Essent has another quarterly profit while National MI took a loss.

The DOJ took issue with Fifth Third for asking potential borrowers with disability income to obtain a letter from their doctor to document the income.

Mortgage origination volume was up in all three major production channels during the second quarter of 2014, with a slight shift in market share toward the retail channel as well as to brokers, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis and ranking.

With origination volumes sucking wind this year, plenty of mortgage companies are pondering whether now is the time to sell, but so far few deals of any size have been consummated. That may change in the coming months. On the buy-side, a dozen or so potential acquirers have emerged, including such growth-minded nonbanks as Prospect Mortgage, RPM Mortgage – both of which are based in California – and possibly AmeriSave Mortgage of Atlanta. Also, Willie Newman, the former CEO of Cole Taylor Mortgage, has teamed up...

Mortgage origination volume was up in all three major production channels during the second quarter of 2014, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis and ranking. Retail originations remained the biggest source of new business, accounting for 61.0 percent of second quarter production. Total volume in the channel – which includes consumer-direct lending and traditional branch-office production – increased by 27.7 percent to an estimated $180 billion during the second quarter. Retail’s increase was higher than the overall 25.5 percent growth in total originations, nudging its share of the market slightly higher. Third-party originations were...[Includes four data charts]

Morgan Stanley is set to issue its first jumbo mortgage-backed security since the financial crisis.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and 25 states filed amicus briefs in a case pending before the Supreme Court of the United States, Jesinoski v. Countrywide Home Loans Inc., that could resolve a circuit split over the recession of a mortgage under the Truth in Lending Act.

Multiple news organizations reported on Wednesday that Bank of America and the Department of Justice are on the verge of agreeing to a settlement valued in excess of $16 billion that would bring to a close mortgage claims stemming from the lead-up to the financial crisis.

RPM Mortgage is offering non-QMs for self-employed borrowers and recent retirees.

Another CFPB Official Heads for the Private Sector. CFPB Enforcement Attorney Manuel Alvarez has been hired away by Affirm, a young financial services company based in San Francisco, to be its first chief compliance officer and general counsel. In his new role at Affirm, Alvarez will oversee and manage the company’s regulatory compliance program and related actives to prevent illegal, unfair or deceptive conduct. He will also take charge of the firm’s working relationships with regulators and Affirm’s service providers. “Consumers often don’t understand the fees or interest they pay on a revolving account. That has to change,” said Alvarez. “Affirm’s commitment to delivering honest and transparent financial products totally aligns with my long-standing commitment to consumer protection.” Alvarez was ...