The SEC or another federal entity should map credit ratings among competing rating services, similar to efforts by regulators in other countries, according to Morningstar. The firm said rating mapping can help keep competition strong among rating services.

Fitch is allowing ratings for certain CRT issuance from banks to be higher than the rating on the issuer. The deals need various features to receive higher ratings.

Ginnie offers new multiclass aggregation options; Fannie increases social bond disclosure; Annaly touts ESG efforts; new nonprofit advocates for greater parity for women in mortgage capital markets.

The broker channel remains the smallest of the three primary origination channels, though it showed the most growth in the first quarter. An estimated 19.1% of first-lien originations came through brokers.

Servicers are working to shift from reaction-based investments in technology to forward-looking measures. That includes the use of artificial intelligence.

Available home equity looks likely to suppress mortgage delinquencies.

“The Biden administration is committed to fostering innovation in the financial sector while ensuring that we protect consumers, investors, and our financial system from risks that new technologies pose,” said Nellie Liang, under secretary for domestic finance at the Treasury.

Higher for longer persists.

“I want us to use it in a way that’s going to protect the company and protect the borrowers as well,” said Kiran Sahota, an executive vice president of technology at Freedom Mortgage.

The CFPB reiterated that Regulation Z prohibits mortgages for principal dwellings from including “terms requiring arbitration or any other nonjudicial procedure as the method for resolving any controversy or settling claims arising out of the transaction.”