President Donald Trump met Thursday with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the White House to discuss economic developments, as Trump continues to press the Fed to lower interest rates. During the meeting, Trump told Powell he’s making “a mistake” by not lowering interest rates, the White House said Thursday. The meeting was at Trump’s […]
Trump to Powell: It’s a ‘mistake’ to not lower interest rates Read More »
Nathan Laine/Bloomberg WASHINGTON — Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration after guiding some of President Donald Trump’s most radical attempts to dissolve government agencies, including efforts to greatly diminish the headcount at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Musk’s time in Washington has been fraught with uncertainty, including the extent to which he is responsible
Musk departs White House, leaving CFPB in limbo Read More »
A federal trade court has blocked President Donald Trump’s efforts to impose broad tariffs under emergency powers — ruling the move exceeded the authority granted to the president by the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade issued the decision Wednesday, siding with plaintiffs who
Federal Court blocks Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs Read More »
Will mortgage rates go higher if the government takes the GSEs out of conservatorship? Many people would say yes if there were no government backing of these two giants, but on Tuesday evening the calculus changed. In a social media post on Tuesday, President Trump expressed his intention to transition the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) out
What implicit guarantee means for rates on GSEs’ release Read More »
President Trump last week promised a quick answer on whether to remove Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from government conservatorship. And it appears he’s already reached a decision: it’s time to take them ‘public.’ In a post published on Truth Social Tuesday night, Trump wrote: Our great Mortgage Agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, provide
Trump: I’m taking Fannie and Freddie ‘public’ with implicit guarantee Read More »
With notable bumps in the road and quickly changing priorities, the road ahead for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) during the second Trump administration remains clouded. The White House previously nominated someone for the CFPB’s director position who is largely seen as ideal by housing organizations across party lines. But that nominee, Jonathan McKernan,
Potential picks for CFPB director after McKernan nomination pulled Read More »
Since the new administration took over in January, government agencies have systemically rolled back federal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, with the Trump administration framing the move as a way to cut costs and eliminate waste. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the largest mortgage trade group, removed several webpages related to diversity, equity, and inclusion,
Mortgage Bankers Association removes DEI pages from website Read More »
On Monday, FHFA Director Bill Pulte called on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. His exact tweet was: “Jay Powell needs to lower interest rates – enough is enough. President Trump has crushed Biden’s inflation, and there is no reason not to lower rates. The housing market would be in much better
FHFA Director Pulte calls on Powell to lower interest rates Read More »
Releasing the GSEs from conservatorship became a hot topic again this week after President Trump posted that he was giving it “serious consideration” on Wednesday, followed by a Bloomberg interview with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday. The timing of the president’s announcement took many by surprise, given rising bond yields, an uncertain trade war
Bessent weighs mortgage rate risk in potential release of GSEs Read More »
Hurricane season is set to commence on June 1, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — which has been experiencing organizational challenges for the past several weeks — has reportedly rescinded its guiding plan for agency objectives and priorities, according to multiple FEMA employees and a memo obtained by news outlet Wired. On Wednesday,
FEMA rescinds strategic agency plan ahead of hurricane season Read More »