Fair Lending Shake-Ups: CFPB Vacates Townstone Settlement, FHFA Ends GSEs' Special Purpose Credit Programs — The Consumer Finance Podcast
Weekly Brief: BoA Sued; SCOTUS Shortlists; Fund Fights Argentina
On April 16, three senators urged the FHFA Inspector General to investigate the agency’s purported noncompliance with federal laws and regulations concerning corporate governance at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Sens. Jack Reed...more
In this episode of The Consumer Finance Podcast, Chris Willis is joined by Troutman Pepper Locke colleagues Lori Sommerfield and Lane Page to dissect two unexpected fair lending developments under the new Trump...more
In recent days, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte has made it clear that he believes fraud is a rampant problem at FHFA. In a stream of related activities, Pulte has called on the public to report...more
On April 15, ten U.S. Senators sent a letter addressed to Mr. Brian M. Tomney, Inspector General of the FHFA, requesting that the FHFA OIG review recent actions taken by FHFA leadership to overhaul the boards at Fannie Mae...more
“Build-to-rent” means what it sounds like: A builder constructs single-family homes specifically designed for renters. Also known as “build-for-rent,” these communities began in Phoenix during the Great Recession and have...more
To keep you informed of recent activities, below are several of the most significant federal and state events that have influenced the Consumer Financial Services industry over the past week....more
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has taken two significant deregulatory steps affecting its oversight of the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSEs). The agency rescinded a 2024 advisory...more
In a significant policy shift under the Trump administration, the new Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte issued an order on March 25, 2025 terminating special purpose credit programs (SPCPs) supported...more
On March 4, the FHFA ordered both government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to submit stress testing results based on their financial positions as of December 31, 2024, following scenarios issued by the...more
On February 26, several U.S. Senators sent a letter to HUD Secretary, Scott Turner, raising concerns about the Secretary’s role in the potential reprivatization of government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and...more
Freddie Mac published last Thursday an update to the Freddie Mac Guide, which included a discussion of various underwriting, fraud detection and loan document changes. Here's what you need to know...more
The Mortgage Bankers Association hosted its annual Commercial Multifamily Finance Convention and Expo (CREF) in San Diego last week, bringing together industry leaders, experts and professionals. Members of the Krooth &...more
January 23, 2025- The Securities and Exchange Commission has rescinded the interpretive guidance included in Section FF of Topic 5 in the Staff Accounting Bulletin Series entitled "Accounting for Obligations to Safeguard...more
January 15, 2025 - Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.) released the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs legislative and oversight priorities for the 119th Congress....more
What Happened? On November 29, 2024, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) released Advisory Bulletin AB 2024-06 (the “Advisory Bulletin”), which sets forth FHFA’s expectations and guidance for Fannie Mae and Freddie...more
January 8, 2025- The Federal Reserve released the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting that was held on December 17–18, 2024. January 8, 2025 - Federal Reserve Board Governor Christopher J. Waller gave a...more
December 23, 2024- In view of the evolving legal landscape, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System announced it will soon seek public comment on significant changes to improve the transparency of its bank...more
December 19, 2024- The U.S. Department of the Treasury released a report following the issuance of its 2024 Request for Information on the Uses, Opportunities, and Risks of Artificial Intelligence in Financial Services,...more
On November 29, the FHFA issued Advisory Bulletin 2024-06: “Regulated Entity Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices Compliance” to provide guidance to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHLBanks on adhering to UDAP prohibitions...more
To keep you informed of recent activities, below are several of the most significant federal and state events that have influenced the Consumer Financial Services industry over the past week...more
December 4, 2024- The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing entitled “Innovation Revolution: How Technology is Shaping the Future of Finance.”...more
November 26, 2024 - The Federal Reserve on Tuesday released the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting that was held on November 6–7, 2024. November 26, 2024 - The Federal Reserve Board published a working...more
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced the conforming loan limits for residential mortgage loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2025. Fannie Mae addresses the limits in Lender Letter...more
On November 18, the FHFA set the 2025 multifamily loan purchase caps for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at $73 billion each, totaling $146 billion for the year in multifamily market support. According to the FHFA Director, the...more
On September 10, Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Barr gave a speech (the Barr Speech) in which he outlined the principal changes to the federal banking agencies' 2023 proposal to implement the Basel Endgame (the...more