Government-backed lending drove an increase in purchase mortgages for a second straight week, even as interest rates failed to drive refinance activity.

Unlike estimated excess spread, which increased to 13.2%, from 12.8% on the EART 2024-4 transaction, several other forms of credit enhancement levels dropped.

Pent-up demand and the rapid pace of home appreciation is fueling the ongoing rise in home prices, even as mortgage rates present obstacles for buyers.

The looming initial public offering from Swedish payments firm Klarna comes in the foreground of tariff uncertainties and inflationary pressures.

The capital structure supporting ALLO Issuer, series 2025-1, calls for senior fees and class A1L principal and interest to be paid first.

The Trump administration wants the Small Business Administration to shrink its workforce by 43%. At the same time, the agency is being asked to start managing the federal government's student loan portfolio.

Second-lien loans make up virtually the entire pool, which carries some risk of poor recovery rates. Yet 78% of the pool is also considered safe-harbor mortgages.

Borrowers are considered prime in this pool, but Fitch Ratings notes that delinquency rates have been increasing since 2022.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has rehired more than 100 fire employees, but the union claims dozens of employees have not been reinstated in violation of a federal court order.

The head of operations at the Federal Housing Finance Agency and two C-suite leaders at the government-sponsored enterprise are out, according to Semafor.

The issues are hindering the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s ability to meet its regulatory duties, according to the agency's Office of Inspector General. 

Total hard credit enhancement will represent 4.5% of the note balance, and initial reserves amounting to 2.0% of the pool.