Fair Lending Shake-Ups: CFPB Vacates Townstone Settlement, FHFA Ends GSEs' Special Purpose Credit Programs — The Consumer Finance Podcast
Weekly Brief: BoA Sued; SCOTUS Shortlists; Fund Fights Argentina
In recent days, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte has made it clear that he believes fraud is a rampant problem at FHFA. In a stream of related activities, Pulte has called on the public to report...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
Freddie Mac published last Thursday an update to the Freddie Mac Guide, which included a discussion of various underwriting, fraud detection and loan document changes. Here's what you need to know...more
On October 28, Freddie Mac announced the nationwide expansion of its performing loan repurchase alternative pilot program, which will begin in the first quarter of 2025. The pilot offers a fee-based structure as an...more
On May 1, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced new policies that will allow borrowers to challenge property appraisals they believe to be inaccurate or biased....more
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced the conforming loan limits for residential mortgage loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2024. Fannie Mae addresses the limits in Lender Letter 2023-09....more
On March 15, FHFA delayed the implementation of a new debt-to-income ratio-based fee to August 1, in order to ensure lenders have sufficient time to prepare. In January, FHFA made several changes relating to upfront fees for...more
As part of the Biden Administration’s stated focus on narrowing the racial gap in wealth and homeownership, federal agencies launched an Interagency Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE), with the goal...more
In This Issue. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will no longer charge lenders the Adverse Market Refinance Fee; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is seeking...more
At the close of this month, certain moratoria on foreclosures and evictions are set to lift. While prior deadlines have been extended, it remains to be seen whether another continuance will be granted amidst an increase in...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
March 13, 2021, marked the one-year anniversary of President Trump's declaring COVID-19 a national emergency. Through the CARES Act, agency action and guidance, and various state laws and executive orders, governments across...more
In the News. Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) published its proxy voting guidelines updates for 2021, which include new and updated voting recommendations on federal forum and exclusive forum provisions in companies’...more
On October 19, 2020, Fannie Mae in updates to Lender Letter 2020-03 and Lender Letter 2020-04, as well as Freddie Mac in Bulletin 2020-40, extended certain loan origination flexibilities due to COVID-19 from October 31, 2020,...more
On October 14, 2020, Fannie Mae issued updates to Lender Letter 2020-02, Lender Letter 2020-05, and Lender Letter 2020-07, and Freddie Mac issued Bulletin 2020-39, regarding COVID-19 and payment deferral servicing guidance....more
In the News. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), along with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and more than 50 federal and state law enforcement partners, announced Operation Corrupt Collector, a nationwide law...more
On August 12, 2020, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced that the cost to originate and to deliver single family limited cash out refinances and cash out refinance mortgage loans would increase by one half of one percent...more
Welcome to our first formal edition of All Consuming - our e-newsletter devoted to financial litigation insights. Our goal is to bring you the most up-to-date information that allows you to be proactive in your business.... ...more
This week saw a plethora of activity to support federally related loan programs affecting commercial real estate. Below is a summary of the applicable guidance, announcements and proposed laws....more
Commercial real estate (CRE) is a tremendously important asset, as the content of this book will discuss. However, the CRE lending and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) markets are, at the time of writing, largely...more
The CFPB sent industry trade groups a letter on October 1, 2015 to address the approach of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) member agencies during the initial months following the implementation...more
While Director Cordray’s appearance at the House Financial Services Committee’s hearing on the CFPB’s fifth Semi-Annual Report yesterday was accompanied by the usual dose of political theater, his testimony did yield the...more
Anyone working in the commercial real estate mortgage industry in the past five or six years is eager for signs of a sustained recovery. Having just returned from the Mortgage Bankers Association Commercial Real Estate...more
The State of Oklahoma provided guidance regarding implementation of a recent amendment to its Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act (Oklahoma SAFE Act)....more
On July 10, 2013, the CFPB issued a final version of modifications proposed in April 2013 to mortgage rules adopted in January 2013. Most of the modifications address the ability to repay/qualified mortgage rule, and...more