The Lede

The Mortgage Bankers Association and nearly two dozen industry trade groups sent a letter to the House, urging members to support legislation that would allowing title insurance companies to disclose available discounts and accurate title insurance premiums to consumers.

The private-label U.S. residential mortgage-backed securities market should establish a new due diligence working group to drive grading, process and standardization improvements, said Fitch Ratings, New York.

Reuters, Oct. 26, 2017--Jonathan StempelRoyal Bank of Scotland Group Plc agreed to pay more than $44 million and enter a non-prosecution agreement to settle a Department of Justice criminal probe of traders accused of defrauding customers on bond prices.

Mortgage Daily, Oct. 30, 2017--Sam GarciaAs interest rates continue to drift higher, an acceleration of layoffs in real estate finance is taking place. Two companies are closing their mortgage divisions.

HousingWire, Oct. 30, 2017--Ben LaneConsumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray took an extraordinary step on Monday, pleading directly with President Donald Trump in a last-ditch effort to save the Bureau's controversial arbitration rule.

National Mortgage News, Oct. 30, 2017--Brian Collins (subscription)The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has launched a new mortgage performance tool that tracks delinquencies on mortgage loans down to the county level.

Bloomberg, Oct. 30, 2017--Sarah MulhollandTo draw consumers with experiences they can't find online, retail-property owners are slashing the amount of space dedicated to stores and are spending on everything from hotels and apartments to upscale restaurants and skating rinks.

Wall Street Journal, Oct. 28, 2017--Michael Rapoport, AnnaMaria Andriotis (subscription)Attorneys general in at least five states are looking into why credit-reporting firm Equifax Inc. didn't tell the public for nearly six weeks about the massive data breach that potentially compromised the personal information of 145.5 million Americans.

Mortgage Daily, Oct. 27, 2017Changes being made by Radian Guaranty Inc. will make it easier to qualify for jumbo mortgages, loans for medical professionals and transactions with alternative downpayment sources.

New York Times, Oct. 27, 2017--Gretchen MorgensenWhen they announced the $5.28 billion deal, prosecutors cited it as evidence that the United States government can and will ride herd on large financial institutions if they engage in misconduct. A little more than six months later, it's worth asking: How tough, really, was the settlement on Credit Suisse?

Bloomberg, Oct. 27, 2017--Stephen MorrisBarclays Plc and the U.S. Justice Department, engaged in a legal battle over the suspected fraudulent sale of mortgage securities a decade ago, have revived discussions about reaching an out-of-court settlement.

National Mortgage News, Oct. 26, 2017--Kate Berry (subscription)The stunning defeat of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's arbitration rule didn't have to happen. That was the message from critics and former agency officials who say the bureau erred in how it designed the final rule, putting too much emphasis on class action litigation as a panacea for consumers.

HousingWire, Oct. 27, 2017--Ben LaneThe section of the report in question focuses on HUD's potential application of the disparate impact rule to the insurance industry, specifically homeowners' insurance.

HousingWire, Oct. 27, 2017--Brena SwansonFresh into his new position as chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association, Colonial Savings President Dave Motley discusses the next big initiatives for the association heading into 2018.

Scotsman Guide, Oct. 27, 2017--Victor Whitman"Actions may take shape that will motivate members of Congress, particularly on the Senate Banking Committee, which I think is the most important voice on the subject to begin moving forward," said MBA President and CEO David Stevens, CMB.

National Mortgage Professional, Oct. 24, 2017--Phil HallFederal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt used his appearance at the Mortgage Bankers Association's Annual Convention to defended his agency's decision to include a new language preference question in the upcoming Uniform Residential Loan Application.

HousingWire, Oct. 26, 2017--Ben LaneThe bill would repeal the life of loan requirement and reinstate the FHA's previous policy of requiring borrowers to pay mortgage insurance premiums until the outstanding principal balance reaches 78% of the original home value.

HousingWire, Oct. 26, 2017--Ben LaneA bill to change part of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures rule has bipartisan support in the House of Representatives and a coalition of many of the biggest trade groups in housing [including the Mortgage Bankers Association].

Wall Street Journal, Oct. 25, 2017--Bart Higgins (subscription)Just when you think you have a handle on the brick-and-mortar retail crisis, the prognosis gets worse. More than 8,600 stores will close their doors in 2017, according to Credit Suisse analysts-a number that exceeds store closures during 2008, when America was in recession.

HousingWire, Oct. 25, 2017--Ben LaneThe nonbank could soon only have one active lending channel, as the company disclosed this week that it is considering selling off more pieces of its lending business.

Mortgage Orb, Oct. 25, 2017--Patrick BarnardThe GSEs have been exploring the use of alternative credit scoring models as a means to give more self-employed or "credit invisible" consumers access to mortgage loans. This can include consumers who have income from nontraditional sources or who hold significant assets but are not traditional W-2 wage earners.

National Mortgage News, Oct. 25, 2017--Kate Berry (subscription)The Senate's razor slim vote to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's arbitration rule was arguably the industry's biggest policymaking victory since passage of the Dodd-Frank Act. But does it mean the regulatory tide has turned in banks' favor? Many are skeptical.

The Hill, Oct. 25, 2017--Vicki NeedhamDavid Stevens, who joined MBA in May 2011, will leave the association Sept. 30, 2018 after steering the group through the rocky post-financial-crisis era when mortgage bankers were under fire for shoddy lending practices.

Wall Street Journal, Oct. 24, 2017--Suanne Kapner (subscription)On a bright August morning, GGP Inc., one of the country's largest mall operators, did the unthinkable. It broke ground on a new shopping mall, a seemingly risky bet in a world where retailers are closing hundreds of stores and malls across the country are trying to reinvent themselves. It could be one of the last enclosed malls ever built in the U.S.

Mortgage Daily, Oct. 24, 2017Origination of new credit lines secured by residential properties is expected to double over the next five years thanks to improving market conditions, said TransUnion.

HousingWire, Oct. 24, 2017--Brena SwansonAs conservations have slowly shifted from almost a joke to more of a serious possibility under the new administration, several experts at the Mortgage Bankers Association's 2017 annual convention and expo weighed in on the probability reform and what lies ahead for reform.

Chicago Tribune, Oct. 24, 2017--Kenneth HarneyThe political jostling and frenetic lobbying on Capitol Hill over the Republican tax overhaul bill are producing unexpected developments that could prove important to homeowners, sellers and buyers.