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Members of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations debated whether, and to what extent, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau improperly weaponized its enforcement authority against certain “disfavored” sectors of the financial marketplace under former Director Rohit Chopra.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Acting Director Russell Vought received a letter from 30 senators requesting details regarding the bureau’s decision to vacate its medical debt rule finalized in January, which would have removed medical bills from credit reports.

National Association of Realtors (NAR) Deputy Chief Economist Jessica Lautz offered a straight-forward, data-driven outlook on what the industry should keep in mind during a relatively turbulent time to be in the business of selling homes, during October Research’s 2025 National Settlement Services Summit.

The way consumers interact with financial service providers has been evolving, and today a majority of borrowers indicate they are generally comfortable with a digital-first approach to mortgage lending. However, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the process still gives many borrowers pause. Cloudvirga CEO Maria Moskver has been studying trends in borrower behavior for years to develop an all-digital platform that not only adapts to lender workflows but also enhances the user experience for borrowers.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency published a list of clarifications regarding changes to credit score model requirements for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac through the agency’s new “lender choice” policy.

New home purchase mortgage applications for June were 8.5 percent higher than they were one year ago but still reflect a decline in purchases amid an uncertain economic climate, according to data and analysis published by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Mark Calabria, the former director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was appointed to be the country’s chief statistician by Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought on July 10.

Federal bank regulatory agencies issued a joint proposal to rescind the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) final rule issued in October 2023. The agencies intend to replace the rule with the CRA regulations adopted in 1995, with certain technical amendments.

In line with an executive order from President Donald Trump, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced it has removed references to “disparate impact” liability from its handbook used by bank supervisors when determining fair lending issues.

The U.S. financial system saw five institutions close and one enter conservatorship the first half of 2025. For perspective, the sector saw five failures among banks and credit unions the entirety of 2024.

The National Credit Union Administration issued the second of four planned requests for comment seeking feedback on regulations that are outdated, unnecessary or unduly burdensome.

Industry veteran Ruth Dillingham, Esq. has no shortage of invaluable insight for attorneys, lenders, underwriters, settlement agents and more in the latest episode of the Keys to Real Estate podcast about what role they will play in accordance with the cascade of reporting responsibilities outlined in the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s new reporting rule.

The Senate passed bipartisan legislation to replace a Department of Veteran Affairs program, designed to help struggling veterans avoid foreclosure, by unanimous consent on July 15.

The three federal bank regulatory agencies issued a joint statement on banks’ engagement in crypto-asset-related activities, highlighting potential risk-management considerations.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s latest edition of its Consumer Compliance Supervisory Highlights contain details and takeaways based on examinations conducted in 2024 of approximately 2,800 state-chartered banks and thrifts.

Three Democratic leaders rekindled investigative efforts into illegal activity reported on Zelle and other peer-to-peer payment platforms. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against three of the nation’s largest financial institutions with an ownership stake in the platform but dropped the suit in March.

The National Credit Union Administration submitted a notice containing a general policy outline for its new approach to reporting criminally liable offenses to Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought.

The latest mortgage data published by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council offers insight into 2024 mortgage lending transactions reported under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.

The Senate voted to confirm William Briggs as deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration in a 49-45 vote along party lines.

ACES Quality Management (ACES), which provides enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, recently promoted two internal compliance executives.

The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 on July 8 that the Trump administration can proceed with implementing its reduction in force (RIF) order targeting staff at six federal agencies. The coalition opposing the RIF argued it sought to shut down congressionally mandated agencies.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will permit lenders to continue to use a credit scoring model based on the “tri-merge” method of accounting for consumer credit reports provided by the nation’s three credit reporting agencies.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau confirmed its plans to issue a new final rule implementing small business lending data requirements described in Sec. 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act. The bureau has extended the compliance deadline for the current rule by one year.

Mortgage Bankers Association Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni offered his reaction to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report on employment conditions in June, along with some insight about what he believes it means for the financial marketplace.

