Politics and policy

OCC axes disparate impact oversight

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is rolling back disparate impact supervision for banks, it announced Monday. As such, the federal agency’s supervisory process for fair lending compliance will no longer include the examination for cases in which neutral policies have an unequal effect on a protected class such as by race or […]

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Foreign buyers snapping up U.S. homes again

While some would-be U.S. homebuyers are feeling squeamish about high interest rates and broader economic uncertainty, foreign buyers are increasingly eager to get a slice of the country’s housing market. Foreign buyers bought more than 78,000 homes between April 2024 and March 2025, according to a study from the National Association of Realtors, a 44%

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Texas judges repeals CFPB’s medical debt rule

Texas judges repeals CFPB’s medical debt rule

Bloomberg News A Texas judge has vacated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s medical debt rule and specifically admonished states that have sought to take medical debt off credit reports in a major win for the Trump administration, banks and two trade groups that sued the agency. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan, of

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No Fed cut in July, nearly all economists surveyed say

Despite speculation following the Federal Open Market Committee’s June meeting that a rate cut could come as early as this month, most economists still expect the central bank to hold off until September or later. Only one respondent in Wolters Kluwer’s Blue Chip Economic Indicators survey, conducted July 7 and 8, after the stronger-than-expected June

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HUD dissolves “woke” policies created by appraisal task force

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has “effectively disband[ed]” the Biden-era interagency Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity initiative, the federal housing agency announced late Thursday. The department withdrew three mortgagee letters related to appraisal reviews, including the reconsideration of value process, it noted in its press release. These recessions were previously highlighted in an

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Waller says QE to blame for Fed losses on reserve interest

Waller says QE to blame for Fed losses on reserve interest

Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller.Bloomberg News Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said the central bank does have a problem with income losses, but interest paid on reserves are not to blame.  In a speech delivered at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas on Thursday, Waller made the case that the true source of the Fed’s

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Fed minutes show focus shifting to employment

Fed minutes show focus shifting to employment

The Federal Reserve Employment was a focal point for the Federal Reserve’s most recent monetary policy deliberations, with officials expressing various levels of concern about its outlook. Policymakers were united in their view that interest rates should remain unchanged during last month’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting, but divides were apparent on several key considerations

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Black Americans still struggle to get mortgages, study finds

Black Americans have long faced an uphill struggle to homeownership, and new data suggests that those problems aren’t going away anytime soon. Black homebuyers are 1.7 times more likely to be denied a mortgage than other races, according to the latest report from Lendingtree. In 2024, 19% of Black applicants were denied mortgages, significantly higher

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NJ to consider CRA bill that would rope in nonbanks

NJ to consider CRA bill that would rope in nonbanks

Adobe Stock WASHINGTON — New Jersey lawmakers have introduced a bill in the state that would create a state-level Community Reinvestment Act, one that would apply to more financial institutions than its federal counterpart.  The bill would extend CRA review beyond banks to online institutions, credit unions and nonbank mortgage lenders. Other states, including Illinois,

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What the new tax law means for lenders, borrowers

A sweeping new law, branded as a pillar of President Trump’s second-term agenda, carries significant implications for the housing market, from affordable housing to investor tax breaks. Within the colossal 870-page package are a number of changes that have won applause from many in the housing industry. “These provisions form the backbone of the real

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