High Commission Mortgages Drive Lending Abuses

The Federal Reserve recently imposed an $85 million fine on Wells Fargo related to subprime loan origination. Fines and legal actions against banks by regulators have become routine, but the Wells Fargo case is unique for several reasons. The Federal Reserve noted that this was the first time that regulators have imposed a penalty for […]

FDIC Chief Condemns Mortgage Servicers While Ignoring FDIC Role In Mortgage Crisis

In a strongly worded speech at the Summit On Residential Mortgage Servicing For the 21st Century, FDIC Chief Sheila Bair condemned the mortgage servicing industry for their role in extending the mortgage crisis. Ms. Bair stated that the housing industry has been stabilized by emergency measures but that the effects of the housing bust and […]

Should Banks Be Allowed To Resume Subprime Lending?

As discussed in a previous post, based on the total number of Americans with a credit score of 649 or lower, up to 35% of all Americans are effectively locked out of the refinance or purchase mortgage market for the foreseeable future (see One Third of All Americans Unqualified).  In the past, borrowers who did […]