The Royal Bank of Scotland is shutting down its U.S. mortgage trading desk as it proceeds with a new plan to reposition its U.S. business. The announcement came after RBS reconsidered its initial plan disclosed five months ago to pare the mortgage trading unit by two-thirds over the next two years, cutting hundreds of jobs in the process. The plan also included an initial public offering of RBS’ Citizens Financial Group unit. The plan changed...

There’s a growing fear that the CSBS might move to increase capital standards for nonbank originators as well.

“It’s been seven years since the financial crisis, and certainly a lot of things have changed,” said Rui Pereira, managing director at Fitch Ratings.

Based on the run-rate of the first nine months, HEL production could top almost $67 billion in 2014, which would be the best year since 2009.

Mortgage companies may not realize it, but the CFPB is partnering with the state attorneys general, the Department of Justice, and in some cases, the Department of Financial Services in New York.

Still, the new index from the Urban Institute is not perfect...

Several weeks back, a FHFA official told IMFnews that just 18 members would be affected by the captive rule, mostly REITs.

In regard to misrepresentations, relief will not be offered if it can be proved that a borrower was misled by the originator. And, of course, any mortgage subject to fraud must be bought back.

A GSE bill? Since Congress and President Obama have such a strong track record of working together on legislation we know how that’s going to turn out…

The CMBS market is well known for rating shopping, where issuers will invite up to six CRAs to conduct a preliminary review of an initial asset pool.