oday on Today in Mortgages, Michael and Rich break down the surprising nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next potential Fed Chair — and why the industry did not see this coming. They unpack his hawkish history, what this means for mortgage rates, how politics may influence the confirmation process, and why independent monetary policy still matters.

Plus, Rich and Michael recap an incredible weekend at Network Funding’s 2026 President’s Club in Napa Valley, including pickleball semifinals, vendor showdowns, and the power of celebrating wins as a company.

▶️ In this episode:

• Kevin Warsh’s nomination: why it surprised economists
• What his hawkish views might mean for rates
• The political drama around Powell’s investigation
• Why the Fed’s independence is essential
• How the 10-year Treasury still drives mortgage rates
• President’s Club highlights & celebrating production
• Network Funding’s “support your brand, don’t hold your hand” philosophy

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LOAN OFFICERS – Looking to GROW your business?
Find out how we’re helping our best producers get even better — and how you can DO MORE YOU inside the best network in mortgages:
👉 Join the Network
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FREE INDUSTRY INSIGHTS REPORT
Take our Loan Officer Survey and get your FREE industry report! Benchmark against peers, understand market trends, and plan your next move:
👉 Survey

See more at TodayInMortgages.com

Want to get expert coaching everyday and have the power of the best Network in Mortgages behind your production business? Learn more here.

Learn more about Network Funding on our parent site.

Today in mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297. Corporate office located at 10370 Richmond Ave. Suite 900, Houston, TX 77042.

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates, and any commentary on this show is should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation. Visit our website at nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

Credit report fees have skyrocketed—from around $0.50 to a proposed $10 per bureau in recent years! Why is this happening, and what does it mean for lenders and borrowers? In this episode of Today in Mortgages, we break down:

• How FICO royalties went from pennies to dollars
• Why credit report costs have surged nearly 500% in five years
• The role of trigger leads and lost revenue for bureaus
• VantageScore vs. FICO: Will competition help?
• What lenders are doing to manage these rising costs

LOAN OFFICERS – Looking to GROW your business?
Find out how we are making our best producers even better and how you can DO MORE YOU inside the best Network in mortgages by visiting https://you.nflp.com

FREE INDUSTRY INSIGHTS REPORT:
Take our Loan Officer Survey to get your FREE industry report! Benchmark yourself against peers, understand trends, and make better career decisions at Survey

Legal Disclosure:
Today in Mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, an equal housing lender, NMLS #2297. The content of this program is commentary on mortgage and real estate news and should not be taken as individual mortgage advice. All applicants must qualify. Visit Licenses - Network Funding for licensing info.

Hashtags:
#MortgageNews #CreditReportFees #LoanOfficerLife #HomeBuyingTips #TodayInMortgages

_

Today in Mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297.*

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and/or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates. Any commentary on this show should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify, and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation.

Visit our website at https://nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

See more at TodayInMortgages.com

Want to get expert coaching everyday and have the power of the best Network in Mortgages behind your production business? Learn more here.

Learn more about Network Funding on our parent site.

Today in mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297. Corporate office located at 10370 Richmond Ave. Suite 900, Houston, TX 77042.

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates, and any commentary on this show is should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation. Visit our website at nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

Another CPI report is in, and it’s hotter than expected in key areas like housing. Plus, Trump’s proposal to ban institutional investors from buying single-family homes—will it make a real difference for first-time buyers? We break it all down in this episode of Today in Mortgages.

What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why the latest CPI report matters for mortgage professionals
- How housing inflation impacts affordability
- Trump’s proposed ban on institutional buyers—what’s real and what’s hype
- Practical ideas to help first-time homebuyers compete
- How Network Funding is helping loan officers win in today’s market

Plus, we’ve got a special invite for loan officers: take our industry survey at https://todayinmortgages.com and get a free benchmark report to see how you stack up in comp, tech, and support.

Listen in as we discuss this and more!

--

Looking to GROW your business?
Find out how we are making our best producers even better and how you can DO MORE YOU inside the best Network in mortgages by visiting https://you.nflp.com

--

Take our Loan Officer Survey to get your FREE industry report! Benchmark yourself, understand trends, and make smarter career decisions at https://todayinmortgages.com/survey/

#MortgageNews #RefinanceBoom #LoanOfficerLife #TodayInMortgages #NetworkFunding

______

Today in Mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297.*

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and/or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates. Any commentary on this show should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify, and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation.

