Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke provided a preview of the Fed's new rules during a speech Tuesday at the FDIC Forum on Mortgage Lending for Low/Moderate Income Households in Arlington, Va. Under the Fed's authorities, the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act, the rules -- which will apply to all lenders, not just banks -- are expected to, among other reforms:
- Restrict lenders from penalizing high-risk borrowers who pay off loans early.
- Bar lenders from making loans without proof of a borrower's income.
- Require lenders to make sure that borrowers set aside money to pay for taxes and insurance.
Economist Peter Dawson told BloggingStocks he's taking "a wait-and-see approach" regarding the Fed's mortgage regulation revisions. "This set of revised regulations could be, arguably, the most important federal regulation change, in financial terms, since the last plan to maintain the solvency of the Social Security trust fund," Dawson said.



