The administration’s firing of FHFA’s acting inspector general comes on the heels of the departure of several GSE executives and news that most of the ethics and internal investigations team at Fannie have been laid off.

Allowing the GSEs, under certain conditions, to purchase up to $300 billion in agency MBS each could reduce mortgage rates by as much as 30 basis points, lender groups say.

FHFA’s spring regulatory agenda includes plans to scrap nine existing and proposed rules.

The FHFA director’s social media posts echo President Trump’s criticism of the chair of the Federal Reserve for not lowering rates quickly enough.

In post on X, FHFA Director Bill Pulte nudged the Federal Reserve chair to hike rates: “Jerome Powell cut rates right before the election at ‘higher’ levels of inflation. Why won’t he cut now?”

The remaining items on the Biden administration’s regulatory agenda for FHFA are primarily proposals affecting the Federal Home Loan Banks.

Trade groups point out that it sometimes takes days for lenders to get their collateral back after paying off a Fed advance.

Trade groups representing banks are unhappy with some of the changes FHFA is making to Federal Home Loan Bank practices.

Because deposits at the Federal Reserve don’t earn interest, FHLBanks’ use of IBDAs at large banks with high credit has expanded over the last few years. FHFA wants to give those deposits a capital treatment equivalent to that given to overnight Fed funds sales.

Two of the new proposed rules are directed at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The other three relate to the Federal Home Loan Banks.