A recent recommendation by the House Financial Services Committee to the FHA to consider charging “additional user fees” to strengthen and protect the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund has raised questions in the industry as to what lawmakers meant by user fees. The FHA, apparently, has no authority to do so. In its recently published views and estimates related to the FY 2014 budget, the committee noted that while the FHA has increased its mortgage insurance premiums, lawmakers remain concerned that the agency “has failed to make full use of its existing authorities to protect the health of the fund.” The committee urged...