Government

A report released recently by the Pew Research Center indicates that while the U.S. unemployment rate is low, the number of people who are "not in the labor force," meaning they are not counted among the unemployed in the BLS survey, is near an all-time high.

Following an independent review of its finances, FHA reported to Congress Monday that its Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund is valued at $4.8 billion for the fiscal year 2014, a step up from last year's shortfall of $1.3 billion.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ordered California-based mortgage lender Franklin Loan Corporation to pay $730,000 in restitution for rewarding its employees with bonuses for suggesting loans with higher interest rates to borrowers.

In a lawsuit filed earlier this week, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) charged Deutsche Bank National Trust Company with negligence in its role as trustee for 121 residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) trusts, leading to the collapse of five corporate credit unions.

The new rule, which goes into effect on January 1, 2015, prohibits a financial company from combining with another company if the liabilities of the newly formed company between the two exceed 10 percent of aggregate consolidated liabilities of all financial companies.

Damon Smith, former acting general counsel for HUD, has joined law firm Jenner & Block as a partner in the group's District of Columbia office, according to an announcement.

According to multiple reports, Benjamin Lawsky, Superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services, is considering stepping down from his post and entering the private sector in 2015. Lawsky has made a name for himself by aggressively regulating financial institutions doing business in New York,

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) closed down the Palm Desert-based Frontier Bank—also known as El Paseo Bank—citing a lack of assets and earnings "due to unsafe and unsound practices."

With the midterm election in the rearview, Democrats are circling the wagons to protect what will certainly be a top priority on the Republicans' list of changes to make—the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

To say the Republicans have an uphill battle ahead where GSE reform is concerned is an understatement. The president has the power of the veto pen and while both sides have vowed to work together on areas that they can disagree, the extent to which he would support major Republican led legislation remains to be seen.