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Politics and policy

Trump’s BLS firing impacts perceptions more than numbers

Trump’s BLS firing impacts perceptions more than numbers

Economic indicators, Economy, Politics and policy, Trump administration /

Bloomberg News By firing one of the country’s top economic research officials, President Donald Trump might have instilled less confidence in the legitimacy of government-produced data rather than more.  On Friday, Trump terminated Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, claiming that she “rigged” the data in last week’s employment situation report to hurt the […]

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Mortgage lenders stick with Biden-era reappraisal guidance

Mortgage lenders stick with Biden-era reappraisal guidance

Appraisals, Consumer banking, Home Prices, Politics and policy, Regulation and compliance /

Bloomberg News (Bloomberg) — At one midsized U.S. mortgage lender, almost a quarter of customers who dispute property appraisals find that the value of their home had been miscalculated. It’s an industrywide issue that has historically penalized minority groups, and now President Donald Trump has offered lenders the chance to ignore his predecessor’s attempts to make it easier

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CFPB calls GAO funding probe ‘political’ and ‘weaponized’

CFPB calls GAO funding probe ‘political’ and ‘weaponized’

Politics and policy, Regulation and compliance, Trump administration /

Bloomberg News The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is ramping up its attacks on the Government Accountability Office, claiming the independent congressional watchdog was “politicized” for questioning acting Director Russell Vought’s decision to reject funding for the CFPB this year.  Mark Paoletta, the CFPB’s chief legal officer, sent a letter Thursday criticizing GAO for questioning Vought’s

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Senators propose natural-disaster mortgage relief bill

Climate Change, Politics and policy, Servicing, Wildfires /

Lawmakers from two wildfire-stricken states put forth a new Senate bill that would mandate mortgage relief for homeowners in the aftermath of natural disasters.  Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. and Michael Bennet, D-Colo. introduced the Mortgage Relief for Disaster Survivors Act this week aimed at alleviating homeowners’ financial hardship after an extreme weather event. The bill

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VA foreclosure prevention bill signed into law by Trump

Foreclosures, Politics and policy, Servicing, The VA /

A rule establishing permanent foreclosure protection measures for Department of Veteran Affairs borrowers was signed into law by President Donald Trump Wednesday, after a previous iteration of a federal servicing program expired earlier this year. The VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, which was introduced by Rep. Derrick Van Orden R-Wis., aligns servicing guidelines with

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Pulte takes issue with Powell statement on Fed housing role

Mortgage Rates, Politics and policy, Secondary markets /

Housing regulator Bill Pulte showed new frustration with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the latest decision to keep short-term rates unchanged on Wednesday, adding to pressure President Trump has been putting on the monetary policymaker to lower them. This time Pulte used his social media account on X to take issue with the way

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Powell: ‘Many, many uncertainties’ remain for tariff impacts

Powell: ‘Many, many uncertainties’ remain for tariff impacts

Economy, Monetary policy, Politics and policy, Tariffs /

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome PowellBloomberg News WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank is still trying to get a handle on how higher tariffs will impact the economy.  Powell said it was always going to take time for higher import levies to translate into higher prices for consumers, but the administration’s

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Score modernization taking shape but ROI tough to quantify

Credit scores, Politics and policy, Secondary markets /

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are set to accept newer credit scores that incorporate nontraditional data, a long-anticipated move that could expand access to home loans — but not without raising new questions and costs. That was the conclusion some experts like James Bennison, former executive vice president and head of alternative markets at Arch

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Barry Habib on his appointment to the Fannie Mae board

Career moves, Fannie Mae, FHFA, Politics and policy, Secondary markets /

Mortgage industry prognosticator Barry Habib was both surprised and honored that the Federal Housing Finance Agency approached him for a role on the Fannie Mae board. “I wasn’t expecting it, I didn’t solicit it, and it is an extreme honor,” Habib said in an interview with National Mortgage News. He was named to the Fannie

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