Visit our website at https://nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

See more at TodayInMortgages.com

Want to get expert coaching everyday and have the power of the best Network in Mortgages behind your production business? Learn more here.

Learn more about Network Funding on our parent site.

Today in mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297. Corporate office located at 10370 Richmond Ave. Suite 900, Houston, TX 77042.

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates, and any commentary on this show is should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation. Visit our website at nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

Welcome back, Dreammakers! Our first episode of 2026 dives into some jaw-dropping headlines: criminal indictments at the Fed, rumors of fraud, and what all this means for mortgage rates and the housing market. Plus, we break down Trump’s $200B mortgage bond buy request and why the Fed’s independence matters more than ever.

In this episode:

• DOJ investigations into Fed Chair Powell
• Why Fed independence is critical for market stability
• Trump’s $200B mortgage bond buy—what it means for rates
• The “lock-in effect” fading: homeowners making moves in 2026
• Optimism for the mortgage industry this year

Plus, we’ve got a special invite for loan officers: take our industry survey at https://todayinmortgages.com and get a free benchmark report to see how you stack up in comp, tech, and support.

Listen in as we discuss this and more!

--

Looking to GROW your business?
Find out how we are making our best producers even better and how you can DO MORE YOU inside the best Network in mortgages by visiting https://you.nflp.com

--

Take our Loan Officer Survey to get your FREE industry report! Benchmark yourself, understand trends, and make smarter career decisions at https://todayinmortgages.com/survey/

#MortgageNews #RefinanceBoom #LoanOfficerLife #TodayInMortgages #NetworkFunding

______

Today in Mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297.*

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and/or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates. Any commentary on this show should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify, and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation.

Visit our website at https://nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

See more at TodayInMortgages.com

Want to get expert coaching everyday and have the power of the best Network in Mortgages behind your production business? Learn more here.

Learn more about Network Funding on our parent site.

Today in mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297. Corporate office located at 10370 Richmond Ave. Suite 900, Houston, TX 77042.

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates, and any commentary on this show is should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation. Visit our website at nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

We’re wrapping up 2025 with one big question:

Is now the time to lock your mortgage rate?

In this episode, Michael and Rich break down what rate locks really mean, the pros and cons, and why timing matters more than ever. From Fed rate confusion to real-world examples, we’ll help you understand how locking today could save you from surprises tomorrow.

Plus, we’ve got a special invite for loan officers: take our industry survey at https://todayinmortgages.com and get a free benchmark report to see how you stack up in comp, tech, and support.

Listen in as we discuss this and more!

--

Looking to GROW your business?
Find out how we are making our best producers even better and how you can DO MORE YOU inside the best Network in mortgages by visiting https://you.nflp.com

--

Take our Loan Officer Survey to get your FREE industry report! Benchmark yourself, understand trends, and make smarter career decisions at https://todayinmortgages.com/survey/

#MortgageNews #RefinanceBoom #LoanOfficerLife #TodayInMortgages #NetworkFunding

______

Today in Mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297.*

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and/or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates. Any commentary on this show should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify, and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation.

Visit our website at https://nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

See more at TodayInMortgages.com

Want to get expert coaching everyday and have the power of the best Network in Mortgages behind your production business? Learn more here.

Learn more about Network Funding on our parent site.

Today in mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297. Corporate office located at 10370 Richmond Ave. Suite 900, Houston, TX 77042.

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates, and any commentary on this show is should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation. Visit our website at nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are quietly adding billions to their mortgage bond portfolios. What does this mean for the housing market, interest rates, and your business as a loan officer? In this episode, Michael and Rich break down:

• Why Fannie and Freddie are holding more mortgage bonds
• The potential exit from government conservatorship
• How this could impact mortgage rates and housing affordability
• What loan officers should watch for in 2026 and beyond
• Year-end buying tips for motivated sellers

Plus, we’ve got a special invite for loan officers: take our industry survey at https://todayinmortgages.com and get a free benchmark report to see how you stack up in comp, tech, and support.

