Fair Lending Shake-Ups: CFPB Vacates Townstone Settlement, FHFA Ends GSEs' Special Purpose Credit Programs — The Consumer Finance Podcast
On June 25, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a directive ordering Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare proposals for treating cryptocurrency held on U.S.-regulated exchanges as assets for reserves in...more
Fannie Mae (1938) and Freddie Mac (1970) were created with the end goal of promoting homeownership across the United States. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, both government-sponsored entities (“GSEs”), are publicly traded and...more
In a significant policy shift under the Trump administration, the new Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte issued an order on March 25, 2025 terminating special purpose credit programs (SPCPs) supported...more
On March 14, the FHFA announced that Director William Pulte was sworn in as its fifth director in a ceremony held in Washington, D.C., on March 14. Pulte was appointed by President Trump and will serve a five-year term...more
January 14, 2025- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chair Martin Gruenberg gave a speech entitled “Three Financial Crises and Lessons for the Future,” at the Brookings Institution....more
Welcome to the latest edition of the Spectrum, covering hot-topic issues in the structured finance markets in the U.S. and UK. This edition features the new UK securitization regime, eHELOCs, and climate risk disclosures....more
What Happened? On June 20, 2024, a group of federal regulators published a rule addressing for the use of automated valuation models (AVMs) in mortgage origination and secondary market transactions....more
On June 6, 2024 federal regulators published a final rule addressing Quality Control Standards for Automated Valuation Models. This was a collaborative rulemaking effort that included regulators from the Office of the...more
On April 18, Sandra L. Thompson, Director of the FHFA, addressed the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, emphasizing FHFA’s role in promoting access to affordable housing for homebuyers and renters...more
On February 12, 2024, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) issued a statement of principles that relate to valuation discrimination and bias for its member entities to consider in preparation for...more
In This Issue. In a move that gives him the opportunity to put his stamp on housing policy and the potential overhaul of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, President Biden replaced the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency...more
In the News. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) finalized its “true lender” rule, which establishes that a national bank or federal savings association (bank) is the “true lender” of a loan if, as of the...more
In This Issue. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) issued a Risk Alert about the scope and content of examinations OCIE plans to conduct of various...more
On March 24, 2020, in response to the growing anticipation that renters in multifamily properties are being negatively impacted by the implications of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”), the Federal Housing Finance...more
The COVID-19 crisis has led to foreclosure moratoriums at the regulatory, executive, and judicial level. Servicers should consider that compliance with these, regardless of level, may not protect them from later challenges to...more
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced on March 18 that they have directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government sponsored enterprises (GSEs), to...more
As previously reported, on March 18, 2020, the Federal Housing Finance Agency directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to suspend foreclosures and evictions in connection with single-family mortgages for at least 60 days, and...more
Effective immediately, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued a moratorium on all foreclosures of FHA-insured single family homes for the next sixty days (through May 17, 2020)....more
Federal Reserve Revises Framework for Determining Control of a Banking Organization The Federal Reserve has adopted a final rule to simplify and clarify its regulations for determining control of a banking organization for...more
Financial Industry Developments - Federal Reserve Board Announces Finalized Rule Adjusting the Board's Maximum Civil Money Penalties - On January 18, 2017, the Federal Reserve Board announced that it was adjusting...more
Financial Industry Developments - FHFA Further Adjusts Multifamily Lending Caps for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - On August 18, 2016, the Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") announced an additional increase...more
Agencies Issue Proposal on Method to Adjust Threshold for Exempting Small Loans from Special Appraisal Requirements - On July 22, 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Reserve Board and the Office...more
On October 19, 2015, the Federal Housing Finance Agency issued a Final Notice indicating that it will continue to use “expanded-data” House Price Index when establishing Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae’s maximum conforming loan...more
By recently releasing yet another revised representation and warranty framework, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continued their efforts to assuage the concerns of the lending industry that a default by a borrower poses an unfair...more