Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

A survey of senior bank officers at community banks by fintech firm IntraFi found bankers nearly evenly divided on the idea of merging federal bank regulators, while an overwhelming 93% support maintaining agency independence. View the full article

Executives surveyed by American Banker said companies vying to wrestle market share from banks are a major threat to operations in the coming year. View the full article

A coalition of national financial organizations filed a friend-of-the-court brief for preemption after regulators filed one against it in a key servicing case. View the full article

The volume of home equity lines of credit expanded for the 14th consecutive quarter, driven largely by fintechs and other nonbanks that are accounting for more and more of the business. View the full article

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is likely to scratch and rework its open banking rule, at a time when the agency's fate is in doubt. View the full article

Trade groups representing banks and utilities urged lawmakers to reauthorize the CISA law before it expires in September. View the full article

Supply chain attacks have doubled since 2021, with professional services firms increasingly acting as "stepping stones" to access bank data. View the full article

Many servicing metrics look weaker amid lower rates although valuations can vary depending on companies' models, operations and portfolio composition. 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

The vendor, SitusAMC Group Holdings, LP, said in a statement Saturday that someone compromised its systems and took client data including "accounting records and legal agreements." View the full article

The quarterly data showed bank profits were driven by gains at large firms while credit quality remained mixed, with commercial real estate loan stress at relatively high levels. View the full article

The Federal Reserve governor said it is healthy to examine the regulatory architecture, but stressed the importance of the central bank having insight into the banking system. View the full article

The pending agreement would resolve claims over a 2021 hack which affected 5.8 million customers of Lakeview, Community, and Pingora Loan Servicing. View the full article

Beeline's product division, dubbed Beeline Labs, will be rolling out an AI-powered quality control product for mortgage lenders. View the full article

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped 3 basis points this week, its lowest level since October and just over its 52-week bottom, Freddie Mac reported. View the full article

The administration has previously said the finalists are Fed Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, former Governor Kevin Warsh, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and BlackRock Inc. executive Rick Rieder. View the full article

In a speech at the American Bankers Association Washington Summit Wednesday morning, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed economic risks from tariffs, floated capital reforms, and urged regulatory relief for community banks. View the full article

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Federal Reserve Board should reject the renomination of any regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents who have not lived in their districts for three years, signaling a potential confrontation when reappointments come before the board in February. View the full article

In a contentious House Financial Services Committee oversight hearing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sidestepped questions on the The President family crypto conflicts of interest and inflation with pugnacious responses to Democratic lawmakers' questions. View the full article

"Anything that is done around a safe and sound release is going to hinge on the effect of long-term mortgage rates," Bessent said. View the full article

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expects the U.S. housing market to quickly pick up steam after recent indicators came in below forecasts. View the full article