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☆ Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, US officials warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Unlike traditional banks, nonbank mortgage companies like Rocket Mortgage are heavily exposed to swings in the mortgage market, depend on funding that can dry up during times of stress and don’t have stable deposits to rely on as a safety net. Despite the wonky term, nonbank mortgage companies have become vital players that make most home mortgages in the United States today. As of 2022, nonbank mortgage companies originated about two-thirds of US mortgages and owned the servicing rights on 54% of mortgage balances, according to FSOC. “Nonbank mortgage firms are thinly capitalized, which makes them vulnerable to failure if they lose financing or mortgage defaults spike,” said McCoy, a former mortgage regulator. “Starting in early 2007, we saw a tsunami of nonbank mortgage firms fail precisely for these reasons.”

Persons: Janet Yellen, FSOC, Cooper, ” FSOC, Ginnie Mae, Bob Broeksmit, Patricia McCoy, ”, McCoy Organizations: New, New York CNN, Rocket, Mortgage, Mortgage Bankers Association, ABA, Boston College Law School, “ Locations: New York, United States

☆ U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Chinese Companies for Aiding Russia’s War Effort
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Alan Rappeport | More About Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The sanctions represent a broadening of U.S. efforts to disrupt Russia’s military industrial complex supply chain. The Biden administration has expressed growing alarm about the weapons technology alliance between China and Russia. The sanctions follow Ms. Yellen’s trip last month to China, where she confronted Chinese officials over support for Russia. She warned them that Chinese companies and financial institutions that facilitate support for the Kremlin’s war effort would face penalties. The Treasury secretary said her counterparts told her that China had a policy of not providing Russia with military aid.

Persons: Biden, “, Janet L, Yellen, Yellen’s Organizations: Wednesday, Top U.S, Russia Locations: Russia, Ukraine, China, United States

☆ Election Updates: Biden campaigns again in Pennsylvania, a swing state crucial to his re-election hopes.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The tariffs Mr. Biden will propose raising on Wednesday were initially imposed by Mr. Trump when he was president. Mr. Biden’s stop in Pittsburgh is part of a three-day swing through Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state that he narrowly won in 2020 and has visited more than any other. The president’s campaign is hoping to mobilize support from organized labor, a traditionally Democratic constituency from which Mr. Trump has pulled some support. On Tuesday, Mr. Biden spoke at the local union of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners in Scranton, Pa., his hometown. “Donald Trump looks at the world differently than you and me,” Mr. Biden said in a speech that signaled his campaign’s intention to make the 2024 election a referendum on Mr. Trump.

Persons: Biden, Katherine Tai, Mr, ” Lael Brainard, Janet L, Yellen, ”, Lloyd J, Austin III, Biden’s, Donald J, ” Mr, Trump, “ Donald Trump, ” Alan Rappeport, Michael D, Shear Organizations: United Steelworkers Union, U.S, Economic Council, International Monetary Fund, Trump, CNBC, Mr, Democratic, United Brotherhood of Carpenters Locations: China, Pittsburgh, U.S, Mexico, America, Beijing, United States, Biden’s, Japan, Philippines, South China, Pennsylvania, Joiners, Scranton, Pa, Mar

☆ Wall Street firm hit by cyberattack that has knocked systems offline
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —EquiLend, a Wall Street firm that processes trillions of dollars of securities transactions a month, was hit by a cyberattack that has knocked some of its systems offline, the company said Wednesday. The financial technology firm, owned by Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and other major Wall Street firms, said in a statement to CNN that it could take “several days” before services are fully restored. “We immediately launched an investigation and have identified a cyber security incident involving unauthorized access to our systems,” Gohlke said. EquiLend, owned by a consortium of Wall Street firms including BlackRock and Bank of America, is a significant player in the securities-lending industry through its NGT trading platform. Last week, EquiLend announced a deal to sell a majority stake in itself to private-equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe for an undisclosed sum.

