Industry News

HUD: National Homeownership Month Kicks Off

WASHINGTON – The Trump Administration proclaimed June as National Homeownership Month, a time to reflect upon the impact owning a home has on household wealth, neighborhood stability and the nation’s broader economic health. The theme of National Homeownership Month 2017 is “Find Your Place in a New Era of Homeownership.”  Read the President’s Homeownership Month Proclamation….

SBA: $18 Million in Funding Announced to Support Small Business Trade Growth

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Administrator Linda McMahon, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, today announced an $18 million funding opportunity to support export growth among U.S. small businesses.  The funding opportunity will be awarded through SBA’s competitive State Trade Expansion Program (STEP).   States interested in putting in proposals should go to Grants.gov and download the funding opportunity…

Census Bureau: The South is Home to 10 of the 15 Fastest-Growing Large Cities

Texas Cities Continue to Top the Charts MAY 25, 2017 — Ten of the 15 fastest-growing large cities were located across the South in 2016, with four of the top five in Texas, according to new population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Conroe, Texas (near Houston), was the fastest-growing large city (population…

SBA: SBA Partners with Synergy Solutions to Launch Cybersecurity Online Training Initiative

WASHINGTON –    Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced its partnership with Synergy Solutions to launch a free, new comprehensive series of web-based cybersecurity training containing up to 10 modules to educate 7(j) eligible small businesses about cybersecurity and steps they can take to protect their company’s assets and intellectual property.  While the classes are…

FHFA: Request for Input to Improve Access to Credit for Qualified Mortgage Borrowers with Limited English Proficiency

Washington, DC – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today issued a Request for Input on issues facing qualified mortgage borrowers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) throughout the mortgage life cycle process, including lending and servicing. FHFA’s 2017 Scorecard for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Common Securitization Solutions, requires Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the…

CFPB: Seeking Comment on Plan for Assessing the ATR/QM Rule

Today, we released our plan to assess the effectiveness of the Ability-to-Repay/Qualified Mortgage rule (ATR/QM rule). We are asking the public to comment on our plan, to suggest sources of data, and generally to provide information that would help with the assessment. We see conducting the assessment as an opportunity. Conducting the assessment will advance…

CFPB: New Information Will Help U.S. Improve Financial Literacy

New information released today shows how well American teens understand financial concepts and can apply them to their own situations. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published results of the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) financial literacy assessment. This new information will help us develop targeted programs and initiatives to ensure…

CDFI Fund: 2017 NMTC Program Electronic Application Now Available

The electronic application for the 2017 round of the New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC Program) is available for applicants through their Awards Management Information System (AMIS) accounts. The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) published the Notice of Allocation Availability for the 2017 round in the Federal Register on May 4, 2017. Community…

HUD: Trump Administration Proposes 2018 HUD Budget

WASHINGTON – The Trump Administration today announced the proposed 2018 Budget for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  The Budget reflects the President’s commitment to support HUD’s critical functions that provide rental assistance to low-income and vulnerable households and to help work-eligible families achieve self-sufficiency. The President’s 2018 Budget continues to provide…

Federal Reserve: Board Issues Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households

Americans’ overall financial well-being in 2016 continued on a modest upward path, although the improvement was less pronounced for those with less education, according to the Federal Reserve Board’s latest Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households. The report, based on the Board’s fourth annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking conducted in October…