Politics and policy

Fannie, Freddie add VantageScore, keep tri-merge

The conservator and regulator of two influential government-related mortgage investors has announced a credit score other than FICO’s “classic” metric can be used when submitting loans to them. Effective immediately, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will allow lenders to use VantageScore 4.0, Bill Pulte said in an X post referencing one of two advanced credit […]

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New York Fed building

NY Fed report: Return to zero rates a ‘significant’ risk

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York building.Bloomberg News The Federal Reserve’s policy rate is a long way from its lowest point, but markets remain concerned about a return to zero interest rates, according to findings from the Federal Reserve Banks of New York and San Francisco. In an economic letter released Monday, reserve bank

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occ seal

OCC authorizes bank closures in Texas floods

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg Nationally chartered banks in parts of Texas were authorized to close Monday as needed, due to flooding in the state, according to a proclamation released by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Major flash floods in central and southern Texas, known as the state’s Hill Country, have killed over 80 people,

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House

GOP megabill cutting CFPB funding goes to Trump’s desk

Bloomberg News WASHINGTON —  The House narrowly passed a massive tax and spending bill, capping months of deliberations and sending President Trump’s signature legislative priorities to his desk, where he is expected to swiftly sign it, symbolically, on July 4.  The bill passed in a 218-214 vote, mostly along party lines. Reps. Thomas Massie of

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Pulte urges Congress to investigate Powell

U.S. Federal Housing Director Bill Pulte is asking Congress to investigate Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, in a stark escalation of the official’s campaign against the central bank head.  In a statement posted to X on Wednesday, the chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac cited Powell’s statements in a recent Senate committee appearance as

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Condo prices drop year over year, led by Florida declines

It’s a tough time to be a condo owner, particularly in Florida, and most especially if you’re trying to sell. That’s the upshot of a new report from Redfin. Condo prices dropped 2.2% year-over-year in May. That’s the second-sharpest decline since the brokerage began tracking condo data in 2012. While the broader housing market has

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NCUA HQ (4)

NCUA’s one-member board liquidates two failed credit unions

Frank Gargano Kyle Hauptman, the president of the National Credit Union Administration, voted to liquidate two troubled credit unions, a move that has raised procedural questions since Hauptman alone does not constitute a quorum of the NCUA board.  On Tuesday, the NCUA placed Aldersgate Federal Credit Union — a $10.3-million asset credit union operated by

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Senate tax bill keeps MBA wins, guts CFPB funding

The Mortgage Bankers Association was pleased the Senate version of the reconciliation bill keeps many of its priorities in place, while taking out the so-called revenge tax. However, the bill does differ from the House of Representatives version and the two need to conform before it can go to President Trump for signature. Furthermore, because

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HUD rescinds 12 FHA policies: What home lenders need to know

Mortgage lenders welcomed the rescissions the Department of Housing and Urban Development made to 12 Federal Housing Administration policies, noting they would make the program more attractive for participants. They could even be a starting point for bringing banks back as originators in this government-insured program. These revisions might affect other segments of the housing

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