Federal Housing Finance Agency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), as regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as well as the Federal Home Loan Banks, seeks public input on residential energy retrofitting programs financed through special state legislation enabling a ``super-priority lien'' over existing and subsequent first mortgages. In particular, FHFA seeks input on potential changes to its policies for its regulated entities based on safety and soundness concerns. These state programs, termed Property Assessed Clean Energy or PACE, address residential properties and commercial applications. FHFA's primary focus is on residential PACE programs in this Request for Input (RFI).

The OCC, Board, FDIC, Commission, FHFA, and HUD (the agencies) are providing notice of the commencement of the review of the definition of qualified residential mortgage; the community-focused residential mortgage exemption; and the exemption for qualifying three- to-four unit residential mortgage loans, in each case as currently set forth in the Credit Risk Retention Regulations (as defined below) as adopted by the agencies.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is seeking public comments concerning an information collection known as the ``National Survey of Mortgage Originations'' (NSMO), which has been assigned control number 2590-0012 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA intends to submit the information collection to OMB for review and approval of a three-year extension of the control number, which is due to expire on April 30, 2020.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is issuing a final rule on the process for validation and approval of credit score models by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (together, the Enterprises). The final rule defines a four-phase process for an Enterprise to validate and approve credit score models. The process begins with the Credit Score Solicitation (a solicitation by the Enterprises of applications from credit score model developers), followed by the Submission and Initial Review of Applications (an initial review by the Enterprise of submitted applications). The third phase is a Credit Score Assessment by the Enterprise, and the fourth phase is an Enterprise Business Assessment. The final rule establishes criteria for each of the four phases and includes required timing and notices for Enterprise decisions under the process.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) recently discontinued publication of its monthly index for adjustable rate mortgage loans, known as the National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders, due to dwindling participation by mortgage originators in the Agency's Monthly Survey of Rates and Terms on Conventional One-Family Non-farm Mortgage Loans, on which the index had been based. By this notice, FHFA is designating a replacement index, to be called ``PMMS+.'' The replacement index will be an adjusted version of Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey 30-Yr FRM, and will take effect immediately. FHFA intends to publish the PMMS+ Index value monthly and on approximately the same schedule as it has been publishing the existing index. FHFA is soliciting public comments on its designation of the replacement index and will consider any comments received before finalizing its decision about the successor index.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is seeking public comments concerning an information collection known as the ``American Survey of Mortgage Borrowers,'' which has been assigned control number 2590-0015 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA intends to submit the information collection to OMB for review and approval of a three-year extension of the control number, which is due to expire on July 31, 2019.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, FCA, and FHFA (each an Agency and, collectively, the Agencies) are adopting and invite comment on an interim final rule amending the Agencies' regulations that require swap dealers and security-based swap dealers under the Agencies' respective jurisdictions to exchange margin with their counterparties for swaps that are not centrally cleared (Swap Margin Rule). The Swap Margin Rule takes effect under a phased compliance schedule stretching from 2016 through 2020, and the dealers covered by the rule continue to hold swaps in their portfolios that were entered into before the effective dates of the rule. Those swaps are grandfathered from the Swap Margin Rule's requirements until they expire according to their terms. There are currently financial services firms located within the United Kingdom (U.K.) that conduct swap dealing activities subject to the Swap Margin Rule. The U.K. has provided formal notice of its intention to withdraw from the European Union (E.U.) on March 29, 2019. If this transpires without a negotiated agreement between the U.K. and E.U., these entities located in the U.K. may not be authorized to provide full-scope financial services to swap counterparties located in the E.U. The Agencies' policy objective in developing the interim final rule is to address one aspect of the scenario likely to ensue, whereby entities located in the U.K. might transfer their existing swap portfolios that face counterparties located in the E.U. over to an affiliate or other related establishment located within the E.U. or the United States (U.S.). The Agencies seek to address industry concerns about the status of grandfathered swaps in this scenario, so the industry can focus on making preparations for swap transfers. These transfers, if carried out in accordance with the conditions of the interim final rule, will not trigger the application of the Swap Margin Rule to grandfathered swaps that were entered into before the compliance dates of the Swap Margin Rule.