The fallout of the financial crisis caught up to another bank over the weekend, resulting in a shutdown by federal regulators. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced on Friday the closure of Chicago-based GreenChoice Bank. The recently shuttered ...

The ongoing tension between the Justice Department and the House Oversight Committee saw a new development this week as Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California), committee chair and vocal critic of Attorney General Eric Holder, requested the department turn over all of its documents related to its recent securities settlements with JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup.

December's discouraging jobs report caused mortgage rates to pull back once again this week. Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falling 10 basis points to an average rate of 4.41 percent. Similarly, the 15-year rate fell 9 basis points. Bankrate also reported declines, with both the 30-year and 15-year average fixed-rates down 7 basis points to 4.57 percent and 3.62 percent, respectively.

RealtyTrac,a real estate online marketplace and provider of housing data, announced the hiring of real estate and technology specialist Samantha Tino as VP of sales for the RealtyTrac Network.

As expected, weak origination volume took its toll on earnings at two of the nation's largest mortgage lenders. JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo both released their Q4 2013 results on Tuesday, kicking off the earnings season. At JPMorgan, mortgage originations were down 42 percent from the previous quarter; Wells Fargo reported a 37 percent quarterly decline in new mortgage activity.

A new survey from New York's Federal Reserve Bank polls a rotating panel of approximately 1,200 household heads to measure consumer expectations regarding a number of key indicators. This week, officials released their first report detailing the survey results. Expectations for home price gains and income growth were down slightly, but consumers were optimistic about credit access.

ValuTrac, a software solutions company catering to the appraisal management and mortgage lending industry, hired Hank Pruett as VP of sales. Pruett has nearly 25 years' experience in appraisal management, title issues, and client relations and is knowledgeable in all types of appraisals, both residential and commercial. [COLUMN_BREAK] knowledgeable in all types of appraisals, both residential and commercial.

At just 74,000 hirings for the month, December’s job growth was the weakest in years, but market analysts say there’s no cause for alarm just yet. They attribute December’s numbers to the unseasonably severe winter weather experienced across the country last month, and because the December report stands in stark contrast to the strengthening seen in other major economic data, they say the dip in hiring is likely only temporary.

Wingspan Portfolio Advisors, a diversified mortgage services company headquartered in Texas, named longtime industry expert Arleen Scavone to the newly created post of COO. Scavone has more than 30 years' experience in the financial services arena.

Commercial real estate (CRE) loan prices in the secondary market were largely flat in November, according to the latest report from DebtX, a loan sale advisor for commercial, consumer, and specialty finance debt. The estimated price of whole loans increased to 92.7 percent as of November 30, rising from 92.3 percent the prior month.