Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

In a new interpretive letter, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will allow banks to serve as middlemen for "riskless" crypto trades, extending existing brokerage authority for securities to digital assets. View the full article

Overall performance is stable but inflation and unemployment have hurt newer borrowers in some cases, according to Transunion's 2026 consumer credit forecast. View the full article

This year Point has funded more than $2 billion in home equity investments to more than 20,000 homeowners nationwide. View the full article

Approximately 70% of home purchasers do not get more than one quote in the mortgage process, doing so could reduce their rate by 50 basis points, Zillow said. View the full article

After home equity surged in 2023, average gains slowed last year before falling into negative territory over the past 12 months, Cotality said. View the full article

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have added billions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities and home loans to their balance sheets in recent months, fueling speculation that they're trying to push down lending rates and boost their profitability ahead of a potential public offering. View the full article

The home purchase market, which competes for consumers with rentals, should remain subdued in 2026 because of high mortgage rates and low affordability. View the full article

The threshold regards loans where the annual percentage rate is at least 1.5 percentage points higher than the average prime offer rate on first liens. View the full article

Remote work helped fuel migration and erased the loss of rural residents that occurred in the decade prior to the arrival of Covid, Harvard researchers found. View the full article

Mortgage activity fell 3.8% from one week prior for the week ending Dec. 12, led by a 4% drop in refinance applications, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. View the full article

Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services recommended approval of Fifth Third's $10.9 billion proposed acquisition of Comerica. View the full article

As CFPB oversight recedes, servicers are turning to FHA, VA and state rules for guidance, with distressed loan compliance, redefaults and local registration risks rising in 2026. 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

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

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

With ongoing affordability issues, the Federal Housing Administration program will keep taking low down payment market share from the private mortgage insurers. View the full article

Mortgage borrowers filed a third amended class action complaint against the bank over modification issues from 2010 to 2015. View the full article

Tri-merge mandates prop up a credit bureau/FICO oligopoly, raising mortgage costs with little benefit despite risk concerns, the chairman of Whalen Global Advisors argues. View the full article

Dan Sogorka is leaving Rocket to be with his family in San Diego, while Austin Niemiec's title is unchanged but he will no longer be responsible for retail. View the full article

The President administration officials are exploring opening an antitrust investigation into US homebuilders as the White House sharpens its focus on tackling the country's housing affordability crisis. View the full article

Fed Gov. Stephan Miran has spent his short tenure at the central bank arguing that disinflation in housing and immigration reforms will tamp down inflation in the near term. But other economists say the timing, degree and context of those effects is very much in question. View the full article

Origination has picked up but has limits, retention rates are improving and stakeholders are seeking a recapture standard, experts at an industry meeting said. View the full article