Government

DebtX--a large marketplace for commercial, residential, and consumer loans--announced it has signed onto a new five-year agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The agreement allows DebtX to continue selling assets held in the agency's receiverships.

One of the biggest provisions of the QM rule is the newly set Ability-to-Repay rule, which demands that all new mortgages comply with basic requirements to protect consumers from taking on loans they can't repay. The rule does away with so-called ""no doc"" and ""low doc"" mortgages, requiring that all of a borrower's pertinent financial information must be supplied and verified. The Ability-to-Repay rule also stipulates that lenders base their evaluation of a consumer's ability to pay on long-term views, discounting ""teaser"" or ""starter"" rates typically used in the introductory period.

The number of construction job openings dropped 6,000 and there were 11.5 available workers for open construction job, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday in its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance rose 4,000 to 371,000 for the week ended January 5, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists expected claims to drop to 362,000 from the prior week.

The state with the highest foreclosure rate in the nation may experience a change in its foreclosure laws that will help speed up the process in order to reduce the backlog of properties making their way through the pipeline. Rep. Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) introduced H.B. 87 to expedite the state's lengthy foreclosure process through several tweaks to the current law. Under the newly proposed statute, in order to pursue foreclosure, a mortgage lender must confirm they have all the necessary paperwork giving them the right to foreclose.

Nevada Attorney General (AG) Catherine Cortez Masto announced a new program to help homeowners in Nevada find state and federal assistance that might be available to them. The Home Again Nevada Homeowner Relief Program is a one-stop resource center that is accessed by calling 1-855-HLP-4-NEV (1-855-457-4638).

After some consideration, the board of American International Group (AIG) announced Wednesday the company will not be joining in a lawsuit brought by one of its former executives against the U.S. government. The New York Times first reported Monday that AIG's board was mulling over its options regarding a $25 billion lawsuit filed by Starr International Company on behalf of AIG shareholders and spearheaded by former AIG CEO Maurice ""Hank"" Greenberg.

It's been months since New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed suit against JPMorgan Chase over faulty mortgage-backed securities (MBS), but the bank is now coming out of its own corner swinging. Attorneys for the bank filed a motion to dismiss in early January, arguing that because Schneiderman brought his claims under the Martin Act (an article granting New York's attorney general increased power to combat financial fraud), they are subject to a three-year statute of limitations that has already elapsed.

While the mortgage market continues its slow trod toward recovery--with distressed liquidations and delinquencies on the decline--industry participants await the final word from lawmakers on one key issue affecting the future of their businesses. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has expressed its intent to announce its final decision on what constitutes a qualified mortgage this year. This, in turn, will give the industry some insight into what can be expected to define a qualified residential mortgage (QRM), according to Fitch Ratings.

Fewer businesses in the mortgage industry went under in Q4 2012, according to data from Mortgage Daily. The number of mortgage businesses--banks, credit unions, and non-bank mortgage firms--that fell dark in Q4 of this year stood at 13, down from 17 in Q3 and halved from 26 during the same quarter in 2011, Mortgage Daily reported. In 2012 alone, 82 mortgage businesses had to shut their doors, a steep decrease from 137 in 2011 and the lowest number since 2006, when 31 businesses failed.