Mortgage rates continue to fall
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The interest rates on long- and short-term mortgages continue to fall, with a 30-year fixed-rate dropping below year-ago levels.

Mortgage Modification Overhaul Sought by States
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State attorneys general have presented the nation’s five biggest banks with a list of demands that could drastically alter the foreclosure process and give the government sweeping authority over how mortgage servicers deal with millions of Americans in danger of losing their homes.

EDITORIAL: Foreclosure Follies
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The ongoing crash is further evidence that the government’s antiforeclosure efforts have fallen short and America’s struggling homeowners need more help.

Without Loan Giants, 30-Year Mortgage May Fade Away
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The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loan, the steady favorite of American borrowers since the 1950s, could become a luxury product, housing experts on both sides of the political aisle say.

In foreclosure settlement, U.S. may force banks to meet loan-modification quotas
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As part of a settlement with banks that engaged in shoddy foreclosure practices, the Obama administration is weighing whether to impose quotas that would force the firms to modify a specific number of mortgages for distressed borrowers, sources familiar with the discussion said.

A Test Where the Banks Had the Questions and the Answers
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Later this month, the Federal Reserve is going to let banks know how they did on its most recent round of “stress tests.” Banks are eager to bring doctors’ notes to their meetings with investors, displaying their bills of health. They want regulators to allow them to start paying, or increasing, dividends to investors or to initiate stock buyback programs.

Fed Notes ‘Modest to Moderate’ Growth of Economy
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Economic activity in the United States expanded at a “modest to moderate” pace in the early part of the year, as retail sales and manufacturing grew in all but a few regions of the country, according to a survey of the Federal Reserve’s 12 districts released on Wednesday.

Officials Disagree on Penalties for Mortgage Mess
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Even as state attorneys general and regulators in Washington approach the end of their investigation into abuses by the nation’s biggest mortgage companies, deep disputes are emerging over how much to punish the banks as well as exactly who should benefit from a settlement.

Under scrutiny, HSBC halts foreclosures
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HSBC Bank USA N.A. has suspended home foreclosures indefinitely and could face regulatory fines or actions related to its foreclosure practices, according to a recent government filing.

Fed, FTC Call for Lenders to Share Credit Scores
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Starting in July, lenders would be required to disclose credit scores to consumers when the scores are used to set certain credit terms. The Federal Reserve and Federal Trade Commission proposed the rules to comply with a provision included in the sweeping Dodd-Frank financial overhaul Congress passed last summer.

Fed Proposes Cap to Debit-Card Fees
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The Federal Reserve has proposed to cap debit-card swipe fees at 12 cents per transaction, which would save merchants and their customers 70%, or $1.2 billion a month, compared to the current fee rates. But at least one lobbying group says the proposal doesn’t go far enough.

Regulators Push 20% Down Payments on Homes
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Banking regulators are pushing for mortgage-lending rules that require homeowners to make minimum 20% down payments on loans classified as lower-risk, according to people familiar with the matter.

Geithner wants housing overhaul bill in 2 years
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In remarks he planned to deliver Tuesday to the House Financial Services Committee, Geithner said that failing to act by then would worsen uncertainty in the financial markets. He also warned that acting hastily could destabilize the housing finance market and jeopardize the recovery of the economy -- remarks that seemed a veiled reference to the desire by some Republicans to end or quickly constrict the government's role in supporting the nation's mortgage system.

Fewer people sign contracts to buy homes in Jan.
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The National Association of Realtors says its index of sales agreements for previously occupied homes fell 2.8 percent last month to a reading of 88.9, the second straight monthly decline.

How the recovery is leaving America's workers behind
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In past recessions, it has been an article of faith that as the economy revives, the jobs eventually will return. But in a rebuilt economy, the lost jobs may not come back.

Fannie, Freddie Stuck In a Dividends Circle
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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are borrowing from the Treasury to pay the Treasury: The two mortgage behemoths still ask the Treasury Department every quarter for billions of dollars in cash, most of it going right back out the door to pay dividends to the same U.S. agency.

Billions in Bloat Uncovered in Beltway
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A massive government study found overlapping and duplicative programs that cost taxpayers billions of dollars each year, including 15 different agencies overseeing food-safety laws, 20 separate programs to help the homeless and 80 programs for economic development.

Consumer spending cools as food, fuel costs climb
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Consumer spending cooled more than forecast in January as rising food and fuel prices caused Americans to cut back on post-holiday visits to malls and restaurants.

Housing: Is It Time to Buy?
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The relationship between the national housing market and local markets is breaking down—meaning buyers and sellers need to do some sleuthing to figure out what's happening on the neighborhood level. Here's what to look for.

Why 2011 May Be the End of the Housing Crash
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There might finally be some good news this year about the nation's dismal housing market. Home prices may be approaching their post-crash bottom, say some housing experts. The trick is avoiding getting burned again, and it doesn't necessarily mean owning a home.

Only 1 in 4 Got Mortgage Relief
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Just one in four of the 2.7 million homeowners who sought to participate in the Obama administration's mortgage assistance program have succeeded in getting their monthly payments reduced and been able to make them in a timely manner.

Mortgage rates decrease, while mortgage applications increase
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Mortgage rates decreased last week, while total mortgage applications subsequently increased, according to recent data from the Mortgage Bankers Association.

F.H.A. to Raise Insurance Premiums
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FEDERAL Housing Administration mortgages, the government-insured loans that have surged in popularity in recent years, will be getting slightly more expensive this spring.

Waiting Seven Years for Two Answers
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WHEN Zella Mae Green of Georgia filed for bankruptcy to save her home from foreclosure in 2004, she and her lawyer wanted to know two things: Did she actually owe any back payments on her mortgage? And, if so, to whom?