Census Bureau: Household Pulse Survey Phase 4.0 Monthly Data Released
The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data from phase 4.0 of the experimental Household Pulse Survey (HPS). The HPS is an effort by the Census Bureau and other federal statistical agencies to measure how emergent issues are impacting U.S. households from a social and economic perspective. Topics for phase 4.0 include employment status, spending, food security, housing,…
FHFA: Housing Mission Report for 2023 Released
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its annual Housing Mission Report, describing the activities taken by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) and the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) in 2023 to promote access to financing for affordable, sustainable, and equitable housing and targeted economic development. “FHFA maintains a keen focus on…
Census Bureau: 2023 Population Estimates by Age and Sex Released
The U.S. Census Bureau today released a downloadable file containing estimates of the nation’s resident population by sex and single year of age as of July 1, 2023, which is available at www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html. In the coming months, the Census Bureau will release additional population estimates for cities and towns, as well as population estimates by age, sex, race…
SBA: New Small Business Applications Soar to Over 17 Million since 2021
Small Business Boom Continues Amid Record Job Creation, Cooling Inflation Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, released a statement in response to new data showing that an unprecedented 17 million new business applications have been filed under the Biden-Harris…
FHFA: State Financial Regulators and FHFA Enter Into Mortgage Market Information Sharing Agreement
The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) yesterday entered into a formal agreement designed to facilitate information sharing with respect to nonbank mortgage companies. The memorandum of understanding establishes substantive information sharing protocols between state financial regulators and FHFA, improving the ability to coordinate on market developments, identify…
ABA: Bank Economists Continue to Grow More Optimistic About Credit Conditions
Bank economists are growing more optimistic about the outlook for credit conditions over the next six months compared to the latter half of 2023, according to the American Bankers Association’s latest Credit Conditions Index released today. The latest summary of ABA’s Credit Conditions Index examines a suite of indices derived from the quarterly outlook for credit markets…
CFPB: Examiners Find Violations of Credit Report Accuracy Requirements, Including for Survivors of Human Trafficking
Examiners also found furnishers failed to correct false information and reported fraudulent information The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today published an edition of Supervisory Highlights to share key findings from recent examinations about continuing accuracy problems in the credit reporting system. The CFPB found consumer reporting companies failed to ensure the accuracy of credit reports, including…
CFPB: New Report Finds More Americans Are Paying Upfront Fees Seeking to Lower Interest Rates on Mortgages
“Discount points” have uncertain value for borrowers The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a new report today finding that more borrowers paid “discount points” upfront as overall interest rates rose. The percentage of homebuyers paying discount points roughly doubled from 2021 to 2023. The increase was even greater among borrowers with lower credit scores. While…
CFPB: Report Identifies Financial and Privacy Risks to Consumers in Video Gaming Marketplaces
Growth in banking options and payments in gaming leaves consumers’ assets and personal data at risk Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a report examining the growth of financial transactions in online video games and virtual worlds. These platforms increasingly resemble traditional banking and payment systems that facilitate the storage and exchange of…
FHFB: Implementation of FHLBank System at 100 Recommendations Advanced
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today is providing an update on its implementation of the recommendations of the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) System at 100: Focusing on the Future report, which was published in November 2023 and followed the first comprehensive evaluation of the FHLBank System in decades. A significant finding of the report is…