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) is issuing a final rule to improve the liquidity of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (collectively, the Enterprises) To-Be-Announced (TBA) eligible mortgage-backed securities (MBS) by requiring the Enterprises to maintain policies that promote aligned investor cash flows for both current TBA-eligible MBS, and, upon its implementation, for the Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security (UMBS)a common, fungible MBS that will be eligible for trading in the TBA market for fixed-rate mortgage loans backed by one-to-four unit (single-family) properties. The final rule codifies alignment requirements that FHFA implemented under the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conservatorships. The rule is integral to the successful transition to and ongoing fungibility of the UMBS. FHFA has announced that the Enterprises will begin issuing UMBS in place of their current TBA-eligible securities on June 3, 2019.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or the Agency) is seeking public comments concerning a previously approved information collection known as ``Advances to Housing Associates,'' which has been assigned control number 2590-0001 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA intends to submit the information collection to OMB for review and approval of a three-year renewal and reinstatement of the control number, which expired on December 31, 2018.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing a rule on the process for validation and approval of credit score models by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (together, the Enterprises. FHFA requests public comment on all aspects of this proposed rule.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is adopting a final rule pertaining to the operation of the Financing Corporation (FICO), a vehicle established by one of FHFA's predecessors to issue bonds, the proceeds of which were used to help fund the resolution of failed savings and loan associations during the 1980s. The last of those FICO bonds will mature in September 2019. By statute, FICO obtains the monies to pay the interest on those bonds by assessing depository institutions (FICO assessments) that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The final rule addresses the manner in which FICO will conduct the 2019 FICO assessments, which will be the last of those assessments. Specifically, the final rule provides that all payments made by FDIC-insured depository institutions during 2019 are final, and that no adjustments to prior FICO assessments will be permitted after March 26, 2019, the projected date as of which the FDIC will finalize the amounts of the final collection for the 2019 FICO assessments.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing to amend the existing Federal Home Loan Bank Housing Goals regulation. FHFA proposes to replace the existing four separate retrospective housing goals with a single prospective mortgage purchase housing goal as well as establish a separate small member participation housing goal. The proposed rule would also allow the Banks to request FHFA approval of alternative target levels for the proposed goals. Finally, FHFA is proposing to eliminate the existing $2.5 billion volume threshold that triggers the application of housing goals for each Bank.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or the Agency) is seeking public comments concerning an information collection known as ``Advances to Housing Associates,'' which has been assigned control number 2590-0001 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA intends to submit the information collection to OMB for review and approval of a three-year extension of the control number, which is due to expire on December 31, 2018.

The Board, OCC, FDIC, FCA, and FHFA (each an Agency and, collectively, the Agencies) are adopting amendments to their rules establishing minimum margin requirements for registered swap dealers, major swap participants, security-based swap dealers, and major security-based swap participants (Swap Margin Rule). These amendments conform the Swap Margin Rule to rules recently adopted by the Board, the OCC, and the FDIC that impose restrictions on certain qualified financial contracts, including certain non-cleared swaps subject to the Swap Margin Rule (the QFC Rules). Specifically, the final amendments to the Swap Margin Rule conform the definition of ``Eligible Master Netting Agreement'' to the definition of ``Qualifying Master Netting Agreement'' in the QFC Rules. The amendment to the Swap Margin Rule ensures that netting agreements of firms subject to the Swap Margin Rule are not excluded from the definition of ``Eligible Master Netting Agreement'' based solely on their compliance with the QFC Rules. The amendment also ensures that margin amounts required for non-cleared swaps covered by agreements that otherwise constitute Eligible Master Netting Agreements can continue to be calculated on a net portfolio basis, notwithstanding changes to those agreements that will be made in some instances by firms revising their netting agreements to achieve compliance with the QFC Rules. In addition, for any non-cleared swaps that were ``entered into'' before the compliance dates of the Swap Margin Rulesand which are accordingly grandfathered from application of the rule's margin requirementsthe amendments state that any changes to netting agreements that are required to conform to the QFC Rules will not render grandfathered swaps covered by that netting agreement as ``new'' swaps subject to the Swap Margin Rule.

