Press Release: USMI Submits FHFA Strategic Plan Comment Letter

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For Immediate Release

September 15, 2014

Media Contacts

Robert Schwartz 202-207-3665 (rschwartz@prismpublicaffairs.com)

USMI Submits FHFA Strategic Plan Comment Letter

Highlights How MI Can Help Advance Housing Finance Goals

USMI today submitted its response to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) request for input regarding its strategic plan for fiscal years 2015 through 2019. USMI believes that FHFA’s Plan should further take into account mortgage insurance’s (“MI”) role as a reliable source of credit enhancement that can help advance and support the strategic goals of the Plan to ensure liquidity, stability, and access in housing, benefitting taxpayers, borrowers, and lenders.

FHFA regulates the government sponsored housing finance enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSEs). The FHFA Plan identifies three strategic goals for the GSEs: (1) ensuring safe and sound regulated entities; (2) ensuring liquidity, stability, and access in housing finance; and (3) managing the GSEs’ ongoing conservatorships.

USMI highlighted a number of specific ways that MI can help advance and support FHFA’s strategic goals, including:

  • Because of the many risk-reducing benefits of MI to protect taxpayers against losses, FHFA should expand and deepen MI’s use on a wider range of GSE loans to help meet the FHFA goal of Ensuring Safe and Sound Regulated Entities.
  • FHFA should fully recognize MI when calculating GSE guarantee fees (g-fees) to avoid double charging consumers and to help meet the FHFA goal of Ensuring Liquidity, Stability, and Access in Housing Finance.
  • In further support of this goal, the GSEs should restore widespread access to a prudently underwritten 97 percent LTV fixed-rate mortgage to further promote responsible access to credit for creditworthy borrowers
The full USMI comment letter is available here.

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U.S. Mortgage Insurers (USMI) is dedicated to a housing finance system backed by private capital that enables access to housing finance for borrowers while protecting taxpayers. Mortgage insurance offers an effective way to make mortgage credit available to more people. USMI is ready to help build the future of homeownership.  Learn more at www.usmi.org.

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Press Release: Statement from U.S. Mortgage Insurers (USMI) on PMIERs and G-Fees

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For Immediate Release

September 8, 2014

Media Contacts

Robert Schwartz 202-207-3665 (rschwartz@prismpublicaffairs.com)
Michael Timberlake 202-207-3637 (mtimberlake@prismpublicaffairs.com)

Statement from U.S. Mortgage Insurers (USMI)

“Today, the 60-day comment period closed on revised Private Mortgage Insurer Eligibility Requirements (“PMIERs”) that set standards for approving mortgage insurers (MIs) covering GSE loans.  MI is an integral part of the mortgage finance system because it provides first position credit loss protection for higher loan-to-value loans guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the “GSEs”).  USMI members appreciate the opportunities to engage with FHFA and the GSEs on this important issue.

“USMI member companies have submitted responses to the Request for Input published in the Federal Register.  USMI members remain united in support of the need to update the PMIERs.  When finalized, those standards will confirm the long-term value of MI for mortgage borrowers, lenders, and taxpayers.  Accordingly, USMI will continue to work closely with FHFA and the GSEs to finalize and implement the PMIERs.

“USMI members also will continue to work closely with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Working Group as it updates the Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Model Act (“Model Act”) to strengthen state regulatory standards regarding MI.  Supporting both updated national standards and state regulation, USMI members are committed to sound prudential regulation that works in a complementary manner to enable a well-functioning market for borrowers, lenders and policyholders.

“In addition, in August, USMI submitted a letter responding to the Request for Input regarding g-fees.  G-fees must be set at levels that fully recognize the risk mitigating benefits of MI to avoid double charging consumers.  The comment period for that Request also closed today.

“The MI industry has shown significant momentum since the housing downturn.   In addition to the revised PMIERs, MI has recapitalized, attracted new entrants, and finalized new master policies that provide greater clarity and transparency on the mortgage insurance process.  Mortgage insurers have also covered approximately $43 billion in claims to the GSEs since the GSEs entered conservatorship, resulting in a substantial savings to taxpayers.”

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U.S. Mortgage Insurers (USMI) is dedicated to a housing finance system backed by private capital that enables access to housing finance for borrowers while protecting taxpayers. Mortgage insurance offers an effective way to make mortgage credit available to more people. USMI is ready to help build the future of homeownership.  Learn more at www.usmi.org.

Download as PDF