Policy and Regulation

As policymakers consider administrative reforms to Fannie and Freddie, they must address the problem of capital arbitrage to avoid overleveraging the mortgage system.

The Senate Banking Committee chairman released an outline for overhauling the U.S. housing finance system more than 10 years after the government put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship.

The agency's acting director said he welcomes lawmakers' “insight and perspective” on how to end the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Fixing the housing finance system is "the last piece of unaddressed business from the financial crisis," according to a summary of to-do items released by the Banking Committee's chairman.

As 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose 30 basis points year-over-year, non-QM originations are estimated to grow 400% in 2019.

The acting head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency has promised substantial changes for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the exact mechanics and timeline of an administration plan are still a mystery.

Despite a generally positive picture in the Shared National Credit report, regulators warned that underperforming loans in the portfolio remain elevated.

Chris D’Angelo, the CFPB's associate director of supervision, enforcement and fair lending, is leaving the bureau after eight years to become a chief deputy attorney general in New York state.

The company has filed a request with a federal judge in Pennsylvania for a summary judgment in two counts against it, accusing the bureau of failing to provide evidence.

Policymakers should not let mortgage REITs, hedge funds and other firms gain membership through captive insurance companies.