Despite the slowdown, an estimated 630,000 mortgages were guaranteed by VA in FY 2013 – a record. Wells Fargo was the top VA funder with $14.82 billion. USAA was second.

Why are speculators shorting mortgage stocks? Answer: The "servicing trade" might be over, but not everyone believes that.

IMA is out with a new $1.294 billion package of bulk Ginnie Mae MSRs, plus a monthly “flow” deal that could net a buyer an additional $900 million in Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and Ginnie rights.

Mortgage companies with back-office operations overseas don't have to worry about the CFPB examining their off-shore staff, at least not anytime soon.

In an email exchange with IMFnews, RFC's Stein confirmed the sale, but declined to provide any details including the size of the MSRs or the purchase price.

Issuance of agency and non-agency commercial MBS increased 13.5 percent in 2013, according to a new analysis by Inside MBS & ABS, although production dropped sharply in the fourth quarter. Industry participants expect that volume will continue to grow as investor demand for commercial MBS remains strong despite some loosening of underwriting standards. Ken Cheng, a managing director at Morningstar Credit Ratings, said...[Includes one data chart]

Industry participants expect that volume will continue to grow as investor demand for commercial MBS remains strong despite some loosening of underwriting standards.

A policy shift at the Securities and Exchange Commission requiring admission of guilt in certain cases may encourage wrongdoers in the securities market to litigate rather than settle, resulting in fewer SEC settlements, according to some compliance attorneys. Fear of possible criminal prosecution and the lasting impact of an admission of guilt could compel accused companies and individuals to take their cases to trial rather than negotiate a settlement, warned Philip Stein and Jeremy Sahn, partners in the Miami-based law firm of Bilzin Sumberg. Starting in June 2013, the SEC began requiring...

Losses incurred for rep-and-warrant claims tied to MBS could total $89 billion eventually. However, banks have already reserved $88 billion, according to some tallies.

The lawsuit seeks to recover unspecified damages and penalties from the defendants for using fraudulent mortgage assignments and FHA endorsements to submit tens of thousands of false FHA claims from 2000 through 2010.