“Rather than earning on the front end, they’re increasing margins on the secondary sale," said mortgage analyst Ken Richey.

Regulatory scrutiny of the servicing sector appears unlikely to decrease anytime soon as officials with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau along with state regulators note that regulation of servicing is a top priority. During a webinar this week hosted by Inside Mortgage Finance, Ann Thompson, a senior analyst in the CFPB’s Office of Supervision Policy, said the federal regulator conducts a risk-based analysis of issues affecting consumers. “Mortgage-related issues are presenting...

There’s still more than a year left before the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s integrated mortgage disclosure final rule takes effect. But top industry representatives are urging lenders to begin preparations now, if they haven’t already done so, because of the depth and breadth of the new regulation – and the central role it will play in the origination process. During a general session of the American Bankers Association’s annual regulatory compliance conference, held in New Orleans earlier this month, Rod Alba, senior regulatory counsel for the trade group, said that the CFPB’s TILA/RESPA integrated disclosure – known as TRID – is a massive project. “We cannot take it lightly,” Alba said. He also emphasized...

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consolidate and review two related cases regarding the Department of Labor’s 2010 regulatory interpretation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that mortgage loan officers are not exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements. A SCOTUS opinion would put to rest a dispute among the circuit courts as to whether the Department of Labor must engage in notice-and-comment rulemaking in order to significantly alter a previous interpretation of the FLSA. The high court’s decision will certainly impact...

What does the future hold for the hedge fund-owned Prospect Mortgage?

The market for large "legacy" MSR deals appears to be ice cold. Then again, last week there were rumors that a $50 billion transaction might be in the works.

The FHFA will weigh the merits of taking legal action against vendors, but could take upwards of 12 months to make a final decision.

How much capital should nonbank mortgage servicers be required to have? The question is getting louder and louder.

Mortgage REITs found a cheap source of funding in the Federal Home Loan Bank system. But will the FHFA permanently block their access or just restrict it?

Credit unions that originate no downpayment mortgages almost always keep the loans in portfolio.