MBA Newslink Monday 10-2-17

“It’s critical that financial institutions think of themselves as technology providers in order to capture the opportunity to expand upon existing customer relationships and meet the demand for fast, convenient solutions that make people’s lives easier. The best and most convenient options will be the ones that win out.”–Fiserv Chief Operating Officer Mark Ernst.

MBA Newslink Friday 9-29-17

“MBA commends the House of Representatives for passing bipartisan legislation that includes language aimed at increasing flood insurance options for consumers. We now ask the Senate to follow suit and pass this bipartisan private flood insurance language in the Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017.–MBA President and CEO David Stevens, CMB, in a statement following House passage of MBA-supported legislation to expand private flood insurance products.

MBA Newslink Thursday 9-28-17

“Although there is a lot of blame to go around for the poor quality of loans before the housing crisis, these data reaffirm that purchase borrowers were not the primary culprits.”–Laurie Goodman, director of the Housing Policy Finance Center with the Urban Institute, speaking at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Risk Management, QA and Fraud Prevention Forum.

MBA Newslink Wednesday 9-27-17

“Strategic risks remain high for many banks, as management teams consider viable business models. We’re seeing many divergent strategies among banks. We’re seeing a lot of merger and acquisition activity, particularly among mid-sized banks, which in and of itself presents some regulatory risks. And net interest margins are likely to remain under pressure, as rates haven’t moved a lot over the past several years.”–Darrin Benhart, deputy comptroller for supervision risk management with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

MBA Newslink Tuesday 9-26-17

“Loans backed by commercial and multifamily properties continue to perform extremely well. For most lender types–including banks, life insurance companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac–delinquency rates are at or near their all-time lows.”–MBA Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Research Jamie Woodwell.

MBA Newslink Monday 9-25-17

“The Treasury Department has specifically identified problems with the design of the Volcker Rule, and the OCC acknowledges there is broad recognition that the design of the Volcker Rule should be improved. We agree. We believe weakness in the current rule’s design is a key contributor to the potential adverse impacts described above–and that it also helps explain the difficulty regulators have had interpreting and applying the rule consistently.”–From an MBA letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency advocating changes to the Volcker Rule.

MBA Newslink Friday 9-22-17

“We urge Treasury, FHFA and Congress to remain focused on addressing the long-term housing finance reform efforts necessary to end GSE conservatorship permanently and create a stronger, stable system for the future that helps ensure all in America have access to affordable housing opportunities.”–from an MBA/trade group letter to Administration officials on GSE reform.

MBA Newslink Thursday 9-21-17

“The Fed statement was relatively hawkish, with members clearly indicating plans to increase short-term rates one more time this year, likely in December, and 3-4 times per year until the fed funds target reaches roughly 3 percent. Even though inflation remains relatively low, the tight job market is leading the Fed to slowly move rates up to prevent the economy from overheating.”–MBA Chief Econonmist Mike Fratantoni.

MBA Newslink Wednesday 9-20-17

“MBA will continue working with HUD to secure a long-term resolution for this issue so it does not continue to be an impediment to your business.”–MBA President and CEO David Stevens, CMB, on HUD’s waiver yesterday of its policy on timeframes for completing inspection of properties in areas of Florida affected by Hurricane Irma.

MBA Newslink Tuesday 9-19-17

“What the industry really needs at this point in time is clear guidance–not just the rules, but clear guidance on the Bureau’s expectations for how to comply. The paper comes up with a series of recommendations that will push past what we call the regulation by enforcement paradigm and move us into a more guidance-driven supervisory approach.” –MBA Senior Vice President of Residential Policy and Member Engagement Pete Mills, discussing a new MBA white paper, CFPB 2.0: Advancing Consumer Protection.