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Tag Archives: Mortgage-Backed Securities

More Downgrades as Moody’s Goes After Several Banks

Count another major downgrade against the global financial community. On Thursday Moody├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós Investors Service slashed credit ratings for 15 major financial institutions, including Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley, among others. The reason for Moody├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós actions: The biggest banks face too much risk from debt-saddled Europe, earnings volatility, and still-faulty mortgages stateside. The ratings agency grouped the downgraded institutions into three groups. Stocks slid for many of the banks.

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Michigan Settlement Approved for Investors Over Bear Stearns’ Bad MBS

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and State Treasurer Andy Dillon announced Tuesday that a federal judge granted preliminary approval to the state's proposed national class action lawsuit against Bear Stearns and Deloitte & Touche. Bear Stearns and Deloitte & Touche have agreed to settle the securities fraud suit. Under the terms of the settlement, the two firms will pay $294.9 million to investors nationwide who bought Bear Stearns stock and other equity securities and options between 2006 and 2008.

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Exclusive: Trade Group to Call for CFPB Official to Resign After Broker Comments

Sparking indignation in the mortgage broker community, Raj Date, deputy director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, laid the bulk of the blame for the housing crisis on brokers during a speaking engagement Monday. His statements have led at least one industry trade group to call for his resignation. Marc Savitt, president of the National Association of Independent Housing Professionals, called Date's comments "outrageous." He said the group will call for the official's resignation this week.

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Fraud Task Force Calls on Whistleblowers to Come Forward

A task force created by the Obama administration to crack down on residential mortgage-backed securities misconduct recently went live with a new website for whistleblowers. The Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group established the online portal for those willing to air grievances about misconduct in the packaging and sale of mortgages into securities at financial institutions. The Justice Department launched the RMBS Working Group earlier this year to look into allegations of misconduct.

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Senate Proposal to Revise HARP 2.0 Nets Industry Backing

The Responsible Homeowner Refinancing Act of 2012, introduced this month by Sens. Robert Menendez and Barbara Boxer, received backing from witnesses at a Senate Banking Committee hearing. The bill aims to address what the senators say are barriers impeding the success of the recently revised Home Affordable Refinance Program, commonly referred to as HARP 2.0. The bill aims to eliminate all upfront fees and appraisal costs for refinances, prohibit second-lien holders from unreasonably hindering refinances, and more.

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FDIC Reportedly Files Suit Against Several Large Banks

The FDIC reportedly filed suit Friday against a number of large bank holding companies, including Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, and JPMorgan Chase. Media outlets reported that the FDIC seeks to recoup some $92 million for two banks that failed in 2009. The suit alleges that banks like the big four are responsible for misrepresenting mortgage-backed securities to Citizens National Bank and Strategic Capital Bank. Speaking with MReport, FDIC spokesperson David Barr declined to comment on the story. Bank of America and Citigroup reportedly appear as the only defendants cited in all three cases.

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RiskSpan Rolls Out New Pricing Initiative for Structured Securities

Targeting better risk management for the mortgage-backed securities market, RiskSpan, Inc., has added a new independent pricing initiative to the company's service offerings. The enhancement will give risk managers, traders, and pricing professionals immediate, daily access to security prices and changes, enhancing risk mitigation and streamlining audits.

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Wells Fargo Takes Top Spot for Commercial, Multifamily Originations

The Mortgage Bankers Association released a report Friday that ranked mortgage giant Wells Fargo last year's top commercial and multifamily mortgage originator. The trade group offered a set of comprehensive listings responsible for tracking originations by different investor groups. Wells Fargo snagged mentions in several listings, including those for commercial banks, savings institutions, Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae, the Federal Housing Administration, Real Estate Investment Trusts, and other investors.

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Senate Hearing Fields Praise, Criticisms About New HARP

Lawmakers seated on the Senate Banking Committee convened a hearing Wednesday to determine just how radically draft legislation should lift barriers to refinance opportunities for homeowners and lenders. The message from those testifying: More refinance modifications would help, but beware of the impact for investors and lenders. The Obama administration moved on expansions to HARP last fall by working with the Federal Housing Finance Agency to sign off on lower loan-to-value ratio requirements and remove obstacles for lenders and servicers.

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Shedding MSRs, B of A Earns $653M in Q1 Net Income

First-quarter results for Bank of America recently showed that the company continues to shed its role in the mortgage market, with the giant reporting year-over-year declines to $1.6 trillion for home loan portfolios for investors. The financial institution said that mortgage portfolios serviced for investors also fell to $1.3 trillion in the first quarter from $1.4 trillion last year. The balance for mortgage servicing rights climbed to $7.6 billion from $7.4 billion.

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