Law and regulation

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.

As the government shutdown enters its third week, mortgage servicers are activating the response plans they normally use during hurricanes and wildfires to assist federal workers who may have trouble paying their mortgages.

The administration’s reported interest in having the White House aide run Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regulator signals a focus on constraining the mortgage giants’ role in the housing market.

The passage of Proposition 111, which also prohibits lenders from adding origination and monthly maintenance fees, makes Colorado the fifth state to impose caps on payday loans through a voter referendum.

The report from an advocacy group that focuses on college affordability says that schools need to do a better job of educating students about their eligibility for federal loans, which typically carry lower interest rates than loans from banks and other private-sector lenders.

The Congressional Budget Office has found that restructuring the mortgage market would save the government billions of dollars but may increase the cost of housing.

A federal appeals court in Texas agreed with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders that the FHFA, led by a single director, violates the separation of powers.

New securitizations backed by reverse mortgages are now at a low not seen in two years, signaling that higher volumes seen in recent months may be tapering off.

The El Segundo, Calif. company is selling $100 million of bonds backed by a revolving pool of loans secured by precious metals as well as some of its own inventory of cash and gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

Changes that federal regulators are contemplating to the Volcker Rule could pave the way for CLOs to resume investing in high yield bonds, which they currently cannot do without putting themselves off limits to banks.

Just two months ago, Comptroller Joseph Otting seemed to signal that the OCC might be open to letting national banks rent their charters to payday lenders. Now he is clarifying that it won’t happen.

Although the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is loosening certain mortgage rules, others such as restrictions on loan officer compensation and state-level regulation will likely persist, according to industry attorneys.

Requiring solar panels for all newly constructed residences is good news for investors who finance these systems, if only because it will help keep developers afloat, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

The agency’s 2013 guidance is frequently portrayed as either an overdue push to stamp out lending discrimination or a case study in regulatory overreach. In truth, its impact was minimal.

The agency’s acting director uses a reply letter to the senator not to answer her questions but to underscore that Congress lacks the ability to compel answers to such questions.

Lenders should not get so desperate chasing volume by originating lower credit non-qualified mortgage products that they are inviting the next regulatory crackdown, said David Stevens, the Mortgage Bankers Association's CEO.

Issuance of Ginnie Mae securities backed by reverse mortgages rose above $1 billion for the second time in two years, according to the government agency's latest monthly report.

The Education Department reportedly has plans to shield student loan servicers from state regulators, but the Conference of State Banking Supervisors isn't ready to cede its authority.

Ocwen Financial Corp.'s acquisition of PHH Corp. will help the nonbank servicer rebuild scale that's been diminished by years of regulatory restrictions and the decline in distressed mortgage volume brought about by improvements in the overall housing market.

There could be a pause in new issuance as CLO managers wait to see if the government will appeal; longer term, the pace will pick up as the playing field is leveled for smaller managers.