Persons: New York CNN —, Goldman Sachs, Christopher Gohlke, ” EquiLend, ” Gohlke, “, Christopher Hayden, EquiLend, Anderson, Stowe Organizations: New, New York CNN, Street, JPMorgan, CNN, Treasury, Wall, BlackRock, Bank of America Locations: New York, Carson

☆ Biden administration announces new financial strike force to curb deadly fentanyl trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The Treasury Department’s Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force will allow us to bring the Department’s unrivaled expertise in fighting financial crime to bear against this deadly epidemic. The strike force will be led by the department’s top sanctions official, Brian Nelson, and the chief of the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigations unit, James Lee. It will “redouble Treasury’s existing work streams, including using financial intelligence to understand risks and map transnational criminal organization (TCO) financial networks,” according to a news release. Several key units within the Treasury Department that specialize in financial crimes, sanctions, and tracking terrorist and illicit financing will be part of the new strike force. The new strike force will also help streamline the Treasury Department’s efforts to coordinate with local and federal law enforcement bodies on potential financial leads.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Brian Nelson, James Lee, ” Nelson, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Biden, Yellen, Nelson, “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Monday, Treasury Department, Treasury, Network, Foreign Assets Control, of Intelligence, US Treasury Department, Strike Force, Department, Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, US Centers for Disease Control, CNN, Mexican, Biden Locations: United States, China, Ukraine, Mexico

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is heading to Mexico this week to promote her agency's new strike force to help combat illicit fentanyl trafficking as the U.S. and China step up efforts to stop the movement of the powerful opioid and drug-making materials into the United States. “Combating the flow of deadly fentanyl into communities across the United States is a top priority for President Biden as well as the Treasury Department,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a statement. Many of the GOP presidential candidates have said they would use military force against Mexico in response to the trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Nelson will co-chair the strike force with IRS Criminal Investigations Chief Jim Lee. Nelson said the strike force "will act quickly and decisively with the top specialists from across the department to nimbly respond to the newest threats.”

Persons: Janet Yellen, —, Biden, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, ”, Brian Nelson, Nelson, Jim Lee Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Strike, Treasury, IRS, Drug, Treasury Department, Disease Control, GOP, Banking, Armed Services Committees Locations: Mexico, China, United States, Mexico City, Yellen, California, America, U.S

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping have no shortage of difficult issues to discuss when they sit down for their first talks in a year, even if expectations are low that their meeting will lead to major breakthroughs. Beijing’s demands were made clear last November when Xi and Biden met in Bali, Indonesia, during the Group of 20 summit. That was a rejoinder to the Biden administration mantra that the two nations should compete vigorously while not looking for conflict. Beijing has bristled at export controls and other measures imposed by the Biden administration, perceiving them as designed to stifle China's economic growth. But Xi, this time, is likely to seek assurance from Biden that the U.S. will not pile new ones onto China.

Persons: Joe Biden, China’s Xi, what’s, Biden, Xi, Janet Yellen, “, ”, Nancy Pelosi, Newt Gingrich, Xie Feng, Wang Wenbin, Zhu Feng, Zhu, Kanis Leung, Ken Moritsugu, Yu Bing Organizations: WASHINGTON, Economic Cooperation, BIDEN, U.S ., U.S, American, School of International Studies of Nanjing University, Trump, Biden, ”, Associated Press Locations: Asia, Taiwan, East, Europe, U.S, China, Francisco, Beijing, United States, Taiwan . Washington, Iran, Tehran, Israel, American, Hong Kong, Bali , Indonesia, Bali, Washington, ” Beijing, San Francisco

Fluctuations since the attack pushed oil prices as high as $96. Until something like that happens, “the oil market is going to be like everyone else, monitoring the events in the Middle East,” Lipow said. One reason 1970s-style gas lines are unlikely: U.S. oil production is at an all-time high. Weekly domestic oil production has doubled from the first week in October 2012 to now. Lawmakers from both parties have urged Biden to block Iranian oil sales, seeking to dry up one of the regime’s key sources of funding.

