Kate Berry

Though banks have always measured customer satisfaction, there is a greater focus now on understanding exactly what drives the customer experience and how it can help the bottom line.

No one group dominates the panel, which includes bank and credit union executives, consumer advocates and community development officials.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will not include a 20% down payment requirement for low-risk loans in its pending mortgage proposal, nor does it seek to covertly rewrite Dodd-Frank, Director Richard Cordray told Senate Banking.

The Santa Rosa, Calif., thrift is the latest lender to be targeted by the Justice Department for allegedly discriminating against minorities.

Without naming names, CFO Tim Sloan threw cold water on the idea that the San Francisco bank would acquire the credit card giant.

Astoria Financial has already originated more multi-family and commercial real estate loans this year than all of last year, and its CEO said total loans to that sector will top $1.5 billion.

A consumer group questions why the top five mortgage servicers are getting credit under the $25 billion national mortgage settlement for forgiving principal in short sales when the goal of the program is to keep borrowers in their homes.

Big and mid-size firms are borrowing, but small ones have shown no urgency to tap existing credit lines and take advantage of cheap capital.

A preliminary report from the independent monitor shows that the five servicers in the $25 billion mortgage-settlement pact are so far focusing more on short sales than on loan mods or refis.

Citigroup (NYSE: C) has agreed to pay nearly $25 million to settle claims that it misled investors about the risk of certain mortgage-backed securities, according to Reuters.

A controversial proposal to seize underwater mortgages through eminent domain faces significant legal challenges in California because the three municipalities do not have statutory authority to convey loans to a private company.

The five largest mortgage servicers are suddenly eager to provide relief to distressed homeowners, but after years refusing to modify loans or reduce principal, they are concerned that borrowers will ignore their solicitations.

In a surprising reversal, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed rules on Friday that will allow lenders to continue offering discount points and fees rather than a flat fee when originating home loans.

The Treasury Department on Friday said it is restructuring the terms of its investment in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, four years after the government bailout of the beleaguered housing behemoths.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development will sell a $1.7 billion portfolio of nonperforming Federal Housing Administration loans in September as part of a bulk sale program aimed at helping borrowers avoid foreclosure, the loan sale advisory firm DebtX said Thursday.

Over objections from residents and lenders, the county passed a resolution Thursday authorizing its staff to seek bids from private companies looking to buy up and restructure underwater mortgages.

New proposals would require appraisals for "higher-risk" mortgages, and compel lenders to notify borrowers of their right to an appraisal report. But loans meeting the special QM standard would enjoy a lighter touch.

The rules for mortgage servicing were written primarily for the largest players, but it is the smaller ones that will have the hardest time absorbing the costs.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday shot down the idea of using eminent domain to seize underwater mortgages, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Ginnie Mae is considering raising minimum net-worth requirements for issuers of its mortgage-backed securities after being deluged with applications from small mortgage banks. Disruptions in the mortgage market prompted the rush.