Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Director Joseph Otting announced on Wednesday that federal banking agencies are planning to launch a dialogue with private banks centered around establishing an alternative to Libor that would be suitable for loans.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing received another boost when global research and data provider MSCI challenged the investment community to increase its support of sustainable investing.

In a letter to Congress, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced a proposed change to the Qualified Mortgage (QM) Rule. Under the change, debt-to-income (DTI) ratios will no longer be used to distinguish QM loans from non-QM loans.

On Tuesday, January 21st, SFA and the Bank Policy Institute (BPI) submitted a joint letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on its Valid-When-Made proposed rule.

SFA CEO Michael Bright will speak at the Information Management Network’s (IMN) Global Investors’ Conference on Securitization in China, taking place from March 27th through March 28th in Beijing.

UK financial regulators have begun to push major banks and insurers to sever their ties to Libor and meet the 2021 deadline.

The Federal Reserve is considering several options to relieve stress and decrease volatility in the repurchase, or repo, market. One of the most viable solutions involves lending cash to smaller banks, securities dealers and hedge funds through the Fixed Income Clearing Corp.

Founder and CEO of BlackRock investments Larry Fink, in his annual letter to chief executives, announced that future investment decisions would be made with sustainability as a core goal. While many companies and investors have committed to environmentally-focused investments, the largest firms have previously shied away from making such a commitment.

On Wednesday, January 15, President Trump signed a “Phase One” trade deal with China that will reduce some tariffs, but, ultimately, do little for America’s homebuilders according to the National Association of Realtors.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is looking to bring banks back to its program. They have promised lighter False Claims Act enforcement and other steps, but most experts say they will need to update their servicing processes in order to make any meaningful progress.