Law and regulation

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.

In a blow to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal judge rejected the agency's request for over $280 million in penalties against the California lender CashCall, ruling that the lender's violations did not justify such a large fine.