Persons: ” Fatih Birol, ”, Andrew Lipow, ” Lipow, Mike Sommers, Sommers, “ America’s, “, Joe Biden's, Israel, Biden, Sofia Guidi Di Sante, Wyoming Sen, John Barrasso, “ Joe, Barrasso, ____ McHugh, Choe Organizations: WASHINGTON, International Energy Agency, ”, Associated Press, Brent, Lipow Oil Associates, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Energy Department, American Petroleum Institute, Hudson Institute, Commerzbank, Oil, Rystad Energy, Republican, Senate Energy, Natural Resources Committee, Democratic, Keystone XL, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, The Energy Department, The Treasury Department, Treasury Locations: East, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Paris, Gaza, Iran, Houston, Hormuz, U.S, Europe, Washington, OPEC, Lebanon, Venezuela, The U.S, Wyoming, America, Frankfurt, Germany, New York

The United States and China have created a new structure for economic dialogue in an effort to improve communication between the world’s largest economies and stabilize a relationship that has become increasingly strained in recent years. The Treasury Department said on Friday that the United States and China had agreed to create economic and financial working groups that will hold regular meetings to discuss policy and exchange information. The Treasury Department said that the new working groups would create “ongoing structured channels for frank and substantive discussions.” Treasury officials will report to Ms. Yellen, who traveled to Beijing in July. China’s representatives, from its ministry of finance and the People’s Bank of China, will report to Vice Premier He Lifeng. “These working groups will serve as important forums to communicate America’s interests and concerns, promote a healthy economic competition between our two countries with a level playing field for American workers and businesses, and advance cooperation on global challenges,” Ms. Yellen said in a statement.

Persons: Biden’s, Yellen, ” Ms Organizations: Treasury, Treasury Department, People’s Bank of China Locations: States, China, United States, Beijing

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration plans to increase scrutiny of the investment plans of foreign-owned companies operating in the United States. “National security is a foremost priority, and we deploy a wide range of tools to safeguard it,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday. The federal government reviews and can block business activity of non-U.S. companies through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, also known as CFIUS. At a conference dedicated to the committee, Yellen emphasized that CFIUS is adapting to a changing global economy as national security issues related to China are a primary consideration. “As new threats and vulnerabilities emerge, our national security priorities shift in response,” Yellen said.

Persons: —, Biden, Janet Yellen, Yellen, ” Yellen, “ We've, ByteDance, LIV, Paul Rosen, ” Rosen, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ”, Patrick McHenry Organizations: WASHINGTON, Foreign Investment, State, Justice, Energy, Commerce, Twitter, PGA, U.S, Washington, Financial Locations: United States, U.S, China, Beijing, R

☆ Americans have never been wealthier
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Consumer wealth has now completely recovered from the recent inflation-driven drop in stock prices and real estate holdings. This bump in wealth was driven mostly by a surge in the value of Americans’ stock market investments, which grew by $2.6 trillion during the quarter. Those rate hikes rocked financial markets, crushing the value of stock holdings, cooling the housing market and raising the specter of a recession. “Further, volatility in wealth since the onset of the pandemic will remind households of the fragility of any gains.”The stock market has rebounded in tandem with the US economy. And there are signs that some Americans are struggling to get by.

Persons: specter, “, Goldman Sachs, Janet Yellen, Joe Biden’s, Marc Rosen, ” Rosen Organizations: New, New York cnn, Federal Reserve, Moody’s Analytics, Bloomberg News, White, CNN, Wall Street, New York Federal Reserve Locations: New York, United States

☆ Some of America's poorest communities are landing clean energy projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

This is just one example of a struggling community that has landed a major investment in clean energy since President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law exactly one year ago Wednesday. The $750 billion law — the largest climate investment in US history — has helped spark a boom in private investment, especially in clean energy, electric vehicles and batteries. Importantly, many of these clean energy projects are set to be built in communities that really need the help. New plants could bring people into the labor force who have been left behind,” the Treasury analysis finds. The $4.4 billion investment is expected to create 300 new jobs and support countless existing ones.

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Wally Adeyemo, ‘, it’s, ” Daniel Yergin Organizations: New, New York CNN, Adams Fork Energy, CNX Resources, Treasury Department, CNN, Honda, LG Energy, Treasury, Bank of America, ” Bank of America, P, P Global Locations: New York, Mingo County , West Virginia, Mingo County, Fayette County , Ohio, Columbus, Marysville , Ohio

☆ Is it time to worry about stagflation?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —For the past two years, economists have been worrying about the risks of high inflation rates. But far less attention has been given to inflation’s sibling: stagflation. Stagflation is the combination of high inflation and a slowing economy. The current state of stagflation: Last year, then-World Bank President David Malpass warned that stagflation risks were high because of supply chain disruptions stemming from lockdowns in China and bans on Russian oil. What’s happening now: The risk of stagflation varies significantly across different regions of the globe.

