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Tag Archives: Mortgage-Backed Securities

Big Four Release Earnings, Citing Economy, Litigation

Litigation fees, bold restructuring moves, and new regulation helped shape earnings figures over the third quarter for the nation's largest lenders and financial institutions in October. Along with numerous other banking holding companies and investment firms, Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo released their reports to the media and investors over the past two weeks. The results: more mortgage lenders continue to exit the business, while financial institutions stepped up the public debate against onerous regulations.

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Ex-HUD Officials, Lawmakers Lead New Housing Commission

Lawmakers and policymakers from both sides of the aisle recently teamed up to head a bipartisan commission on the future of U.S. housing policy. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a D.C.-based nonprofit organization, floated commission leaders whose names include former HUD secretaries Henry Cisneros and Mel Martinez, ex-Sen. Kit Bond, and onetime Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, who also founded the organization. The commission will finalize the details of these recommendations in a major package for current lawmakers and policymakers.

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FHFA: Fannie, Freddie May Need $142B More in Taxpayer Funds

The Federal Housing Finance Agency released projections Thursday that showed the GSEs may need anywhere from $51 billion to $142 billion more taxpayer funds over the next few years, even as one Republican lawmaker offered a plan that would siphon federal support for the companies. The scenarios show that the companies will ultimately need to withdraw anywhere from $220 billion to $311 billion from the federal government, a lower estimate for forecasts that originally fixed their needs at anywhere from $221 billion to $363 billion.

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Leadership Shakeup Underway for Freddie Mac

In a surprise move, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced a flurry of resignations for Freddie Mac over this year and the next, with CEO Ed Haldeman, Chairman John Koskinen, and several other board members set to step down. Other resigning officers include Laurence Hirsch, a board member who will not seek re-election, and Robert Glauber, chairman of the GSE├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós nomination and governance committee. It remains unclear why Haldeman made the decision to leave the company he helped guide through the financial crisis.

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B of A Case, Two Attorneys Make Friday Fraud Blotter

Fraud

A Bank of America case, two attorneys, and state legislation that made mortgage fraud felonious helped complete the MReport mortgage fraud blotter Friday. MReport sourced two stories from multiple news outlets, which found Bank of America gaining the upper hand in a fraud-related suit and two attorneys alternately disbarred and charged for their roles in scamming lenders and homeowners. Also: A new state law makes mortgage fraud a felony in Michigan.

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B of A Moves to Dismiss Counsel for AIG

Continuing its legal wrangling with American International Group, Inc., Bank of America Corp. has filed a motion to dismiss Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan as the company's counsel for AIG's $10 billion lawsuit against the financial institution. In its move to disqualify the firm, BAC cited conflict of interest due to partner Marc Becker's previous involvement with the bank's chosen law firm, Munger, Tolles & Olson.

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Private Investment Pilot Program Gains Traction

Capitol Hill is buzzing with the news of a pilot program that would facilitate the redirection of private investments into the U.S. mortgage industry. The potential moves from the Obama administration and federal housing regulators represent a transition from a mortgage-backed securities market that is largely controlled by the government sponsored enterprises. Talk in Washington, D.C., indicates that as early as 2012, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would initiate the sale of portions of securities to specific private investors.

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FOMC Minutes Suggest Fed Officials Wanted Bolder Action

Fed

Governors sitting on the board of the Federal Reserve pressed their fellow central bankers for more bond purchases, an idea the institution ultimately rejected in favor of $400 billion in short-term Treasury purchases to offset worries about a new recession. The minutes portray the last meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, held in early September, as one carefully assessing the current economic climate and an array of fiscal and monetary measures needed to sustain a national recovery.

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It’s Official: Regulatory Agencies Release Draft Volcker Rule

Releasing the hotly anticipated Volcker Rule Tuesday, federal regulatory agencies proposed banning banks from deploying their own capital as collateral in bets on uncertain investments. Enacting Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the draft regulation vaguely proposes a two-month wait period for financial institutions trading in on investments, more managerial heft from executives, and guidelines that discourage institutions from risk-hedging, among other requirements.

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Reports: Leaked Volcker Memo Stirs Markets, Industries

A recently leaked memo outlining the proposed Volcker rule sent market watchers and industry insiders into a tizzy, according to multiple news outlets. The tentative rule itself ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô required by the Dodd-Frank Act and named after former Fed chief Paul Volcker ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô remains in development at federal regulatory agencies like the Federal Reserve, FDIC, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The proposed rule defines short- and long-term proprietary trading and rules out third-party brokers, agents, and custodians.

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