Home >> Tag Archives: Politics (page 2)

Tag Archives: Politics

Consumer Sentiment Rises in First-Look Reading

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey of consumer sentiment came in at a preliminary index reading of 93.8 for December, up from November's final reading of 88.8. December's report beat economists' forecasts by more than four points and puts the index at its highest level since January 2007.

Read More »

FHA Acting Chief Criticizes Government Spending Plan

A $1.1 trillion congressional spending bill proposed this week may avoid another government shutdown, but officials at the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) are less than impressed at the absence of funds for certain agency initiatives. "We are deeply disappointed programs that could have served millions of families will not be permitted under the bill," said Acting FHA Commissioner Biniam Gebre in a statement Thursday.

Read More »

Mortgage Professionals Weigh in On GSE Wind-Down

In a report released Monday, the Collingwood Group said that 65 percent of lenders and other mortgage industry workers support the push for GSE reform, calling their current state of conservatorship under the Federal Housing Finance Agency unsustainable. At the same time, none of the survey respondents called for a wind-down or elimination of the GSEs.

Read More »

What’s Next for CFPB after the Midterms?

With the midterm election in the rearview, Democrats are circling the wagons to protect what will certainly be a top priority on the Republicans' list of changes to makeā€”the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Read More »

GSE Reform in a Post-Midterm Congress

To say the Republicans have an uphill battle ahead where GSE reform is concerned is an understatement. The president has the power of the veto pen and while both sides have vowed to work together on areas that they can disagree, the extent to which he would support major Republican led legislation remains to be seen.

Read More »

Report Measures Housing Concerns Among Red, Blue Markets

A recent study conducted by Trulia shows that while Democratic- and Republican-leaning U.S. markets were affected similarly by the housing crisis, the most pressing current issues of the housing industry seem to be more severely affecting Democratic-leaning metros.

Read More »

CFPB, Critics React to GAO Report on Data Collection

Rep. Jeb Hensarling earlier this week pounced on a GAO report criticizing CFPB's data collection practices, accusing the bureau of "trying to out-NSA the NSA when it comes to accumulating information on Americans." The report came as a result of legislation passed by Congress in January that required GAO to look into CFPB's data collection methods following CFPB's refusal to disclose information about its program to Congress, according to Hensarling.

Read More »

House Committee Approves Bill to Ease Large Firm Bankruptcies

The House Judiciary Committee approved bipartisan legislation aimed at speeding up the bankruptcy process and preventing taxpayers from taking the hit in the event of the failure of large financial institutions. The backers of the Financial Institution Bankruptcy Act say it will expedite the bankruptcy process with a speedy judicial review and quicker transfer of assets from the bank to a bridge company.

Read More »

Lawmaker Pushes to Reform Consumer Credit Reporting

Congresswoman Maxine Waters announced Wednesday a new proposal aimed at reforming consumer reporting and credit scoring practices. Waters drafted her proposal, which is entitled "Fair Credit Reporting Improvement Act of 2014," in response to many recent cases and studies which have exposed flaws in the country's current consumer reporting system.

Read More »

CBO: GSE Wind-Down Bill Could Cut Spending by $60B

A bill proposed to dissolve the GSEs and replace them with a limited government backstop could cut direct spending by $60 billion over the next 10 years, according to an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. Under S. 1217, the new system of guaranteeing mortgage-backed securities (MBS) would mean less risk for the government, therefore costing the government less money.

Read More »