Politics and policy

Michelle Bowman

Fed’s Bowman makes case for leverage ratio reform

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman.Bloomberg News The Federal Reserve’s top regulator said changes are needed to the supplementary leverage ratio to improve the Treasury market and ensure banks face proper risk incentives.  In a Monday speech, Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said the current calibration of the capital requirement is […]

Fed’s Bowman makes case for leverage ratio reform Read More »

Donald Trump

Trump signs nullification of OCC bank merger guidelines

Bloomberg News WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday evening signed a rule that officially eliminates the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s stricter reviews of certain bank mergers.  Trump signed the Congressional Review Act resolution Friday nullifying the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s Biden-era rule that got rid of an expedited

Trump signs nullification of OCC bank merger guidelines Read More »

Mortgage pros share tips for riding out volatility

Short-term market swings are nothing new but the kind of volatility mortgage lenders are dealing with today is driven less by predictable economic indicators and more by geopolitical tensions, trade policy shifts, and global headlines. While volatility has ticked up, it’s not at historic extremes. The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures stress in financial markets,

Mortgage pros share tips for riding out volatility Read More »

Top Treasury official wants to ‘Americanize’ any Basel rule

Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg The Treasury Department is working with the bank regulators to finish the U.S.’s Basel committee-pursuant capital standards with an eye to clearing obstacles for American firms and “harmonizing” regulation of the financial system, the deputy secretary said Friday. Michael Faulkender said parts of the capital framework issued by the Basel committee would be

Top Treasury official wants to ‘Americanize’ any Basel rule Read More »

Foreclosure protection from zombie seconds signed into law

A new bill signed into law this month is set to protect some New England homeowners from foreclosure on years-old zombie seconds many likely had forgotten existed.    Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed new legislation into law earlier this month that establishes protections for borrowers with secondary piggyback or 80/20 mortgages whose last payments were recorded

Foreclosure protection from zombie seconds signed into law Read More »

Stocks gain as Fed’s Waller offers hope on July rate cut

U.S. stocks rose early Friday as investors returned from the Juneteenth holiday break to evaluate recent comments from a top Federal Reserve official as well as the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Iran. The S&P 500 Index gained 0.6% at 9:43 a.m. in New York, with the benchmark teetering between a weekly

Stocks gain as Fed’s Waller offers hope on July rate cut Read More »

The Allen & Co. Media And Technology Conference

Summers sees Trump naming ‘respected’ replacement for Powell

Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said he expects Donald Trump to name a mainstream candidate to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, despite the president’s bashing of the U.S. central bank leader for failing to cut interest rates this yearBloomberg News Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said he expects Donald Trump to name a mainstream

Summers sees Trump naming ‘respected’ replacement for Powell Read More »

Senate reconciliation proposals would help, hurt housing

Provisions restoring the mortgage insurance premium deduction are included in the Senate reconciliation bill, the latest path for its supporters to bring it back to the Tax Code. It is one of several real estate and housing provisions up for debate, including one that addresses low income housing tax credits. The MI deduction first was

Senate reconciliation proposals would help, hurt housing Read More »

HUD Secretary Turner says manufactured housing key to supply

Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner reiterated his focus on increasing housing supply and streamlining operations at the federal agency. “Making housing more affordable and increasing the supply of housing in our country…is a top priority of mine,” Turner said at a luncheon hosted by the Exchequer Club and Women in Housing

HUD Secretary Turner says manufactured housing key to supply Read More »

Fannie, Freddie regulator: Powell should cut rates or quit

Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s regulator called for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down on Wednesday if he doesn’t cut short-term rates, as monetary policymakers left them unchanged again. “Jay Powell is hurting the housing market by being too late to lower rates. He needs to resign, effective immediately,” Bill Pulte said in

Fannie, Freddie regulator: Powell should cut rates or quit Read More »