White House Punts on Fannie-Freddie Fate

Wall Street Journal, Oct. 19, 2015–Light, Joe
Obama administration officials on Monday rejected calls to release Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from government control, signaling that it could be up to the next president or Congress to resolve the mortgage giants’ fate.

Fannie and Freddie CEOs Say the GSEs are Changing

Scotsman Guide, Oct. 19, 2015–Whitman, Victor
Although comprehensive housing finance reform has been put on the back burner by Congress, mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are being reformed from within, their chief executive officers said Monday.

Barclays Agrees to Settle Mortgage Lawsuits for $325 Million

New York Times, Oct. 19, 2015–Bray, Chad
British bank Barclays said on Monday that it had agreed to pay $325 million to settle two civil lawsuits related to the sale of residential mortgage-backed securities in the United States.

Is the CFPB’s Proposed Arbitration Ban Legal?

National Mortgage Professional, Oct. 12, 2015–Hall, Phil
Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that it was considering the introduction of a new regulation banning the so-called “free pass” arbitration clauses that prevent consumers from filing lawsuits in groups to obtain relief against financial services companies. But does the CFPB have the legal authority to overturn Supreme Court rulings related to arbitration? The answer, according to industry experts, depends on how you view the CFPB’s actions.

Here’s How TRID is Changing the Mortgage Industry

HousingWire, Oct. 12, 2015–Garrison, Trey
This marks the start of the second full week of the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule, and it’s impacting real estate and mortgage finance at almost every point along the pipeline.

Cracks Emerge in Bond Market

Wall Street Journal, Oct. 12, 2015–Cherney, Mike
Falling profits and increased borrowing at U.S. companies are rattling debt markets, a sign the six-year-long economic recovery could be under threat.

FHA Mortgage Insurance Boom in the Works?

HousingWire, Oct. 9, 2015–Swanson, Brena
The Federal Housing Administration’s share of purchase mortgage insurance steadily declined since 2010 until 2015, the latest chart in the Mortgage Bankers Association’s chart series showed.

Why You Should Care that Private Investors Don’t Want to Buy Your Mortgage Anymore

Urban Institute, Oct. 9, 2015–Goodman, Laurie
While the securitization of loans with government backing has remained strong or strengthened, the collapse of private-label securitization may have wide-reaching implications for the mortgage market. The disappearance of this market has affected the availability and cost of mortgages for one group of borrowers–those with less wealth and less than perfect credit who do not quality for government-backed loans.

MGIC: Primary New Mortgage Insurance Continues to Drop

HousingWire, Oct. 8, 2015–Swanson, Brena
Primary new mortgage insurance continued to drop and fell to $3.9 billion, according to MGIC Investment’s (MTG) September operational summery of its insurance subsidiaries for its primary mortgage insurance.