Pending home sales surged 10.4% to a reading of 93.3 in October from an unrevised 4.6% decrease to 84.5 in September, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Goldman Sachs head of global leveraged finance is retiring, according to an internal firm memo.

Assured Guaranty has filed suit against JPMorgan Chase Bank with regards to the sale of MBS by Bear Stearns. JPMorgan acquired Bear Stearns in 2008.

ING Bank is marketing a €1.28 billion ($1.72 billion) securitization of prime Dutch residential mortgage loans.

Santander Consumer Finance SA will issue a €912.3 million ($1.34 million) securitization of auto loans.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday that it may begin taking consumer complaints related to home mortgages as early as tomorrow.

Edward DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), on Tuesday named Richard Hornsby as chief operating officer and Jon Greenlee as deputy director of enterprise regulation.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is initiating a process for streamlining and updating its consumer regulations with bureau officials seeking public input on which rules should be looked at first.

Radian Guaranty is seeking waivers in 12 states of risk-to-capital requirements, even though it does have $600 million in capital at the parent company level available to downstream to the mortgage insurer, chief financial officer Bob Quint said during a presentation at the FBR Capital Markets Fall Investor Conference.

For the week ending Nov. 25, mortgage application activity plunged 11.7%, as reported by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The results were adjusted for the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) said this afternoon if filed another suit against a big investment firm over the sale of MBS to failed corporate credit unions, this one naming defunct Wachovia Bank and its subsidiaries as defendants.

United Guaranty (UGI) has decided to increase its participation in the newly revised Home Affordable Refinancing Program (HARP), issuing new guidance to servicers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans.