Key Insight: Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said inflation has not eased as quickly as previously forecast, underscoring the need for a cautious approach to interest rate cuts. Expert quote: “I remain optimistic that there can be more rate cuts this year. But that hinges on seeing actual progress on inflation that shows we are […]
Fed’s Goolsbee: Prioritize inflation before further cuts Read More »
Key Insight: Fed Gov. Christopher Waller highlighted his skepticism on whether the labor market is showing signs of recovery, or whether the January jobs report was a one-off. Expert Quote: “If the good labor market news of January is revised away or evaporates in February, it would support my position at the FOMC’s last meeting,
Waller questions January jobs surge, backs possible March cut Read More »
Eight trade groups representing lenders are urging federal regulators to revise bank capital rules by adopting a more tailored risk weight for mortgages held on balance sheets and by significantly cutting the capital charge applied to mortgage servicing rights (MSRs). In a letter sent Friday to the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the
Trade groups push for lower MSR capital charges, tailored mortgage risk weights Read More »
Regulatory changes to how banks treat mortgage assets — anticipated this week by Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman — may have an impact on the mortgage market over time, analysts said. “The near-term impact on the mortgage market is likely to be somewhat limited,” Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) analysts wrote in a report
Bank capital relief may not quickly shift mortgage market dynamics Read More »
Key Insight: Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman is racing ahead to publish Basel III for commentary before the end of the first quarter. She’s previously highlighted that changes will be introduced to the framework to encourage bank participation in mortgages. Expert Quote: “I’ve said for a number of months now that we
Fed’s Bowman says Basel proposal still on track for end of Q1 Read More »
Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh has several paths toward reducing the central bank’s $6.6 trillion balance sheet but the process will be costly and lengthy, Wall Street strategists say. Processing Content Warsh has called for dramatically paring the Fed’s massive financial footprint, rekindling the debate around the size of its portfolio which swelled
Wall Street is sizing up Warsh’s options to shrink Fed portfolio Read More »
Michelle Bowman, the Federal Reserve‘s vice chair for supervision, used a major industry forum to argue that Basel capital rules have helped to drive mortgage lending and servicing away from banks — and that it’s time to reconsider that approach. Addressing the American Bankers Association (ABA)’s 2026 Conference for Community Bankers on Monday, Bowman described
Basel capital rules may be revised to boost bank mortgage lending Read More »
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President Jeff Schmid said the US central bank should hold rates at a “somewhat restrictive” level, as he expressed continued concerns over inflation that remains too high. Processing Content “In my view, further rate cuts risk allowing high inflation to persist even longer,” Schmid said Wednesday in prepared remarks
Fed’s Schmid says restrictive rates needed to cool inflation Read More »
Key insight: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the smallest banks should be deregulated, but didn’t endorse any specific policies to do so. Forward look: Chairman French Hill’s, R-Ark., community bank policy package has been overtaken by crypto bills and other priorities on the House floor and the Senate. Expert quote: “Stop being his flunky.”
Bessent offers deregulatory vision, but few specifics Read More »
With an epic snowstorm hitting large areas of the U.S. recently, I expected housing data to take a hit after the solid start we had already seen in 2026, but it remained mostly positive, which surprised me. The big key to that, of course, is that mortgage rates, even with all the crazy headlines recently,
Housing demand is still positive even with epic snowstorm Read More »