Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped 7 basis points to 6.18% in the week ended Jan. 9, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. View the full article

Contract closings rose 5.1% to a 4.35 million annualized pace last month, the highest since February 2023, according to figures released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors. View the full article

The San Francisco-based banking giant reported solid gains in credit card and auto lending as credit remained in check and quarterly operating costs declined from a year ago. View the full article

The megabank's net income declined by 13% during the fourth quarter as a result of a $1.2 billion pre-tax loss on sale related to the divestiture of its remaining operations in Russia. View the full article

Over 46% of mortgage transactions examined had at least one significant wire fraud or title risk, with 3.2 findings per transaction, Fundingshield said. View the full article

In the fourth quarter of 2025, America's second-largest bank posted earnings that came in just above Wall Street's forecasts. View the full article

Titl hopes to standardize and connect property records through a centralized, digitized U.S. registry, which would lead to reduced closing times and costs. View the full article

Total lock volume increased 2% from November and finished 30% higher than last December, according to Optimal Blue's latest Market Advantage report. View the full article

Kelman chose to step down from the company, which he had spent 20 years running, a week before its second phase of integration with Rocket. View the full article

The bank did $16 billion of originations during the final three months of 2025, with the quarter-to-quarter increase beating industry-wide growth forecasts. View the full article

"These changes reflect adjustments we're making to ensure our staffing levels, locations and expertise align with current business needs; efficiencies we have gained through technology; and progress against our transformation work," the company said in a statement. View the full article

A Florida man's racketeering class action case accuses two mortgage employees of conspiring with a homebuilder to facilitate fraudulent construction draws. View the full article

Cryptocurrency development in the mortgage industry has accelerated in no small part from easing regulation and a push from FHFA Director Bill Pulte. View the full article

Sales of new homes in the US were little changed in October near the strongest pace since 2023 as builders lured anxious customers with price cuts and incentives. View the full article

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday morning that consumer prices rose 0.3% in December, with annual inflation stuck at 2.7%, lending credence to the Federal Reserve's cautious stance toward interest rates heading into 2026. View the full article

Financial markets took a tumble Monday morning after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced that he was the subject of a Justice Department inquiry concerning the central bank's headquarters renovation. Lawmakers and former Fed officials decried the move as political intimidation. View the full article

Continuing to retreat from Biden-era rules, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Department of Justice withdrew a 2023 advisory opinion that had cautioned about denying credit to immigrants. View the full article

Nearly half of all credit card users carry a balance, according to Academy Bank. Higher non-mortgage debt levels can affect home loan underwriting. View the full article

The survey, taken before Pres. The President's $200 billion MBS buy demand, finds panelists worried over inflation, but also see employment as the larger downside risk. View the full article

But a senior administration official said the DOJ, not Pulte, is behind the subpoena that relates to Powell's congressional testimony about Fed building renovations. View the full article

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank has been served grand jury subpoenas and been threatened with criminal indictment, moves he called "pretexts" to influence interest rates through "political pressure or intimidation." View the full article

Home prices are now something Americans can wager on. Polymarket partnered with Parcl to offer prediction markets tied to housing price indices. View the full article