Bank of America retained 94% of its mortgage originations in the fourth quarter of 2019, a much higher retention rate than other big banks. Officials at the bank said BofA’s loans offer better yields than MBS.

First-lien holdings increased in the third quarter but Chase stood out among big banks as it sold mortgages and acquired MBS. First Republic slowed its mortgage sales and boosted its portfolio. (Includes data chart.)

Several borrowers are opting for mortgages with balances right at the conforming loan limit even though interest rates on jumbos are often lower. Relatively tight underwriting standards for jumbos look to be the cause.

The CFPB is considering whether to provide QM status to mortgages that didn’t miss payments in the early years after origination. The proposal has support from some lenders.

Holdings of first liens by banks and thrifts increased in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase ranked second with a portfolio of $231.21 billion, but its holdings were off on both a quarterly and an annual basis.