Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Tom Barkin said economic uncertainty should ease in the coming year as businesses gain confidence in sustained demand and adapt to the new policy environment. View the full article

Late last year, commercial bank holdings of mortgage paper reached the highest level since 2023 as these depositories are flush with deposits. View the full article

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods attributes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac portfolio growth for the narrower spreads, but other reasons include lower volatility. View the full article

The accusations, relating to the lender's marketing programs, including trips for brokers as things of value, stem from a larger racketeering complaint. View the full article

First Federal Bank stretched its retail mortgage operations into Louisiana and Mississippi, following its expansion into the Midwest and Arizona in 2023. View the full article

The impact of extreme weather remains top of mind for many, with a majority of homeowners citing it as a factor behind purchase or relocation considerations. View the full article

Yields gravitated back toward session lows — down three to four basis points on the day — after the December ISM manufacturing gauge unexpectedly dropped. View the full article

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said on CNBC that both sides of the central bank's dual mandate show signs of imbalance, with the labor market appearing more vulnerable. View the full article

The rally sparked by the weekend US arrest of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro also faltered as oil prices rebounded from their initial declines View the full article

Brinton joins the mortgage industry trade group after previously holding accounting leadership positions at a range of business organizations and nonprofits. View the full article

Mamdani issued several other orders, including one that created a new office devoted to community engagement and three that concern housing and real estate. View the full article

The number of remodeling establishments hit at a record high earlier this decade and now accounts for over 60% of home construction-related businesses. View the full article

The government-sponsored enterprise is under fire from dozens of the more than 100 workers it fired last spring for allegedly committing fraud. View the full article

A definitive move could occur as early as fiscal year 2026 or take until 2033, depending on what the government is willing to do, according to one analyst. View the full article

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago will be offering more funding and higher per-member limits as part of its 2026 Community Advance program. View the full article

Fitch Ratings' outlooks for mortgage and title insurers this year are neutral, as housing deals with affordability challenges and a likely economic downturn. View the full article

The merger of equals, which received a chilly reception from investors when it was announced in July, closed faster than analysts had expected. View the full article

For 2026, most Wall Street interest-rate strategists expect stable-to-higher Treasury yields as the Fed's rate-cutting cycle comes to an end. View the full article

After the ceremony on Thursday, Mamdani announced three executive orders focused on housing affordability to kickstart his agenda. View the full article

Kind Lending, Class Valuation, also add CFOs, Mortgage Capital Trading boosts artificial intelligence efforts and Acra welcomes an industry veteran. View the full article

Last year highlighted the risks for banks in lending to nondepository financial institutions. A new approach by The President-era regulators could change the playing field. View the full article

A majority of recent sellers said they offered to cover closing costs, with many also buying down mortgage rates, according to a new report from Zillow. View the full article

Developing class action cases could corral hundreds of thousands of plaintiffs in fights against lenders who allegedly defrauded customers and employees. View the full article

The Mortgage Bankers Association is examining the data to see if the high ratio warrants a new push for a premium cut but said rising arrears call for caution. View the full article

After piercing the 7% ceiling in January, the 30-year fixed trended lower the rest of the year, dropping 89 basis points from peak to trough, Freddie Mac found. View the full article