Financial institutions

An effort by the Federal Housing Finance Agency to examine membership rules for the Federal Home Loan Bank System is reigniting an argument over whether to allow more nonbanks in or impose tougher barriers.

The cancellation by New Residential of a money-losing subservicing agreement should benefit Ocwen's financial results going forward, the company said.

The agency plans to conduct a review of how it regulates the 11 Federal Home Loan banks amid concerns that some companies are inappropriately seeking a back door into the Home Loan Bank System.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency plans to increase liquidity standards for nonbank conforming loan servicers, and at the same time raise the net worth requirements for those that also perform the function for Ginnie Mae.

Despite changes by the Federal Housing Administration, bankers remain reluctant to join the program for fear of legal liability. But that could change if it revamps servicing processes, experts say.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to ask the legislature to revamp the current Department of Business Oversight and rename it the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, modeled after the federal CFPB.

Political uncertainty, sector-specific concerns as well as interest rate and labor trends may continue to depress commercial and industrial lending in the coming months.

With fintech firms appearing stuck in neutral in their efforts to seek bank charters from federal regulatory agencies, observers say state licensing options could be in vogue again in 2020.

Though details of a potential pact with China aren't clear, bankers are hoping it could convince leery customers to finally go through with delayed investments.

The average price of a previously owned car has fallen in two consecutive months, and if the trend continues, lenders could see losses mount, Richard Fairbank said this week.

Many business customers are putting off expansion because they can’t find enough workers to fill available jobs.

Family offices—mini-investment firms set up by the super rich to manage their personal wealth—have poured more and more cash into direct lending, Preqin says.

A report from the Financial Stability Oversight Council cited a bigger share of originations and servicing by nonbanks as a potential vulnerability in the financial system.

In a recent interview, Plaza Home Mortgage CEO Kevin Parra discussed why he likes certain underutilized loan products, thinks online lending will be limited, and is bullish on third-party originations.

The nonbank share of large mortgage servicing is growing, but smaller players tend to be depositories, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found in a new report aimed at examining regulatory impacts.

The House Financial Services chair is sponsoring a bill with one of the Democratic presidential contenders aimed at alleviating the public housing capital backlog.

The 2015 decision posed new legal challenges for institutions trying to sell loans to third parties, but the federal regulatory agency proposed steps Monday for banks and debt parties to evade state interest rate caps.

Concerns over banks’ level of preparation have led to worries about disruptions in the lending market, and some financial institutions warn that a new interest rate benchmark could cause lenders to pull back on credit.

Executives sent a letter to the federal banking regulators last month expressing concern that an alternative to the London interbank offered rate could limit credit availability.

The bank started buying more Treasurys and mortgage-backeds over a year ago, long before talk about rate cuts. What did it know that its rivals didn't?