Alan Zibel
Grtr Grtr Washington
Takoma Park, MD, United States
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Past articles by Alan:
Can Takoma Park embrace a progressive housing policy?
This fight over the 1.4-acre Takoma Junction site took on an outsized relevance in this famously progressive, educated, and argumentative city. What started as a mundane debate about a relatively modest commercial development evolved into a gentrification “proxy war” and an intense struggle over the city’s values. → Read More
CFPB Official Speaks Loudly on Student Loans
Rohit Chopra, the nation’s student-loan watchdog, delivers his message to lenders through blog posts, letters and public reports. And that isn’t sitting well with the industry. → Read More
Housing Starts Sink 9.3%, Driven by Record Drop in the South
U.S. home construction tumbled in June due to a stretch of wet weather in the South, a decline that analysts said was likely a temporary departure from a trend of recovery in the housing market. → Read More
Fed Gives Four Banks Six Extra Months to Resubmit Capital Plans
he U.S. Federal Reserve said Tuesday it would grant four large banks six more months to revise their capital plans after the banks requested more time. → Read More
U.S. new home sales jumped 18.6% in May
Sales of newly built U.S. homes surged in May to their highest level in six years, an encouraging sign for the housing recovery as it regains traction following a nearly year-long slowdown. → Read More
President Obama is expected to expand federal program that reduces payments for student-loan recipients.
An expansion of a federal program designed to reduce payments for student-loan recipients is expected to be announced Monday by President Barack Obama, the latest push by Democrats to address concerns about rising student debt. → Read More
U.S. housing starts rose 13.2% in April
Builders ramped up home construction for the third-straight month in April, a sign the industry sees growth ahead after a weak winter. → Read More
Home builders' confidence at lowest level in 12 months
U.S. home builders remained downbeat in May, reflecting a housing market struggling to regain traction well into the spring selling season. → Read More
FHFA official will be exonerated, lawyer says
A top official at a U.S. housing regulator who has been accused of allegedly threatening to kill the agency's former director "will be exonerated," his lawyer said. → Read More
SLM, Navient to Pay More to Resolve Overcharges Case
Student lending firm SLM Corp. and its former loan servicing business are increasing to $173 million the amount set aside to resolve two federal probes. → Read More
Report Urges Greater Oversight of Small-Bank Aid Program
Small lenders who received an infusion of federal money as part of a 2010 effort to boost banks and credit unions in low-income areas remain shaky and in need of close federal supervision, a federal watchdog says. → Read More
House panel votes to subpoena CFPB officials in probe of discrimination allegations.
A U.S. House panel voted to issue subpoenas to three officials at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as part of a probe of alleged discrimination against minorities and women at the regulator. → Read More
GAO finds U.S. foreclosure review could have generated $1.5 billion more in payments if not halted
A comprehensive review of major banks' foreclosure files could have delivered an additional $1.5 billion in cash to consumers if it wasn't halted last year, a federal watchdog has found. → Read More
Regulator Seeks 12% Increase in Bank Fees
The regulator for the nation's biggest banks is proposing a 12% increase in the fees it charges large firms, reflecting higher costs of regulating giant financial institutions. → Read More
Foreclosure errors top rate reported by regulators when they ended the review
A consulting firm that scoured major U.S. banks' foreclosure files was finding far higher rates of error than regulators reported when they abruptly ended the review last year, a congressional inquiry has found. → Read More
Sen. Warren Pushes Regulators to Get Tougher on Banks
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has ramped up her push for regulators to get tougher on large banks. → Read More
Banks Increase Borrowing From U.S. Home-Loan System
The nation's largest commercial banks sharply increased their borrowings last year from the Federal Home Loan Bank system to help them meet new international bank-liquidity rules. → Read More
Bank of America to Pay $800 Million Over Credit Card Practices
Bank of America has reached a settlement with U.S. bank regulators for around $800 million over allegations the bank prodded customers into signing up for extra credit card products. → Read More
Title Insurance for Less?
A new breed of insurance company is promising discounts on a type of policy many home buyers don't even realize they need. → Read More
U.S. may stop universities from steering financial aid students to affiliated banks
The U.S. government is considering preventing colleges and universities from steering students who receive federal financial aid into bank accounts offered by firms that have business relationships with schools → Read More