Bankers warn of fallout from a prolonged Middle East conflict
At an industry conference Tuesday, bankers said that an extended war with Iran will result in adverse economic conditions, including inflation.
Politics and policy
Fed watchers say discount window revamp overdue — but tricky
Industry stakeholders say the Federal Reserve's renewed focus on reforming the discount window — the central bank's 'lender of last resort' facility — is welcome. But replacing the system with one that works better is easier said than done.
Fannie, Freddie join Anthropic ban, address DHS shutdown
The government-sponsored enterprises' oversight chief severed ties with the AI firm following President Trump's dispute with it over boundaries on military use.
Housing bill moves forward with institutional housing ban
Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., released new legislative language Monday night that includes a ban on institutional investors' purchase of single family homes and a temporary ban on the Federal Reserve issuing a Central Bank Digital Currency.
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac’s total portfolio at multiyear high
MBS numbers at both soared in January, when Trump directed the enterprises to accumulate more bonds, but a decline in loans shrunk Freddie's total number.
Trump’s $200B MBS plan set off by GSE valuation gap: Pulte
MBS buying has become the near-term focus but a 2026 offering is still possible, Federal Housing Finance Agency official Bill Pulte told Fox Business.
Senate tees up housing bill, but what’s in it is unclear
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., moved to consider the housing package next week, but it's not clear what version of the bill senators will be voting on as the House, Senate and White House are still negotiating priorities.
Mortgage rates dip under 6% for first time since ’22
For the first time since early September 2022, the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey has the 30-year below 6%, but the 15-year gained this week.
Can Trump fire nearly all CFPB staff? Appeals court isn’t sure
Judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struggled to find a resolution to an injunction issued last year that halted reductions-in-force by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
CFPB shutdown battle reaches crucial D.C. Circuit hearing
The CFPB is in an existential legal brawl against it's own acting director, Russell Vought, and President Donald Trump, whose confirmed goal is to kill the agency.
Mortgage trade groups back call for updates to Basel III
In a letter to regulators, the consortium of organizations recommended regulatory changes affecting a range of rules from risk weights to warehouse financing.
Fed’s Bowman says Basel proposal still on track for end of Q1
Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said in comments Wednesday that the central bank plans to publish its Basel III endgame capital proposal for public comment before the end of March.
White House report says CFPB raised borrowing costs
A White House Council of Economic Advisers report published Tuesday found that the CFPB cost consumers between $237 and $369 billion since its creation, an analysis that consumer advocates and some financial academics say is flawed.
Fed’s Barr outlines AI risks to finance, labor market
In a speech Tuesday, Federal Reserve Gov. Michael Barr said it was possible that artificial intelligence will boost productivity in an undisruptive way. But he said policymakers should also be wary of a financial crash if those gains are not realized or a rapid adoption that could lead to labor displacement.
Institutional home buyers gained ground in December
Large and mega investors accounted for 5.8% of all single family-home purchases in December, up from 4.8% at the same time last year, according to Cotality.
Experts weigh whether CFPB database tweaks help or hurt
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's complaint portal has been flooded in recent years, but corporate debt collectors, industry attorneys and consumer advocates question whether the bureau's efforts to reduce the volume will help consumers as much as it helps the firms they're complaining about.
Freddie profit falls; Congress pushes back on IPO
A House subcommittee hearing discussing the future of the government-sponsored enterprises, noted both are still severely undercapitalized.
US adds 130,000 jobs in January; unemployment rate falls
The Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its delayed January employment report Wednesday morning, showing the economy added 130,000 jobs in January. But the agency also sharply revised its estimates for total jobs created in 2025 to 181,000 from 584,000.
CFPB blocks GAO investigators in layoff report
The Government Accountability Office was tasked with investigating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's stop-work order, but CFPB officials refused to meet with or provide information to Congress' investigative arm.
Fed’s Jefferson wary of inflationary pressure from AI
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said in a speech Friday that long-term productivity gains brought on by artificial intelligence could compel the central bank to maintain higher rates to keep prices stable.
Load More
Couldn’t load more articles. Try again.