Regulation AB governs registration, reporting and disclosure requirements for all things asset-backed. The Securities and Exchange Commission appears to be ready to update it significantly, but, nearly four years after changes were originally proposed, it’s not clear exactly what the Commission will do.

The turmoil in emerging markets isn’t a re-run of the Asian and Russian Crises of the late 90s, which led to financial havoc and steep recessions in various countries.

This issue has the government all over it, not unlike the industry itself over the past few years.

Wells Fargo and the RBS Securities plan to issue a $1.1 billion CMBS conduit backed by a pool of 99 commercial mortgage loans secured by 133 properties; retail properties make up 32.6% of the pool.

Demand for private flood insurance may increase as the cost of government-subsidized insurance rises, but Fitch Ratings is doubtful that coverage offered by either insurers or capital markets investors would be affordable.

Housing boom-era mortage bonds, written off as “toxic waste” during the financial crisis, are performing better than expected.

2014 2013 2012 ABS (Public + 144A) 70,450.5 70,033.1

View the year-to-date manager rankings through March 21 for the different ABS sectors, including real estate, credit cards, student loans, autos, and collateralized debt obligations.

The biggest issue at hand is the nature of private-public risk-sharing in mortgage credit risk; for the next generation secondary market to thrive, there must be some limited form of government guarantee present to reduce potential investor flight during times of crisis.

By halting Ocwen Financial's deal to buy a mortgage servicing portfolio from Wells Fargo, New York regulator Benjamin Lawsky has called into question the servicer's ambitious growth plans.

While lawmakers continue to press regulators to exempt collateralized loan obligations from Volcker Rule restrictions, managers of these deals have found another workaround – and this one allows them to invest in bonds.

Managers and arrangers of U.S. collateral loan obligations have struggled to satisfy the European Union’s risk retention requirement. However, the final draft rules published by the European Banking Authority include a new concession that may assist U.S. managers in accessing an investor base in the region.