After years of operating in an environment with exceptionally low interest rates, federal regulators are warning lenders of risks as interest rates are expected to rise in 2014. Regulators are particularly concerned about lenders’ exposure to longer-term assets such as mortgages and agency mortgage-backed securities. “The recent increase in long-term interest rates underscores the need to understand and quantify bank vulnerability to rising interest rates,” the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ...

Commercial banks and savings institutions coughed up $1.998 billion in mortgage repurchases and indemnifications during the third quarter of 2013, according to a new Inside Mortgage Trends analysis of call-report data. It was the lowest quarterly repurchase total for the industry since the third quarter of 2008, when the buyback storm was just beginning to gather force. The third quarter 2013 total also reflected a 25.2 percent drop from the second quarter. For the first nine months of 2013 ... [Includes one data chart]

“Transactions submitted with consumer-paid compensation more than 50 bps below [the] broker’s lender-paid tier will be rejected permanently and will not be eligible for re-submission,” Fifth Third Bank is warning.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ended 2013 with several multi-million dollar settlements of buyback claims related to pre-crisis loans, completing a review of such loans mandated by their regulator. The Federal Housing Finance Agency directed Fannie and Freddie to complete their reviews of pre-conservatorship loan acquisitions and buyback demands by the end of 2013. Completing the rep-and-warrant reviews, the FHFA said was vital “to restore confidence in marketplace norms and practices and accelerate the resolution of outstanding claims.” Fannie, Freddie and their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, have been dogged...

Residential lenders reported a gradual increase in interest-only originations as 2013 progressed, despite a decline in total production.

New FHFA Director Mel Watt is expected to shakeup some of the senior staff at the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Western Bancorp said it will lend to borrowers with credit scores as low as 620 and the loans are available to non-owner-occupied properties and first-time homebuyers.

However, a year-over-year look at the data shows a much poorer performance across the board, with overall grievances up 42 percent at Dec. 31, 2013, versus year-end 2012.

Among other things, Fitch sees the compliance/cost squeeze leading to a wave of industry consolidation in the mortgage servicing industry.

One mortgage executive had this to say about the W.J. Bradley case: “This is fascinating for the implications of whether the LO or the company owns the customer. As you know, LOs have their little black books (or thumb drives) of all their customers and their information."