 2020FHA insured $215 billion in loans last year, representing more than 11% of mortgages issued in the U.S., according to HUD. Banks can use the loans …
#MBAIMB20: ‘Speeches about Breaches’–Security Risks in the IMB Backyard
NEW ORLEANS—Data breaches aren’t going away. For independent mortgage banks and other financial institutions, the likelihood of being hacked is more likely “when,” not “if.”
Weekly Mortgage Refinance Applications Jump 15% as Interest Rates Plunge to Lowest Level in Nearly 4 Years
CNBC, Feb. 5, 2020–Diana OlickRefinance demand pushed mortgage application volume up 5% for the week to the highest level since 2013, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. …
#MBAIMB20: Mortgage Market Outlook for IMBs
NEW ORLEANS—Last year at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference, the outlook for the economy and IMBs seemed a bit bleaker. “We thought we were going to be chased off the stage,” quipped MBA Vice President of Industry Analysis Marina Walsh.