FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Increased in April 2018
Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages increased from March to April, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts. The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 4.51 percent for loans closed in late April, up 2 basis points from 4.49 percent in March….
FHFA: 2017 Report to Congress Released
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its 2017 Report to Congress. The statutorily-required report provides information about FHFA’s 2017 examinations of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac (the Enterprises), 11 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) and the FHLBanks’ Office of Finance. The report also describes FHFA’s actions as conservator of the Enterprises during the year…
OCC: New Guidance on Installment Lending – Core Principles for Short-Term, Small-Dollar Installment Lending
OCC BULLETIN 2018-14 Summary The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) encourages banks to offer responsible short-term, small-dollar installment loans, typically two to 12 months in duration with equal amortizing payments, to help meet the credit needs of consumers. The OCC is issuing this bulletin to remind banks1 of the core lending principles for…
OCC: Comptroller Urges Banks to Meet Consumers’ Short-Term, Small-Dollar Credit Needs
Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting today issued the following statement regarding the release of his agency’s bulletin encouraging national banks and federal savings associations to offer responsible short-term, small-dollar installment loans. Millions of U.S. consumers borrow nearly $90 billion every year in short-term, small dollar loans typically ranging from $300 to $5,000 to make…
ABA: Survey Shows that Regulatory Burden Continues to Restrict Mortgage Lending
Seventy-seven percent of respondents to the American Bankers Association’s 25th annual Real Estate Lending Survey described mortgage regulation as having a negative impact on business production and consumer credit availability. In the survey released today, nearly 3 in 4 bankers said that Qualified Mortgage (QM) rules – which impose stringent rules that exceed “ability to…
FHFA: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Refinance Volume Down in First Quarter 2018 as Mortgage Rates Rise
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today reported that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac completed 356,003 refinances in the first quarter of 2018, compared with 446,295 in the fourth quarter of 2017. FHFA’s first quarter Refinance Report also shows that 4,139 loans were refinanced through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), bringing the total number of HARP…
HUD: Department Seeks Public Comment on Disparate Impact Regulation
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it will formally seek the public’s comment on whether its 2013 Disparate Impact Regulation is consistent with the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc. “HUD remains committed to making sure housing-related…
CFPB: Spring 2018 Rulemaking Agenda Released
The Bureau’s general purpose, as specified in section 1021 of the Dodd-Frank Act, is to implement and enforce federal consumer financial law consistently for the purpose of ensuring that all consumers have access to markets for consumer financial products and services and that markets for consumer financial products and services are fair, transparent, and competitive….