Tag Archives: Economic Growth

The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act which aims at providing relief to small banks and credit unions from certain regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act, was passed by the House today. Here’s how the industry reacted.

The U.S. is embarking on its ninth year of economic expansion and Fannie Mae is predicting economic growth rebound. Consumer spending growth is expected to return to its position as the biggest contributor to economic growth. With labor and inventory shortages still prevalent, the housing market hasn’t changed very much and home prices are still on the rise. Based on their research, Fannie expects mortgage rates to remain supportive, but the outlook on existing home sales remains cautious.

Higher existing-home sales do not necessarily mean high homeownership rate. With homes selling fast, homebuyers are starting to realize they can afford less of what is on the market. Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors, Jonathan Spader, senior research associate at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, and Mark Calabria, chief economist and assistant to Vice President Mike Pence weigh in on the 2017 midyear forecast.

On Thursday, both FHFA Director Melvin L. Watt and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin separately addressed the current state of the GSEs. Though Mnuchin discussed the priority of housing finance and regulatory reform in front of the Senate, at an industry conference Watt described the many successes of the FHFA in the last nine years. Watt warned that reforms made during conservatorship should not be ignored by congress during the reworking of housing finance reform.

Financial markets in the U.S. are showing continued improvement as the year progresses, but Fannie Mae expects economic growth to remain flat, which could place a damper on the housing market.

In a speech at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Jeffrey M. Lacker discussed monetary policy, inflation, and how the central bank can help spur economic growth.

Economic growth is expected to move upward in the fourth quarter following a disappointing third quarter, according to Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group. The research shows that economic growth for all of 2015 is projected to reach 2.2 percent, with a another increase in 2016 to 2.4 percent.

Economic growth in the second quarter fell short of July expectations, presenting a less promising outlook for the rest of the year, according to Fannie Mae’s August 2015 Economic and Housing Outlook.

Forecasters expect U.S. economic growth to slow down slightly over the next four years as unemployment remains steady.

U.S. private mortgage insurers are expected to continue benefiting from economic growth, good house price affordability, and strong mortgage credit quality. According to Moody's Investors Service, PMIs have been positioned in a favorable housing finance environment that will allow them to reap the benefits in the industry, even if the Federal Reserve increases interest rates.