Persons: Stagflation, David Malpass, Janet Yellen, ”, Lan Ha, stagflation, Andrew Kenningham, “, That’s, ” Kenningham, ” Ha, Ha, Parija Kavilanz, don’t, Dallin Hatch, Biden, Joe Biden, Trump, Matt Egan, It’s Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, CNN, Federal, World Bank, Euromonitor, Capital Economics, Bank of England’s, National Institute of Economic, Social Research, Trump Locations: Israel, lockdowns, China, Europe, Germany, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia

☆ Fitch US credit downgrade: Former Treasury secretaries react
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US economy is resilient, but policymakers need to take the long view on the country’s fiscal challenges, three former Treasury secretaries told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday. “But it’s in some ways a very important wake-up call.”The downgrade came after a last-minute bipartisan deal in June that suspended the US debt ceiling until early 2025. I strongly disagree with Fitch’s decision, and I believe it is entirely unwarranted,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is preparing new rules that could restrict investment in certain sectors in China, according to reports. When asked about US-imposed tariffs on China, Paulson said “we are working to close markets at the same time that China is doing business with more and more of the world.”“China is a major, major competitor,” he added.

Persons: CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, ” “, ”, Henry Paulson, George W, Bush, Janet Yellen, Paulson, “, ” Timothy Geithner, Geithner, ’, ” Robert Rubin, Bill Clinton, Zakaria, Biden, –, Jennifer Hansler, Gan, Juliana Liu Organizations: CNN, Fitch, AAA, Treasury Department, Capitol, Poor’s Locations: United States, China

☆ Don’t expect the stock markets to rejoice about the debt ceiling deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —You’d expect the stock market to surge after the White House and House Republicans reached a tentative deal to raise the debt ceiling, But markets may have other plans. The stock market, for the most part, has been ignoring the serious risks associated with the United States defaulting on its debt. Even if Congress passes a bill to raise the debt ceiling and President Joe Biden signs it, it could take months before stocks and other financial markets move on. That will temporarily suck some liquidity out of the stock market, he said. A look back at the 2011 debt ceiling crisisIn 2011, lawmakers came to an agreement on raising the debt limit just hours before the United States would have defaulted.

☆ Yellen warns bank CEOs of ‘severe’ economic consequences if debt ceiling isn’t addressed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The meeting, which took place in Washington and included JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, focused in part on the risks on the debt ceiling. Beyond the debt ceiling, Yellen and the Wall Street CEOs discussed the ongoing banking crisis. Yellen also met with mid-size bank CEOsIn addition to huddling with big bank CEOs, Yellen met in Washington on Thursday with executives from mid-size banks, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. Both the debt ceiling and the banking stress came up during Yellen’s meeting with the Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America, an industry trade group, the source said. During the meeting, which took place at the Treasury Department, mid-size bank CEOs expressed acute concern about how the debt ceiling standoff will impact their institutions, the source told CNN.

In that instance, S&P Global Ratings credit rating agency downgraded the government from AAA to AA+ credit rating. The federal government maintains a perfect credit rating from Fitch and Moody’s, but that could change as the stalemate drags on. Investors care about stability and predictability, so a credit rating downgrade would send a chill down Wall Street’s spine. The broadest economic impact of a US debt default would be a recession that would encompass the global economy, including sharp job losses. And the housing market would not be spared by the “economic calamity” of a US government default, as Yellen once described it.

☆ Premarket stocks: The Fed could be on the verge of repeating its 1970s mistake
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But Gary Richardson, a Federal Reserve historian, is worried policymakers — now contemplating taking a breather — still risk repeating mistakes from that era. A premature retreat could cause the Fed to lose its handle on the situation, presenting even grimmer options down the road. Quick rewind: The chair of the Federal Reserve at the time, Arthur Burns, hiked interest rates dramatically between 1972 and 1974. Inflation later roared back, forcing the hand of Paul Volcker, who took over at the Fed in 1979, Richardson said. But the comparisons reveal the high stakes for the Federal Reserve at a moment of acute uncertainty.

