Regulatory reform

Policymakers should differentiate between housing finance-related issues of real importance to the greater public interest, and those that concern only special interests.

The discounts that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac used to offer large originators for selling them bulk bundles of mortgages continue to haunt small lenders, who worry a new housing finance system could revive the practice.

Federal regulators issued a proposal Tuesday that would increase the threshold at which commercial real estate transactions require an appraisal, a move that could give some lenders sizable relief.

House lawmakers including Jeb Hensarling are preparing to move on a series of targeted regulatory relief bills in an effort to give Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, more leeway when he tries to craft a relief measure.

Readers slam credit unions’ ever-inclusive membership criteria, weigh in on the OCC’s proposed fintech charter, encourage a rewrite of the CRA, and more.

CEO of River Region CU calls for Congress to put a stop to ‘tidal wave of new regulations’ that harm small credit unions and small banks.

The unexpected withdrawal of the administration's pick to lead the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. triggered new uncertainty.

Some credit union advocates are praising the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for a move that exempts select institutions from certain reporting requirements, but other say the bureau must still do more.

Tucked away in the Treasury Department’s regulatory reform report released last month was a nascent effort to reform the way regulators implement the Community Reinvestment Act.

Readers this week highlighted the need for banks to upgrade payments systems, debated a small bank’s decision to ditch its legacy core vendor, lamented populist initiatives of the GSEs, and more.

Federal Reserve Board Gov. Jerome Powell stopped short of endorsing any single housing finance reform plan, but called on lawmakers to resolve what he described as the biggest unfinished business of the crisis.

The renewed debate on reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is focused on how small and midsize banks would be affected.

From the largest banks to the smallest independents, policymakers want to hear the mortgage industry speak with one voice in the critical efforts to reform the government-sponsored enterprises.

Both parties appear interested in a deal on housing finance reform, but tough fights are ahead.

The advanced approach has limited value, eliminating it has no downside risks and regulators have better tools at their disposal.

With lawmakers bracing for a major policy undertaking to reform the government-sponsored enterprises, they can take comfort that they don’t need to start from scratch.

The Main Street GSE Reform Coalition offered three principles: creating a capital buffer for Fannie and Freddie, continuing with reforms by their regulator and ending the conservatorship that began in 2008.

The Senate is set to begin teeing up housing finance reform discussions at a Banking Committee hearing on Thursday, but many are skeptical that Congress will be able to succeed where it has failed in the past.

A key question for the future of housing finance is whether large and small lenders will both be able to compete, or will a new system favor Wall Street giants?

In his short time in office, acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika has already taken public digs at two other banking agencies and signaled he isn't going to play it safe.