Listen in as we discuss this and more!

--

Looking to GROW your business?
Find out how we are making our best producers even better and how you can DO MORE YOU inside the best Network in mortgages by visiting https://you.nflp.com

--

Take our Loan Officer Survey to get your FREE industry report! Benchmark yourself, understand trends, and make smarter career decisions at https://todayinmortgages.com/survey/

#MortgageNews #RefinanceBoom #LoanOfficerLife #TodayInMortgages #NetworkFunding

______

Today in Mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297.*

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and/or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates. Any commentary on this show should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify, and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation.

Visit our website at https://nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

See more at TodayInMortgages.com

Want to get expert coaching everyday and have the power of the best Network in Mortgages behind your production business? Learn more here.

Learn more about Network Funding on our parent site.

Today in mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297. Corporate office located at 10370 Richmond Ave. Suite 900, Houston, TX 77042.

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates, and any commentary on this show is should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation. Visit our website at nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

What’s in store for housing and mortgage rates in 2026? In this episode of Today in Mortgages, we break down:

• The Fed’s latest rate cut and what it means for mortgage rates
• Why home prices are expected to rise only 1.4% next year
• Predictions for interest rates staying in the 6% range through 2026
• How affordability might improve (slowly!) and what that means for buyers
• Why mindset matters more than ever for loan officers heading into the new year

Key Takeaways:

• Fed signals only one more cut in 2026
• Home price appreciation expected to be modest but sustainable
• Interest rates likely to hover in the mid-6% range
• Positive mindset = more wins in a tough market

Plus, we’ve got a special invite for loan officers: take our industry survey at https://todayinmortgages.com and get a free benchmark report to see how you stack up in comp, tech, and support.

Listen in as we discuss this and more!

--

Looking to GROW your business?
Find out how we are making our best producers even better and how you can DO MORE YOU inside the best Network in mortgages by visiting https://you.nflp.com

--

Take our Loan Officer Survey to get your FREE industry report! Benchmark yourself, understand trends, and make smarter career decisions at https://todayinmortgages.com/survey/

#MortgageNews #RefinanceBoom #LoanOfficerLife #TodayInMortgages #NetworkFunding

______

Today in Mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297.*

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and/or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates. Any commentary on this show should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify, and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation.

Visit our website at https://nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

See more at TodayInMortgages.com

Want to get expert coaching everyday and have the power of the best Network in Mortgages behind your production business? Learn more here.

Learn more about Network Funding on our parent site.

Today in mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297. Corporate office located at 10370 Richmond Ave. Suite 900, Houston, TX 77042.

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates, and any commentary on this show is should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation. Visit our website at nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

Let’s talk about what’s real, what’s hype, and what you should actually pay attention to in mortgage and real estate news. In this episode:

Key Discussion Points:

• Why the Road to Housing Act is now pushed to 2026
• How bundling with the defense bill caused delays
• What the bill aims to fix: affordability, zoning, and new loan products
• Pressure on Congress and the White House to act
• Positive signs for the mortgage industry heading into 2026
• How YOU can plan for a strong year with our Loan Officer Survey

Plus, we’ve got a special invite for loan officers: take our industry survey at https://todayinmortgages.com and get a free benchmark report to see how you stack up in comp, tech, and support.

Listen in as we discuss this and more!

______

Today in Mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297.*

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and/or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates. Any commentary on this show should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify, and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation.

Visit our website at https://nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.

See more at TodayInMortgages.com

Want to get expert coaching everyday and have the power of the best Network in Mortgages behind your production business? Learn more here.

Learn more about Network Funding on our parent site.

Today in mortgages is produced by Network Funding, LP, which is an equal housing lender, NMLS# 2297. Corporate office located at 10370 Richmond Ave. Suite 900, Houston, TX 77042.

The content of this program is meant to be a commentary on mortgage and real estate news and any discussion of rates and or products should not be taken as individual mortgage or home buying advice or pricing estimates, and any commentary on this show is should not be considered a promise to make a loan. All applicants for a loan must qualify and you should consult a professional regarding your individual loan scenarios for your financial situation. Visit our website at nflp.com/licenses for all state licensing and other legal information.