CARES Act

Defaults have been milder than expected thanks to government relief and stricter underwriting. But with the crisis dragging on and policymakers unable to agree on a stimulus plan, loans to highly indebted companies remain at risk.

Forbearance rates dropped below 7% for the first time in six months, but the decrease is largely due to the ending of the initial six-month term of forbearance granted by the legislation, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Over 3.6 million borrowers sit in coronavirus-related forbearance with portfolio and private-label securitized loans driving the week's increase, according to Black Knight.

Customers suffered when they were placed in mortgage relief plans without their consent, the Massachusetts senator says. She urged the Federal Reserve to take the blunder into account as it weighs when to lift other sanctions against the bank.

Commercial real estate companies are among those left out of the Federal Reserve’s middle-market relief program, but House members said they need government-backed financing to navigate the pandemic as much as anyone.

The Senate Banking Committee met Wednesday to review central bank lending facilities such as the Main Street Lending Program, which provides bank-issued loans to middle-market firms. But some lawmakers on the panel said the focus of pandemic relief has been misplaced.

Both the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Federal Housing Administration are extending relief for homeowners and renters due to the pandemic crisis.

Positive payment behaviors in conjunction with CARES Act measures kept mortgage delinquencies from rising, but the number of borrowers facing hardship grew exponentially from last year, according to TransUnion.

Borrowers will likely have to put more assets on the line to get forbearance extensions.

A survey conducted throughout the second quarter found knowledge gaps based on race and income.

Credit card balances declined most sharply as consumers cut back their spending due to the coronavirus pandemic and associated shutdown orders, the New York Fed said Thursday. But delinquencies also fell across all debt categories, thanks to government and lender relief efforts.

The number of loans going into coronavirus-related forbearance fell for the seventh straight week, but the Mortgage Bankers Association predicts the rate will increase if the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise.

The enhanced jobless benefits in the coronavirus relief law enacted in March helped limit delinquencies and maintain consumer spending, analysts say. In their follow-up stimulus plan, Senate Republicans want to cut those benefits from $600 to $200 a week.

The number of loans going into coronavirus-related forbearance dropped for the sixth consecutive week, as the growth rate fell 6 basis points between July 13 and July 19, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Many commercial property owners are locked out of existing coronavirus relief by financing terms that bar them from taking new loans. Under a House bill, they would receive government-backed equity investments.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have imposed heavy price adjustments for loans that were granted relief under the pandemic relief law enacted in March.

The number of loans going into coronavirus-related forbearance dropped for the fifth straight week, as the growth rate plummeted 38 basis points between July 6 and July 12, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

From affordable housing policy to GSE conservatorship, the next president will wield a heavy influence on mortgage and housing policies.

The coronavirus relief law allows forbearance plans for up to a year on federally backed mortgages, but House Democrats say homeowners have had difficulty getting relief.

B. Riley FBR raised its ratings for both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to sell from neutral on the possibility the net worth sweep is declared illegal.