FICO’s CEO argued that VantageScore isn’t gaining much traction in the MBS and ABS markets, and that the only way the score will take share with GSE mortgages will be if lenders game the system.

Policies put in place during the pandemic prevent many small banks and credit unions from selling small-balance loans to the GSEs, which constrains mortgage lending in rural and low-income communities.

Even with strong earnings the GSEs are making little progress on meeting stringent capital levels set during the first Trump administration.

For MBS investors, the biggest complication in the GSEs’ implementation of VantageScore 4.0 is likely loan-level pricing adjustments.

The Treasury Market Practices Group released a white paper identifying how a change in the ownership structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could impact the broader financial markets.

Combining machine learning techniques with more traditional accounting is making it possible to predict both whether a loan will prepay and when.

A recent paper co-authored by Federal Reserve Governor Stephan Miran identifies several policy changes that would allow the Fed’s SOMA to be reduced by up to $2.13 trillion.

The revised proposals would reduce capital requirements for banks, both for MBS holdings and whole loans in portfolio. The change would provide incentives for banks to retain more originations in portfolio.

One of the GSEs has quietly issued an MBS comprised of loans underwritten using VantageScore 4.0.

Since the Iran war started, interest rates have returned to where they were when President Trump directed the GSEs to purchase $200 billion in MBS and most analysts say GSE reform is now off the table.