Top officials in the Federal Reserve System were making the rounds of the financial and economic intelligentsia this week, shedding some light on the central bank’s decision to prolong its support of the financial and housing markets through its admittedly “unconventional means” of massive asset purchases, accommodative monetary policy and explicit forward guidance. “Several questions have emerged following the meeting” of the Federal Open Market Committee, said FOMC member William Dudley, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, during a speech this week in New York City. “Most noteworthy was – given that market expectations were skewed towards anticipating the beginning of a taper at this meeting – why the committee did not begin to reduce the pace of asset purchases.” Although he was not presuming to speak for the committee, Dudley did provide...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may take action to recover deficiencies from a defaulting mortgage borrower if permitted by federal or state law.

With mortgage refinance activity flagging in the wake of a spike in interest rates that began months ago, the Federal Housing Finance Agency this week launched a campaign to get more mileage out of the Home Affordable Refinance Program. (Includes one data chart.)

The FHFA’s HARP outreach effort includes public service announcements by Mike Aubrey, a real estate agent based in North Potomac, MD. He stars in a reality TV show, “Power Broker,” that premiered on HGTV in July

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are continuing to work on revised eligibility standards for mortgage insurance companies that likely will reduce the 25-to-1 maximum risk-to-capital ratio enjoyed by guarantors that cover their loans. Some type of guidance is expected, at least from one of the GSEs, by the end of October.

The 12 Federal Home Loan Banks saw a hefty 9.6 percent increase in the volume of advances outstanding during the second quarter of 2013, but the outlook for the FHLBank’s primary money-maker remains cloudy. (Includes one data chart.)

The common securitization platform project being overseen by the Federal Housing Finance Agency has picked the Maryland suburb of Bethesda as its home, according to industry officials briefed on the situation.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency this week issued a final rule requiring annual stress tests for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, as mandated under the Dodd-Frank Act.

Fannie Mae’s inadequate internal controls on outsourced servicer reimbursements – and late-to-the-party oversight by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – cost the GSE $89 million in overpayments last year, according to a recent report by the FHFA Office of Inspector General.

Will the White House ask Freddie to fork over its deferred tax assets? Holders of "junior preferred" and common class GSE stock hope to increase the value of their holdings. Fannie Mae kills its inactivity fee. And Fannie hires a manager for its part of the Common Securitization Platform.