Regulatory reform

There is bipartisan agreement in the Senate that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are "too big to fail," but some lawmakers are skeptical that a SIFI designation is appropriate.

In her first four and a half months, Kathy Kraninger met with lawmakers more than twice as often as her predecessor, but her schedule demonstrates willingness to meet with industry and policy stakeholders from various camps.

There are clear actions that regulators at the CFPB, SEC and FHFA can take to help attract investors into the housing market, argues former FHFA Director Ed DeMarco.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has appeared willing to take its own steps to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but legislation would be necessary to create an explicit guarantee of the mortgage system.

Director Mark Calabria urged lawmakers to grant the agency chartering authority similar to that of bank regulators to boost competition in the mortgage market.

The agency announced the series in April as an effort to encourage public dialogue on policy issues.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was adamant that the Trump administration won’t just let Fannie and Freddie build up their capital buffers and then release the companies. He also said he backed an explicit government guarantee, something only Congress can do.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has far more authority to upend the status quo than most realize, according to a new report.

Lawmakers waded into a growing debate about the threat posed by corporate credit risk.

Although Libor will will not be phased out until at least 2021, Randal Quarles said making the switch early is "consistent with prudent risk management."