As banks cede market share to nondepositories, an odd thing is happening: banks and thrifts are hiking their investment in MBS.

Consumers complained to the CFPB about debt collection issues at a substantially reduced level during the fourth quarter of 2015, according to a new analysis and ranking by Inside the CFPB. During the period ending Dec. 31, 2015, consumer gripes were down 27.5 percent versus the previous quarter.Among the top 50 companies as ranked by consumer criticisms, 45 saw a double-digit percentage decline. Year over year, the story is less inspirational, with consumer kvetching down a mere 0.6 percent. Six companies saw complaints leap by triple digit percentages. To put some anecdotal flesh on these empirical bones, in the CFPB’s most recent supervisory highlights report, the bureau pointed out that during its examination of at least one debt collector, ...

The False Claims Act could potentially apply to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans in the future, thanks to increased GSE cases and a broadened claim definition. The risk of the Department of Justice applying the FCA to GSE loans may seem remote, said Andrew Schilling, partner with BuckleySander LLP, but he isn’t counting it out. …

Among the MI standouts: Arch Mortgage Insurance, which had a hefty 108.9 percent increase in traditional flow business...

Thanks to the MIP cut, it looks like FHA is stealing business away from Fannie Mae...

Impac sold a large block of MSRs in 4Q, which boosted profits.

Commercial banks and savings institutions continued their buying spree in the MBS market during the fourth quarter of 2015, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside MBS & ABS. Banks and thrifts held a record $1.644 trillion of residential MBS in their available-for-sale and held-to-maturity portfolios as of the end of last year. That was up 2.2 percent from the third quarter and represented a 6.8 percent gain over 12 months. All of the increase came...[Includes two data tables]

The Bank of New York Mellon, acting as trustee, has petitioned the New York State Supreme Court for instructions for paying out Bank of America’s $8.5 billion cash settlement with Countrywide MBS investors, which could potentially alter the order of payment, according to an analysis by Moody’s Investors Service. The governing MBS documents and the settlement agreement are complicated, nuanced and ambiguous, the rating service noted. Without guidance from the state court, BNYM, as trustee for 530 RMBS trusts, could decide on a payout that could favor certain bondholders unexpectedly. The massive payout has been delayed...

The TRID error problem is not going away, at least not yet...

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt recently dished on the mounting challenges that come with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac being in conservatorship for eight years and reiterated his unease about declining capital buffers. He said the prolonged conservatorship makes it difficult to plan for the future when much is uncertain. “Some of the challenges and risks we are managing are escalating and will continue to do so the longer the enterprises remain in conservatorship,” said Watt, speaking at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, DC, this week. The most serious risk is the GSEs’ lack of capital, according to the former North Carolina congressman, who pointed out that on Jan. 1, 2018, Fannie...