The Federal Housing Administration has issued a proposed rule that would increase the net worth requirements for approved mortgage lenders and hold them responsible for the lending actions of affiliated mortgage brokers. Currently, the FHA requires approved mortgage lenders to have a net worth of at least $250,000. The proposed rule would require such lenders to maintain a minimum of $1 million in net worth within the first year and at least $2.5 million of net worth within three years of the effective date of the rule. The FHA stated that these changes are consistent with industry standards and will ensure that FHA lenders are sufficiently capitalized to meet potential needs, thereby permitting the FHA to mitigate losses and decrease risks to its insurance fund.