Chase Bank and federal banking regulators have fallen victim to what is being investigated as the first public backlash over the country’s financial crisis. Yesterday, more than 30 letters containing a suspicious powder were mailed to Chase bank branches and federal banking offices in nine states, authorities said.

The number of foreclosure deeds recorded in Massachusetts soared 72 percent in the first three quarters of 2008 from a year ago, according to a new report from Boston-based The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman.

On Monday, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, and Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee Chairwoman Maxine Waters sent a letter to President Bush urging him to appoint Sheila C.

Last Tuesday, the government declared that it was going to use a good portion of the $700 billion rescue fund to invest in banks and give them much needed capital to keep on lending. To keep pace with European counterparts who initiated their own recapitalization plans the weekend prior, U.

RE/MAX International Inc. announced yesterday that it has formed a partnership with REO Maestro, a Colorado company that blends contemporary software development with hands-on REO agent experience. This new partnership will help RE/MAX offices across the country effectively manage foreclosure property listings from referral through closing, the company said in a press statement.

As the number of defaults and foreclosure filings continue to rise across the country, servicers face pressures from all sides – from within the industry, and now from federal regulators, the general media, and even the judicial system – to finalize workouts at a faster rate.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke endorsed a second economic stimulus package in his testimony before the House of Representatives’ Budget Committee yesterday. Bernanke said that despite big moves by Congress and federal regulators to prop up the country’s financial system, the economy is likely to be weak for several quarters, and the House should consider adopting a second round of stimulus measures.

Fitch Ratings said yesterday it expects another 10 percent drop in home prices before we begin to see stabilization in 2010, with the rate of decline slowing in the coming months. To date, national home prices have declined by 22 percent, the ratings agency said in a press statement.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has put forth a four-point legislative plan to reinvigorate the housing market, calling on Congress to act immediately following the November elections. NAR said it believes the plan will give a much needed boost to the economy and help to calm jittery potential home buyers.

J.D. Power and Associates released its 2008 Primary Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Ratings today, and according to the marketing information services firm, in the current economic situation, improving the relationship between loan officers and mortgage customers is critical to customer satisfaction.