The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a rule that would make it easier for retirement plan sponsors to include alternative investments — such as private equity, private credit, real estate and cryptocurrency — in workers’ 401(k) plans while reducing regulatory burdens and the threat of lawsuits. The rule aims to carry out goals that […]
Labor department rule would ease path for riskier 401(k) investments Read More »
Key insight: An executive order encouraging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to modify two of its mortgage rules would add a considerable load to the agency’s already overloaded agenda, and at a time when its rulemaking capacity is greatly diminished. Expert Quote: “The CFPB has a bigger agenda than they’ve ever had with a smaller
Mortgage order adds more rules to diminished CFPB’s load Read More »
Key insight: The Senate’s manager’s amendment, which added FHA multifamily loan limit reductions and an institutional investor cap on single-family homes, cost the legislation support from the Mortgage Bankers Association. What’s at stake: Community bank regulatory provisions championed by House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill were stripped from the Senate version, making it unlikely
Banks sour on Senate housing bill, but may not stop passage Read More »
The Trump administration on Friday issued a “comprehensive national legislative framework” regarding artificial intelligence (AI) policy, aimed at boosting U.S. innovation while protecting consumers, children and national security. The proposal outlines six broad priorities aimed at positioning the U.S. as a global leader in AI while building public trust in the rapidly evolving technology. The
Trump’s AI policy framework calls for single federal standard Read More »
The passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act felt like a rare event in Washington: genuine, overwhelming bipartisanship. In a political climate defined by caustic friction, an 89-10 vote in the Senate isn’t a legislative victory; it is a confession. It is an admission by both parties that housing affordability has reached a
The housing blind spot: Why the Senate’s housing bill is a start, not a solution Read More »
President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting mortgages addresses several concerns raised by banks and nonbanks, which have largely welcomed it as a road map for regulatory change. But it’s also receiving pushback from consumer advocates. Friday’s order on “promoting access to mortgage credit” aims to boost lending by community banks (with less than $30 billion
Trump’s mortgage order sets stage for regulatory shift, draws consumer backlash Read More »
Key Insight: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged Wednesday that he may remain at the helm of the central bank past the end of his term because of delays in confirming his successor, and said he does not plan to leave while an investigation into him is ongoing. Expert quote: “I have no intention of
Fed Chair Powell to stay on until DOJ concludes probe Read More »
“Just when I think things are falling in place, another wild card arrives,” Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) president and CEO Bob Broeksmit said Tuesday morning at ICE Experience’s X26 annual mortgage conference. In a conversation with ICE Mortgage Technology President Bob Hart that spanned recent executive orders, mergers and acquisitions, and artificial intelligence, Broeksmit admitted
MBA’s Broeksmit on Trump orders, AI and mortgage affordability Read More »
What’s at stake: The Trump administration is trying to weaken the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and the implementation of small business lending data collection, known as section 1071 under the Dodd Frank Act. Key insight: Lenders have long complained that the federal government should not be
How Trump is turning fair lending law on its head Read More »
A federal judge has ruled that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) must continue getting its funding from the Federal Reserve, dealing a setback to Trump administration efforts to effectively shut down the agency. The ruling Friday by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose blocks acting CFPB Director Russell Vought from using a
Judge rejects bid to cut CFPB funding Read More »