The Department of Justice this week finalized previously announced settlements with Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse regarding non-agency mortgage-backed security activities in the run-up to the financial crisis. The DOJ said the $7.20 billion settlement with Deutsche Bank was the single largest residential MBS resolution for the conduct of a single entity. The settlement with Credit Suisse was for $5.28 billion. Both of the settlements included civil penalties and ... [Includes two briefs]

In 2016, a mere $42.93 billion of non-agency MBS were issued, down 32.5 percent from the previous year, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS ranking and analysis. It was the second-lowest annual output since 2012. The picture would look a bit brighter if Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac credit-risk transfer deals were included, as well as single-family rental securitizations, which both compete for the investors that might be interested in non-agency MBS. But the government-sponsored enterprise CRT deals are debt issues and they couldn’t be any more “agency,” while the SFR securitizations look a lot more like commercial MBS than residential MBS. The prime jumbo market hit...[Includes three data tables]

With structured finance performance having peaked for many sectors, analysts at Fitch Rating and S&P Global Ratings anticipate some modest asset-level deterioration in 2017 – most notably in both prime and subprime auto ABS. On the other hand, they expect relatively stable performance from credit card ABS. “Both prime and subprime auto ABS loss rates could be...

Issuance of prime non-agency mortgage-backed securities fell sharply during 2016 from already low issuance levels, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. Forecasts for issuance this year are largely subdued, with some industry analysts noting that the prime non-agency MBS market is “in limbo.” Some $9.32 billion in prime non-agency MBS were issued in 2016, a 22.8 percent decline from the previous year. Issuance volume ... [Includes one data chart]

A number of large investors that purchased non-agency mortgage-backed securities before the financial crisis have indicated that they won’t be willing to invest in new issuance until issuers standardize representations and warranties. “Investors have lost confidence in the architecture of this market,” an investor said in December at the Structured Finance Industry Group’s RMBS Symposium, which was produced by Information Management Network. The investor was frustrated ...

The portfolio holdings of first-lien residential mortgages at banks and thrifts continued to increase during the third quarter of 2016, according to a ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. Banks and thrifts held $1.93 trillion in first liens at Sept. 30, up 1.6 percent from the previous quarter and a 3.9 percent increase compared with the third quarter of 2015. Originations and acquisitions of mortgages – both jumbos and non-jumbos ... [Includes one data chart]

LendSure Mortgage, which originated its first loan in July 2015, contributed mortgages with a total unpaid principal balance of $14.62 million to a nonprime mortgage-backed security recently issued by an affiliate of Lone Star Funds. The lender focuses on non-qualified mortgages via the broker channel. LendSure, headquartered in San Diego, was founded by former executive managers from Accredited Home Lenders, a prominent subprime lender before the financial crisis ...

Spring EQ recently launched operations, focusing on home-equity loans. The nonbank was co-founded by Jerry Schiano, president and CEO of New Penn Financial, a position he will also retain. HEL lending is dominated by banks and credit unions. However, Schiano said Spring EQ aims to compete with other types of lenders. “I want to help underserved borrowers who are currently relying on high-rate personal loans and credit cards or refinancing with large up-front fees,” he said ...

Fitch Ratings assigned a subprime servicer rating to Citadel Servicing in late December, an indication that Citadel will be involved with rated nonprime mortgage-backed securities. Citadel received an RPS3- rating with a stable outlook. Such level 3 servicers demonstrate proficiency in overall servicing ability, according to Fitch. “The servicer rating and stable outlook reflect Citadel’s experienced management team, adequate risk management practices and moderate use of technology ...

Social Finance, a nonbank that started offering mortgages in 2014, is preparing to issue a $168.79 million jumbo mortgage-backed security, according to presale reports. It will be the first jumbo MBS from SoFi, which originated all of the mortgages backing the deal. While SoFi started operations in 2011 as a peer-to-peer or marketplace lender, Fitch Ratings noted that its funding strategy has evolved to more traditional sources, such as banks and other large financial institutions ...