The average single-family guarantee fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increased by two basis points in 2015 to 59 basis points, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported today. The modest increase suggested that fees are adequately reflecting the credit risk of new acquisition, as FHFA concluded last April after a comprehensive review of g-fees. Following that review, the agency directed the GSEs to eliminate the “adverse market charge” that was imposed in 2008, with the revenue from that fee to be replaced by targeted g-fee increases based on risk and access-to-credit considerations.
Banking agencies promise new approach for handling sensitive information
The Federal Reserve, FDIC and OCC announced a “coordinated approach” for handling sensitive information used in bank examinations, including a new pledge to notify banks about data breaches that threaten to expose that information.
