Wells Fargo remained the top mortgage servicer in the industry at the end of 2012, but the company posted a rare decline in its portfolio during the fourth quarter and is reportedly considering selling some of its massive $1.873 trillion portfolio. A new Inside Mortgage Finance ranking and analysis of the servicing market underscores the gains made in market share by a handful of nonbanks and some regional banks, while some of the top servicers continue to pare their businesses. The servicing industry faces a significant challenge in that increased regulatory requirements are raising operational costs at a time when the overall market continues to decline. On the upside, much of the damage from the housing recession has already occurred...[Includes one data chart]

The Federal Financial institutions Examination Council is taking a close look at social media and the risks it poses to financial institutions, including mortgage lenders.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is concerned about large scale transfers of mortgage servicing rights.

Massachusetts will not join other states in the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Standard & Poor’s, but instead will conduct its own fraud probe tied to CDO ratings.

Lawmakers worry about FHA's financial condition during Wednesday hearing.

The Federal Housing Administration is cracking down on down payment assistance programs, tracking the source of gift money.

FHA is looking at $133 billion of troubled mortgages.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have developed a prototype of its standard securitization platform.

Standard & Poor's, which had a huge ratings market share tied to subprime MBS, was sued by the government for negligence.

At least one top-five ranked residential servicer is planning to offer for sale a decent-sized package of mostly nonperforming servicing rights over the next month.