Mortgage application activity declined 7.4% in the week ending March 16 as mortgage rates rose in response to the Federal Open Market Committee's more upbeat assessment of the economy. This muddies the odds that further quantitative easing will be required.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner on Tuesday attempted to reassure Republican lawmakers who worry that tough new regulations in this country will put U.S. banks at a disadvantage and that taxpayers will need to bail out struggling European nations.

Moody’s Investors Service is proposing changes to ratings and rating methodologies for public finance bonds secured by mortgages guaranteed or insured by third parties such as states, the federal government, or government sponsored entities.

Credit card ABS performance stayed strong in Wells Fargo Securities' credit card indices for March's distribution period, according to a report released this afternoon.

The increase in U.K. covered bonds shows a return of investor demand driven by an appetite for non-Euro denominated bonds, Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts said.

Delton de Armas, previously CFO of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW), pleaded guilty today to making false statements and conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud.

Wells Fargo is already contacting borrowers who might be eligible for a principal reduction as required under the $25 billion robo-signing settlement with state and federal law enforcement agencies.

The consumer default rate on first mortgages declined by six basis points in February from January and by 43 basis points when compared with February 2011, the S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices showed.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) had sharp words early this week for state and local governments that have passed laws meant to help homeowners facing risk of foreclosure.

Yesterday the Education Finance Council (EFC), which represents U.S. nonprofit and state agency student finance organizations, opposed the Fairness for Struggling Students Act of 2011.

There is a significant disconnect in the Jumbo mortgage between the primary market and the secondary market. Since the 2008 financial crisis the once-thriving and vibrant non-agency, Jumbo MBS market has evaporated. Despite some attempts to resuscitate the Jumbo secondary market the gulf between investor needs and what consumers want remains large. Most of us are familiar with the expression “the elephant in the room.” Wikipedia defines this expression “as an English metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed.” Wikipedia goes on to say “the idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem or risk no one wants to discuss.” The application of this expression perfectly describes the dysfunctional gap between the terms investors want and what originators representing consumers need.

Mortgage bondholders are threatening legal action over the $25 billion national mortgage settlement, which will give the five largest servicers credits for principal writedowns that the bondholders may take.