Notice is hereby given that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has made available its Information Quality Guidelines pursuant to the requirements of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies, dated February 22, 2002. The purpose of this notice is to publish the location of the Guidelines on the FHFA website at https://www.fhfa.gov/ AboutUs/InformationQuality.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) is providing notice and inviting comment on a proposed rule to improve the liquidity of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (the Enterprises) To-Be-Announced (TBA) eligible mortgage-backed securities (MBS) by requiring the Enterprises to maintain policies that promote aligned investor cash flows both on current TBA-eligible MBS, and, upon its implementation, on the Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security (UMBS)a common, fungible MBS that will be eligible for trading in the TBA market for fixed-rate mortgage loans backed by 1-4 unit (single-family) properties.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing to amend its rule on golden parachute payments to better align the rule with areas of FHFA's supervisory concern and reduce administrative and compliance burdens. The current rule requires FHFA review and consent before a regulated entity or the Office of Finance (OF) enters into an agreement to make, or makes, a payment that is contingent on the termination of an affiliated party, if the regulated entity or OF is in a troubled condition, in conservatorship or receivership, or insolvent. FHFA's experience implementing the rule indicates that the rule requires review of some agreements and payments where there is little risk of excess or abuse, and thus that it is too broad. If amended as proposed, the rule would focus on the types of agreements and payments that are of greater supervisory concern to FHFA. In general, these are payments to and agreements with executive officers, broad-based plans covering large numbers of employees (such as severance plans), and payments made to non-executive-officer employees who may have engaged in certain types of wrongdoing. The proposed amendments would also revise and clarify definitions, exemptions, and procedures to implement FHFA's supervisory approach. Where possible, FHFA would also align procedures and outcomes of review under the Golden Parachute Payment Rule with requirements of FHFA's rule on executive compensation. FHFA expects implementation of these changes would result in reduced administrative and compliance burdens.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is repealing two parts of the Federal Housing Finance Board (Finance Board) regulations, which define terms used in Finance Board regulations, and which describe the process by which the Finance Board conducted its monthly interest rate survey (MIRS). The repealed definitions are either obsolete or duplicate definitions that FHFA has previously adopted. The regulation relating to the MIRS has become outdated because it does not accurately describe the manner in which FHFA currently conducts the survey. Although FHFA intends to continue to conduct the MIRS in the same manner as it is doing presently, there is no need to carry over this provision into its own regulations. This final rule also repeals a number of subchapters of the Finance Board regulations that it had previously reserved, but which no longer serve any purpose because they include no regulatory text, corrects inaccurate cross-references in regulations described in this rulemaking, and amends a table to update information relating to information collections under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or the Agency) is seeking public comments concerning an information collection known as ``Minimum Requirements for Appraisal Management Companies,'' which has been assigned control number 2590-0013 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA intends to submit the information collection to OMB for review and approval of a three-year extension of the control number, which is due to expire on July 31, 2018.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or the Agency) is proposing a new regulatory capital framework for the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (collectively, the Enterprises), which includes a new framework for risk-based capital requirements and two alternatives for an updated minimum leverage capital requirement. The risk-based framework would provide a granular assessment of credit risk specific to different mortgage loan categories, as well as market risk, operational risk, and going-concern buffer components. The proposed rule would maintain the statutory definitions of core capital and total capital. FHFA has suspended the Enterprises' capital requirements since the beginning of conservatorship, and FHFA plans to continue this suspension while the Enterprises remain in conservatorship. Despite this suspension, FHFA believes it is appropriate to update the Agency's standards on Enterprise capital requirements to provide transparency to all stakeholders about FHFA's supervisory view on this topic. In addition, while the Enterprises are in conservatorship, FHFA will expect Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to use assumptions about capital described in the rule's risk-based capital requirements in making pricing and other business decisions. Feedback on this proposed rule will also inform FHFA's views in evaluating Enterprise business decisions while the Enterprises remain in conservatorship.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or the Agency) is seeking public comments concerning an information collection known as ``Minimum Requirements for Appraisal Management Companies,'' which has been assigned control number 2590-0013 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA intends to submit the information collection to OMB for review and approval of a three-year extension of the control number, which is due to expire on July 31, 2018.

