The new standards for qualified mortgages will provide lenders more underwriting options. But how much change that will bring in product market share remains to be seen.

Almost $1 billion of mortgages endorsed by the FHA in 2019 had private flood insurance, making them ineligible for FHA coverage.

Primary/secondary spreads are thinning. Meaning? Also, former Fannie executive Andrew Bon Salle lands at Home Point right before its IPO.

Though the merger has not been explicitly canceled, Genworth said it will begin to pursue contingency measures, including a partial IPO of its mortgage insurance business.

It was that kind of year in 2020: chatter about fat checks for CEO/proprietors. Some may have earned more than the nation’s top athletes but probably less than Oprah.

A proposal by state regulators to set standards for nonbank servicers was met with harsh criticism from many trade groups and industry analysts. The comment period for the proposal closed at the end of 2020.

The calendar has just turned and already we have a decent-sized M&A deal.

The task force said Congress should authorize the bureau to issue federal licenses to non-depositories that provide lending services. But any proposal to preempt state licensing laws will face significant pushback.

It wasn’t clear if coronavirus forbearance for federally backed mortgages was allowed after the end of 2020. Federal agencies addressed the issue near the end of December, though there’s still uncertainty.

Every now and then the idea of spinning off the FHA into a separate unit is floated. As usual, it’s expected to go nowhere.