The Lede

The Mortgage Bankers Association and other industry trade groups asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions for a meeting to discuss concerns federal fair lending policy.

The Mortgage Bankers Association yesterday offered comments to the Federal Housing Finance Agency in response to proposed Underserved Market Plans of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Black Knight Financial Services, Jacksonville, said homeowners with negative equity fell below two million for the first time since 2006.

Fitch Ratings, New York, said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's efforts to manage and verify data have improved the overall mortgage underwriting process.

MBA Education presents its popular School of Mortgage Servicing instructor-guided online course July 17-27.

MBA Education presents its popular Advanced Servicing Workshop Aug. 2-3 at Black Knight Financial Services in Jacksonville, Fla.

Mortgage Orb, July 5, 2017--Nora CaleyBanks and other financial entities are increasingly announcing that they are opening call centers in the U.S. and creating domestic instead of offshore jobs. Some industry experts say this has been a trend for several years and is due to several factors, from regulatory pressure to cost savings to bad publicity.

American Banker, July 5, 2017 (subscription)HSBC Holdings is in talks to resolve a U.S. probe into its sale of toxic mortgage bonds a decade ago, according to people familiar with matter, a negotiation that could offer an early look at how the Trump Justice Department will deal with global banks.

Mortgage Daily, July 5, 2017Proceeds from the sale of the mortgage servicing rights, which was originally announced back in December, amounted to $333.1 million.

Bloomberg, July 5, 2017--Craig TorresA divided Federal Reserve policy committee couldn't reach agreement in June on the timing of when to begin shrinking its massive balance sheet, according to minutes of the meeting.

HousingWire, July 6, 2017--Ben LaneSeveral of the largest trade organizations in banking want to meet with Attorney General Jeff Sessions to discuss how the Trump administration's approach to fair lending laws and if the current administration plans to enforce those laws any differently than the previous administration did.

National Mortgage News, July 6, 2017--John Heltman, Kate Berry (subscription)Federal Reserve Gov. Jerome Powell, who heads the agency's supervisory committee, called on lawmakers Thursday to move more quickly in crafting legislation to reform the government-sponsored enterprises, saying that "we're almost at a now-or-never moment here."

Mortgage Daily, July 6, 2017Delinquency of at least 30 days on consumer credit assets that are owned by banks fell to 1.56 percent as of the first quarter.

Mortgage Daily, July 6, 2017Compared to a month earlier, the number of consumers who resorted to bankruptcy last month was down by 4 percent.

Reuters, July 6, 2017The Federal Reserve bought $3.683 billion of agency mortgage-backed securities in the week from Jun. 29 to Jul. 5, compared with $5.107 billion purchased the previous week, the New York Federal Reserve Bank said on Thursday.

National Mortgage Professional, July 7, 2017--Phil HallThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized updates to the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule, also known as the "Know Before You Owe" rule, with amendments that the agency said were "intended to formalize guidance in the rule, and provide greater clarity and certainty."

Washington Post, July 7, 2017--Kenneth R. HarneyTwo new legal settlements from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau--involving more than $2 million in penalties against credit repair companies--offer mortgage applicants sobering reminders about what to avoid if you feel you need help with your credit.

Washington Examiner, July 10, 2017--Joseph LawlerThe situation facing banks today is one of the many far-reaching repercussions of the 2008 financial crisis, which the government's investigators concluded was in part kicked off by a decline in lending standards. (MBA mention)

American Banker, July 10, 2017--Kate Berry, Ian McKendry (subscription)With the ink barely dry on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's final arbitration rule Monday, defenders and critics of the rule were already girding for a congressional fight over its ultimate fate.

Bloomberg, July 10, 2017--Adam Tempkin, Claire BostonToday in the housing market, stringent regulations have kept loans to borrowers with weak credit in check. Subprime originations are a shadow of their pre-crisis levels, data from Equifax show. And the American Dream of homeownership? That's been hovering at a more than 50-year low.