In this document, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) provides notice that it issued Orders, dated March 1, 2018, with respect to stress test reporting as of December 31, 2017, under section 165(i)(2) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act). Summary Instructions and Guidance accompanied the Orders to provide testing scenarios.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is issuing a notice of a regulatory review to be conducted in accordance with the process set forth in its Regulatory Review Plan published in February 2012, and requesting comments on how its regulations may be made more effective and less burdensome.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is issuing notice and providing an opportunity for the public to comment on proposed amendments to its regulation on the Federal Home Loan Banks' (Banks) Affordable Housing Program (AHP or Program). The proposed amendments would provide the Banks additional authority to allocate their AHP funds; authorize the Banks to establish special competitive funds that target specific affordable housing needs in their districts; provide the Banks authority to design and implement their own project selection scoring criteria, subject to meeting certain FHFA-prescribed outcome requirements; remove the requirement for retention agreements for owner-occupied units; further align the project monitoring requirements with those of other federal government funding programs; clarify the provisions on remediating AHP noncompliance; clarify certain operational requirements; and streamline and reorganize the regulation.

The Board, OCC, FDIC, FCA, and FHFA (each an Agency and, collectively, the Agencies) are seeking comment on proposed amendments to the minimum margin requirements for registered swap dealers, major swap participants, security-based swap dealers, and major security- based swap participants for which one of the Agencies is the prudential regulator (Swap Margin Rule). The Agencies are proposing these amendments in light of the rules recently adopted by the Board, the OCC, and the FDIC that impose restrictions on certain non-cleared swaps and non-cleared security-based swaps and other financial contracts (Covered QFCs) (the QFC Rules). The QFC Rules amend the definition of ``Qualifying Master Netting Agreement'' in the Federal banking agencies' regulatory capital and liquidity rules to ensure that a Covered QFC is not prevented from being part of a Qualifying Master Netting Agreement solely because the Covered QFC conforms to the new requirements in the QFC Rules. The FCA also plans to propose amendments to its capital rules, including potential revisions to its regulatory definition of ``Qualifying Master Netter Agreement,'' which is expected to be identical to the definition used in the Federal banking agencies' regulatory capital and liquidity rules. The Agencies are proposing to amend the definition of ``Eligible Master Netting Agreement'' in the Swap Margin Rule so that it remains harmonized with the amended definition of ``Qualifying Master Netting Agreement'' in the Federal banking agencies' regulatory capital and liquidity rules, and amendments to the capital rules that the FCA separately plans to propose. This proposed rule would also ensure that netting agreements of firms subject to the Swap Margin Rule are not excluded from the definition of ``Eligible Master Netting Agreement'' based solely on their compliance with the QFC Rules. The Agencies are also proposing that any legacy non-cleared swap or non-cleared security-based swap (i.e., a non-cleared swap or non-cleared security- based swap entered into before the applicable compliance date) that is not subject to the margin requirements of the Swap Margin Rule would not become subject to the provisions of the Swap Margin Rule if the non-cleared swap or non-cleared security-based swap is amended solely to comply with the requirements of the QFC Rules.