Glacier Bancorp, Inc., entered into its 27th bank acquisition since 2000 and its 13th in the last 10 years when it signed a definitive agreement with the acquisition of a Texas-based bank and its holding company.

The Senate voted to confirm the first permanent head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency since Joseph Otting left the office in May 2020.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has withdrawn a November 2024 consent order requiring Navy Federal Credit Union to pay $95 million for allegedly charging illegal overdraft fees through its “Optional Overdraft Protection Service,” known as “OOPS.” The reversal nullifies the bureau’s largest-ever financial penalty against a credit union.

The country’s largest and most complex banking institutions are well-positioned to weather a severe recession, according to the Federal Reserve’s annual bank stress test results. In April, the Fed proposed a new rule to average stress test results over two consecutive years to determine an institution’s minimum capital requirement.

The office of the inspector general is expanding its investigation into workforce reductions at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to include a review of the bureau’s canceled contracts, Senate Banking Committee officials confirmed.

In Part 2 of October Research Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster’s interview with Bill Conerly, founder of Conerly Consulting, on the Keys to Real Estate podcast, the two industry veterans dug in deep to discuss what business leadership really needs to understand about the current state of the economy.

Federal banking agencies have a standing record of offering guidance to entities in areas affected by natural disasters. This regulatory roundup includes details about how banks and credit unions affected by recent flooding in Texas can access these materials, as well as other information.

Federal Reserve Financial Services (FRFS) will be implementing its new message format for its Fedwire Funds Service on July 14. The transition coincides closely with FRFS’s recent integration of enhanced risk mitigation features into its instant payment service, FedNow.

Faced with rising pressure to lower interest rates, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell recently said his agency would have likely reduced the federal funds rate already this year if it were not for market volatility caused by the Trump administration’s trade tariffs. Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte released a statement on social media accusing Powell of “political bias” and calling for an investigation into his actions as Fed chair.

In accordance with an executive order from President Donald Trump, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a policy statement June 27 describing its approach for determining potential criminal penalties for violations of the law.

The importance of accurate credit scoring models cannot be understated as lenders work to increase their lending portfolios while mitigating risk exposures. Dodd Frank Update heard from a pair of experts at VantageScore about how they are trying to help in this respect.

The federal bank regulatory agencies issued a request for information on a proposal to modify certain regulatory capital standards to encourage banking organizations to engage in lower-risk activities and help U.S. Treasury markets run more smoothly.

The financial services industry has been vocal about several provisions included in the congressional budget package. But there are other legislative pieces and policy proposals on the radar of bankers and credit union officials as well. Learn about a few of these in this roundup.

The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, S. 1582, passed 68-30 in the Senate with bipartisan support for its aim of establishing a federal regulatory framework for U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins.

The Senate passed the Republican-led tax and spending package, known as “One Big Beautiful Bill” by the narrowest of margins on July 1. Three Republicans broke party ranks to oppose the measure, resulting in a 50-50 split among voting members and Vice President J.D. Vance being called upon to cast the tie-breaking vote.

The real estate finance industry welcomed the news that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asked lawmakers to strike “retaliatory tax measures” from the congressional budget package. Dodd Frank Update spoke with an expert from the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council about the effect such a tax would have on real estate investments.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency issued a directive requiring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop proposals for incorporating cryptocurrency into single-family mortgage loan risk assessments. The agency hopes this will help to promote sustainable homeownership.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner announced the Federal Housing Administration will propose an across-the-board leveling of its Upfront Capitalized and Annual Mortgage Insurance Premiums to 25 basis points for all multifamily program categories as a step toward boosting affordable housing inventory.

The federal banking agencies published comprehensive data depicting communities presenting opportunities for covered institutions to receive Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) compliance credit through outreach activities, as well as a list of banks recently evaluated for their efforts to fulfill their CRA obligations. Read about these reports and more in this regulatory roundup.

The Senate was divided over an amended budget bill provision proposing severe cuts to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s annual funding ahead of its vote to pass the measure July 1, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.