Private mortgage insurers provided primary coverage on $41.59 billion of mortgages originated during the fourth quarter of 2013, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance ranking and analysis. While that was down 29.6 percent from the third quarter, it also represented the deepest private MI penetration of new originations in five years. Private MI coverage – including existing insurance transferred to new loans originated under the Home Affordable Refinance Program – accounted for 13.6 percent of new mortgages produced in the fourth quarter. That was the highest private MI share of new originations since the first quarter of 2008, when it was 14.7 percent. HARP continued...[Includes three data charts]