☆ Opinion | Why I Changed My Mind on the Debt Limit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Laurence H. Tribe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over the years, Congress has raised the debt ceiling scores of times, most recently two years ago, when it set the cap at $31.4 trillion. If the president caves to their demands, they will agree to raise the cap — until this crisis occurs again. Then, they will surely pursue the same game of chicken or, maybe more accurately, Russian roulette. Section 4 of the 14th Amendment says the “validity” of the public debt “shall not be questioned” — ever. Proponents of the unconstitutionality argument say that when Congress enacted the debt limit, effectively forcing the United States to stop borrowing to honor its debts when that limit was reached, it built a violation of that constitutional command into our fiscal structure, and that as a result, that limit and all that followed are invalid.

☆ Why Silicon Valley Bank collapsed and what it could mean
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —Silicon Valley Bank collapsed with astounding speed on Friday. A Brinks armored truck sits parked in front of the shuttered Silicon Valley Bank headquarters on March 10, 2023 in Santa Clara, California, United States. Established in 1983, Silicon Valley Bank was, just before collapsing, America’s 16th largest commercial bank. Like many other banks, SVB ploughed billions into US government bonds during the era of near-zero interest rates. By Friday morning, trading in SVB shares was halted and it had abandoned efforts to raise capital or find a buyer.

☆ The US dollar is at a crossroads
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Wall Street investors are reaching for their neck braces in preparation for yet another volatile swing in stock markets: A surging US dollar. What’s happening: The US dollar “finds itself at a significant crossroads yet again,” said Krosby. Don’t forget the debt ceiling: Another significant threat to the dollar is looming in Congress — the ongoing debt ceiling fight. “It would certainly undermine the role of the dollar as a reserve currency that is used in transactions all over the world. Initial claims have come in lower than expected in recent weeks and remain well below their pre-pandemic levels.

☆ It's time to chill with al the recession talk
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —In 2021, a bunch of economists and policy makers underestimated the inflation that was taking root around the world. In 2022, as inflation hit 40-year-highs and the Fed ramped up interest rates, many of those commentators went full-on gloomy — predicting a recession was all but inevitable. And that makes it hard, if not impossible, to imagine a recession anytime soon. “Any concern the economy is in recession or close to a recession should be completely dashed by these numbers,” Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi told CNN on Friday. “The economy is further away from recession than ever,” wrote Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at Fwdbonds.

☆ Here’s what will happen to the economy as the debt ceiling drama deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Minneapolis CNN —After the United States hit its debt ceiling on Thursday, the Treasury Department is now undertaking “extraordinary measures” to keep paying the government’s bills. And Americans — many people — would lose their jobs and certainly their borrowing costs would rise.”Dire warnings of debt ceiling trouble aren’t new. “2011 was the first time in a long time that we came close to a debt ceiling breach,” he said. “I think you would be hard pressed to say [the debt ceiling debacle] was a positive thing,” he said. Considering the potential consequences in the United States and abroad, Sheiner believes the debt ceiling will be lifted or suspended — eventually.

☆ U.S. and Asian allies impose new sanctions on North Korea after ICBM test
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

South Korea’s foreign ministry announced sanctions on seven other individuals, including a Singaporean and a Taiwanese, and eight entities. The latest sanctions follow a Nov. 18 ICBM test by North Korea, part of a record-breaking spate of more than 60 missile launches this year. There are also concerns that the country may be about to resume nuclear weapons testing, which has been suspended since 2017. Decades of U.S.-led sanctions have failed to halt North Korea’s increasingly sophisticated missile and nuclear weapon programs. “Targeting senior officials inside North Korea responsible for WMD and missile activities and working with South Korea and Japan are important, but it is an inadequate and symbolic response to 60+ missile tests, including 8 ICBM tests,” said Anthony Ruggiero, who headed North Korea sanctions efforts under former President Donald Trump.

☆ Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen named in lawsuit against FTX
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Genesis said it was working with advisers “to explore all possible options,” adding that it would release a plan for the lending business next week. “We’re working tirelessly to identify the best solutions for the lending business, including among other things, sourcing new liquidity,” the company said. The suspension comes as the entire crypto industry is on edge following the unraveling of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange and Alameda Research hedge fund, both of which filed for bankruptcy late last week. On Wednesday an FTX investor sued Bankman-Fried as well as several celebrities who have endorsed the platform, including Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen and Steph Curry. “The deceptive FTX platform maintained by the FTX entities was truly a house of cards,” the proposed class-action lawsuit states.

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