Regulatory reform

Supporters of an unreleased bill to revamp the housing finance system say the plan strikes a middle ground that can gain support from both sides of the aisle.

An exclusive look at the Senate's tightly held housing finance plan drew the most interest from readers this week, while TD's foray into AI and the roller coaster at CFPB also dominated attention.

A bill passed by the House would raise the threshold that allows smaller banks and credit unions to avoid expanded Home Mortgage Disclosure Act requirements imposed by a 2015 rule.

Readers react to Mick Mulvaney launching a public review of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, weigh in on the Senate’s bill to ease some Dodd-Frank rules, opine on how the wave of GOP departures will affect banks and more.

Senate negotiators are working on a bill that would place Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into receivership and replace them with multiple mortgage guarantors, according to sources.

Craig Phillips, a top aide to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, said his department "broadly" agrees with the FHFA plan, which would return Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the private market and provide them an explicit government guarantee.

FHFA Director Mel Watt said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be reincorporated as private entities and the government must provide an explicit guarantee for catastrophic losses in the secondary mortgage market.

Mark Calabria, chief economist to Vice President Mike Pence, said passage of the regulatory relief bill could be delayed as policymakers deal with other items such as budget deadlines and an infrastructure bill.

National Credit Union Administration Chairman Mark McWatters has not even been announced as President Trump's pick to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but his potential nomination already is uniting diverse groups in opposition.

House Republicans are exiting Congress in droves ahead of the 2018 midterm elections and the stakes for the financial services industry could be significant.

Housing regulators should not adopt an alternative credit scoring model until the banking industry is on board.

Of the more than 30 GOP lawmakers due to retire at yearend — a historically significant level of departures for a single election — several are important to banking policy.

House Republicans are exiting Congress in droves ahead of the 2018 midterm elections and the stakes for the financial services industry could be significant.

The Senate Banking Committee is expected to consider the nominations of Jelena McWilliams to be FDIC chair and Marvin Goodfriend as a governor of the Federal Reserve Board.

Cryptocurrencies continue to dominate much of the news, with a warning on bitcoin taking the top spot and a story about Ripple's partnership with MoneyGram doing well. Housing finance reform, Wells Fargo and the CFPB also featured.

The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on five bills, three of which are included in the deal negotiated between Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and moderate Democrats.

The Senate Banking Committee will have two additional members in 2018: Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Doug Jones, D-Ala.

The Senate Banking Committee is expected soon to release a bipartisan bill that would significantly reshape the housing finance market, but key issues remain unresolved.

The banking industry braced for big changes with the election of President Trump, but the financial reform law has proven its staying power over the past year.

The Senate Banking Committee's first hearing of 2018 will focus on anti-money-laundering efforts and counter terrorist financing, which could be a precursor to legislative reforms.