The government-sponsored enterprises’ credit-risk transfer programs have been wildly popular with investors and many policymakers, but other industry observers see problems. One of the most outspoken critics is Tim Howard, a former Fannie Mae CFO, who sees a big difference between today’s CRT programs and the GSEs’ traditional method of laying off credit risk before they were taken into government conservatorship. “When I was at Fannie, the companies purchased...

An affiliate of Verizon Communications will issue a $1.40 billion ABS backed by payment plans for cell phones, according to presale reports. It’s the second transaction of its kind from Verizon, with industry analysts projecting that issuance could increase due to widespread financing for cell phones and investor demands. Verizon Owner Trust 2016-2 received preliminary AAA ratings from Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings. It’s larger than the $1.17 billion ABS Verizon issued in July and the senior tranche on the pending issuance includes slightly less credit enhancement, indicating increased comfort among rating services. The July issuance included...

Three financial-industry trade associations submitted a joint amici brief to the Supreme Court of the U.S. seeking an end to the confusion over whether extender statutes that refer only to the “statute of limitations” should apply to the “statute of repose” as well. The circuit courts are split on the issue, with four courts deviating from a 2014 SCOTUS ruling in CTS v. Waldburger, in which property owners tried to hold CTS Corp., operator of an electronic plant in North Carolina, liable for damages from toxic contaminants on the land. The property owners filed...

Commercial banks and savings institutions boosted their holdings of residential MBS substantially during the third quarter, a new analysis of call-report data by Inside MBS & ABS reveals.

The Structured Finance Industry Group released the fourth edition “Green Paper” this week as part of an effort to revive issuance of non-agency mortgage-backed securities.

Prospect Mortgage quickly ramped up its loan officer staff following the recent announcement of one of the largest acquisitions of the year.

Inside-the-Beltway analysts are predicting that financial regulation and new agency leadership posts will be a primary battleground in the incoming Trump administration.

Freddie Mac is set to issue a $459.92 million Whole Loan Securities transaction, according to a presale report from Moody’s Investors Service.

Originations of jumbo mortgages declined slightly from the second to the third quarter of 2016, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. Meanwhile, production of conventional-conforming mortgages and loans with a government guarantee increased significantly in that span, prompting an uncharacteristic decline in market share for jumbo mortgages. An estimated $100.0 billion in jumbos were originated in ... [Includes one data chart]

The market for jumbo mortgage-backed securities looks to be regaining some momentum as Shellpoint Partners plans to resume issuance and market-leader JPMorgan Chase prepares another deal. Shellpoint’s New Penn Financial is set to issue a $353.68 million jumbo MBS next week, according to presale reports by Kroll Bond Rating Agency and Moody’s Investors Service. Shellpoint Co-Originator Trust 2016-1 will mark the first issuance from the MBS shelf since ...