CRA Newswire

FEMA: President Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Oklahoma

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Oklahoma to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires from April 11 to April 20, 2018. Federal funding is available to the state, tribal, and eligible local governments and…

FEMA: President Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Massachusetts

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to supplement Commonwealth, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storm and flooding from March 2 to March 3, 2018. Federal funding is available to the Commonwealth, tribal, and…

HUD: $5 Billion Texas Disaster Recovery Plan Approved

Funding will target long-term housing, infrastructure and economic development recovery U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson today approved a disaster recovery plan to help Texans recover from Hurricane Harvey. In November, HUD Deputy Secretary Pamela Hughes Patenaude announced the allocation of more than $5 billion to the Lone Star State…

FFIEC: Agencies Release List of Distressed or Underserved Nonmetropolitan Middle-Income Geographies

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today announced the availability of the 2018 list of distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies, where revitalization or stabilization activities are eligible to receive Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) consideration under the community…

Ever Wondered “What is Low- and Moderate-Income or LMI”? Here’s Your Answer.

“What is low- and moderate-income or LMI?” is one of the most common questions we hear at findCRA. Most people may have a general understanding of what it means to be low-income, but under the federal Community Reinvestment Act, defining low- and moderate-income can seem overly technical and confusing. More importantly, knowing who and what…

CFPB: Measuring a Child’s Progress on the Building Blocks of Financial Capability

Developing financial capability during youth is an important stepping stone on the path to adult financial well-being. Financially capable individuals have healthy money habits, stick to plans, and apply their knowledge and skills to successfully complete financial tasks. Financial capability is developed over time and is marked by milestones on the path to financial well-being….

FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.1 Percent in April 2018

U.S. house prices rose in April, up 0.1 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI).  The previously reported 0.1 percent increase in March was revised upward to 0.2 percent. The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages…

FHFA: Foreclosure Preventions Top 4.1 Million In 2018 First Quarter

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its first quarter 2018 Foreclosure Prevention Report, which shows that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) completed 68,378 foreclosure prevention actions in the first quarter of 2018, bringing the total number of foreclosure prevention actions to 4,108,636. The Enterprises’ serious delinquency rate dropped to 1.1 percent…

ABA: Bank Economists See Robust Economy Pushing Unemployment Rate to New Lows

This year the U.S. economy will enjoy its strongest growth this cycle, pushing unemployment to the lowest rate in nearly half a century, according to the Economic Advisory Committee of the American Bankers Association. The consensus of 16 chief economists from among the largest North American banks is that the economy, entering a tenth year…

FEDS Notes: Where’s the Money Going? The Importance of Accounting for Rent Payments in Measuring a Household’s Financial Obligations

Andrew C. Chang, Joanne W. Hsu, Sarah J. Pack, and Michael G. Palumbo 1 According to the Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), in 2016 about 12 percent of American families’ monthly income was needed to cover payments associated with the various types of debt they owed–mostly mortgages, car loans, student loans, and…