People with scores below 500 are often in communities that suffer the most from economic hardship and violence. Banks and regulators can do more to qualify them for financing, ultimately creating healthier local economies.

Tuesday's hearing on the CARES Act was dominated by bickering over Treasury's decision to shut down the Fed's emergency lending facilities, drowning out pleas from some lawmakers for more aid.

The incoming administration chose a battle-tested policymaker who can draw on her nearly two decades at the Fed to help rebuild an economy still struggling from the coronavirus pandemic.

Citigroup's realty arm is sponsoring a $1.06 billion RMBS of highly seasoned mortgage loans with troubled histories. All of the loans were acquired via a Fannie whole-loan auction.

Mortgage rates remained unchanged at their record lows heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, as investors reacted to a growing resurgence in coronavirus cases.

The forbearance rate continued recovering in lockstep with employment improvement, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Weaker consumer spending data coming into the holiday season, as well as a resurgence of the COVID-19 spread, pushed mortgage rates to a new low, Freddie Mac said.

A Freddie Mac study of loans in forbearance from 2017 and 2020 found that, over both periods, borrowers had low credit scores and high debt-to-income ratios.

The Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility was brought back to inject $100 billion into the pandemic-battered economy, but only a fraction has been disbursed. Yet experts, pointing to its calming effects on markets, recommend that it be extended into next year.

If the GOP can hold its majority in the chamber, Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., will likely become the panel's chairman. His ardent support for free-market principles could set up partisan clashes with Democrats over pandemic relief, money laundering rules and more.