July 2025

BankThink: Banks are under extreme regulatory assault; it’s time to act like it

Regulators begin process of undoing 2023 CRA rule

Adobe Stock Federal regulators have formally begun the process of nullifying their 2023 update to implementing regulations for the Community Reinvestment Act, a Civil Rights-era anti-redlining law that requires banks to invest in the communities they serve. The Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued a […]

Regulators begin process of undoing 2023 CRA rule Read More »

CFPB protest

Budget bill, SCOTUS give ‘clear path’ to CFPB firings

Employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are bracing for mass layoffs now that Congress has slashed the agency’s budget in half and the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the go-ahead to gut federal agencies. Acting CFPB Director Russell Vought is expected to issue a reduction in force, or RIF, immediately after an appellate

Budget bill, SCOTUS give ‘clear path’ to CFPB firings Read More »

VA partial claims bill passes in the Senate

The U.S. Senate passed a partial claims bill aimed at helping Department of Veterans Affairs borrowers avoid foreclosure following the expiration of a previous federal servicing program this past spring.  Senators approved the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act by unanimous consent Tuesday evening after the House of Representatives previously proposed and passed the legislation

VA partial claims bill passes in the Senate Read More »

Bank of America

Bank of America sticking to organic growth plan: CEO

UPDATE: This article includes comments made during Bank of America’s earnings call and comments from an analyst’s note. Bank of America may find opportunities to make small, non-bank acquisitions, but for now it plans to keep directing excess capital into organic growth, CEO Brian Moynihan said Wednesday. The $2.4 trillion-asset financial giant — which, like

Bank of America sticking to organic growth plan: CEO Read More »

FICO challenges FHFA’s VantageScore decision

The FHFA’s nod to VantageScore 4.0 — and silence on FICO’s rival 10T model in a recent X post — has reignited a bitter fight over the future of mortgage credit scoring. A B of A Global Research report dated July 11 on the agency RMBS market pointed to the imprecise language in the post

FICO challenges FHFA’s VantageScore decision Read More »

Home purchase applications fall after prior week’s surge

US mortgage applications to buy a home declined last week to the lowest level since late May as borrowing costs remained elevated. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s index of home-purchase applications slumped 11.8% in the week ended July 11, data from the group showed Wednesday. While that marked the biggest drop since 2022, it followed a

Home purchase applications fall after prior week’s surge Read More »

a graph of a rate

Mortgage Rates Are Stabilizing – How That Helps Today’s Buyers

Over the past few years, affordability has been the biggest challenge for homebuyers. Between rapidly rising home prices and higher mortgage rates, many have felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. But, something pretty encouraging is happening. While affordability is still tight, mortgage rates have shown signs of stabilizing in recent months. And

Mortgage Rates Are Stabilizing – How That Helps Today’s Buyers Read More »

HW Media acquires The Builder’s Daily

DALLAS, TX — July 15, 2025 — HW Media, the parent company of HousingWire, has acquired The Builder’s Daily (TBD), the trusted editorial voice for the homebuilding industry. The acquisition marks a significant step in HW Media’s strategy to deliver market intelligence, editorial excellence and professional community across the entire housing ecosystem — from new

HW Media acquires The Builder’s Daily Read More »

Keller Williams welcomes $90M producing team in New Jersey

Keller Williams has added another top producing team to its roster. On Tuesday, the brokerage announced that The Parlay Group in New Jersey is joining Keller Williams Village Square Realty. The Ridgewood, New Jersey-based team, which includes 12 agents and two staff members, was co-founded by Anthony Zito and Hipolito Touron “We are thrilled to

Keller Williams welcomes $90M producing team in New Jersey Read More »

Longbridge COO Bill Packer on how technology is influencing workflows

Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler sat down with Bill Packer, chief operating officer at Longbridge Financial, to talk about the ways his company is using AI to serve reverse mortgage borrowers. Packer has worked in the consumer lending space for four decades, with deep expertise in technology and operations. This interview has been edited for

Longbridge COO Bill Packer on how technology is influencing workflows Read More »