ABA: Bank Economists Express Cautious Optimism About Credit Conditions in 2024
The latest summary of ABA’s Credit Conditions Index examines a suite of indices derived from the quarterly outlook for credit markets produced by ABA’s Economic Advisory Committee (EAC). The EAC includes chief economists from North America’s largest banks. Readings above 50 indicate that, on net, bank economists expect business and household credit conditions to improve, while readings…
Agencies Issue 2023 Shared National Credit Program Report
Federal bank regulatory agencies today reported in the 2023 Shared National Credit (SNC) report that credit quality associated with large, syndicated bank loans remains moderate. However, the agencies noted declining credit quality trends due to the pressure of higher interest rates on leveraged borrowers and compressed operating margins in some industry sectors. Risks in leveraged…
SBA: Updated Equity Action Plan Unveiled to Advance Commitment to Investing in Equity
Updates Focus on Providing Access to Capital and Entrepreneurial Support Services, Creating Economic Opportunities, and Advancing our National Economy Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses and startups, announced the SBA’s updated 2023 Equity Action Plan outlining actionable steps the…
FFIEC: Statement Issued on Examination Principles Related to Valuation Discrimination and Bias in Residential Lending
The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council today issued a statement of principles related to valuation discrimination and bias for member entities to consider in their consumer compliance and safety and soundness examinations. The principles aid member entities in assessing whether their supervised institutions’ compliance and risk management practices are appropriate to identify and mitigate discrimination…
Federal Reserve: New Paper Reexamines the Role of the CRA in Mortgage Supply and the U.S. Housing Boom
Abstract: Concerns have lingered since the 2007 subprime crisis that government housing policies promote risky mortgage lending. The first peer-reviewed evidence of a causal effect was published by the Review of Financial Studies in a paper (Saadi, 2020) linking the crisis to changes in the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in 1995. A review of that…
FHFA: Latest Report on Non-Performing Loan Sales Released
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released the latest report on the sale of non-performing loans (NPLs) by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises). The Enterprise Non-Performing Loan Sales Report includes sales information about NPLs sold through June 30, 2023. Borrower outcomes reflect NPLs sold through December 31, 2022. The sale of NPLs…
FHFA: 2024 Scorecard for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Common Securitization Solutions Released
Today, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released the 2024 Scorecard for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (together, the Enterprises) and their joint venture, Common Securitization Solutions, LLC (CSS). Annually, FHFA releases a Scorecard to communicate and provide public awareness of its priorities and expectations for the Enterprises and CSS. “The annual Scorecard requires that…
CDFI Fund: Application Demand for FY 2024 Round of Small Dollar Loan Program Released
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) released today the application data for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 round of its Small Dollar Loan Program (SDL Program). The SDL Program is intended to expand consumer access to financial institutions by providing alternatives to high-cost small dollar lending. Up to…
Federal Reseve: Bank Term Funding Program Will Cease Making New Loans on March 11th
The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday announced that the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) will cease making new loans as scheduled on March 11. The program will continue to make loans until that time and is available as an additional source of liquidity for eligible institutions. During a period of stress last spring, the Bank…
CFPB: Rule Proposed to Limit Bank Overdraft Fees by Applying Truth in Lending Requirements
Rule would require nation’s largest banks to apply longstanding consumer protections, including interest rate disclosures, to overdraft loans The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today proposed a rule to rein in excessive overdraft fees charged by the nation’s biggest financial institutions. The proposal would close an outdated loophole that exempts overdraft lending services from longstanding provisions of…