Dang, just when I was packing yesterday to head to Las Vegas for the MBA’s conference, and finish, after several months of transfers, of converting my “worthless” dollars into “valuable” bitcoin for my entire retirement account, I noticed the news that the United States has charged the chairman of Prince Group, a Cambodian conglomerate, with operating a massive cyber fraud operation . The Feds seized 127,271 bitcoins worth around $15 billion in the process. Federal prosecuto

What's old is new: Economic uncertainty, shifting interest rate dynamics, and continued fallout from the government shutdown. Volatility returned to markets following renewed tariff threats from President Trump, which helped push bond yields lower. The 10-year Treasury yield briefly flirted with the psychologically significant 4 percent level before retreating, signaling persistent investor caution, and then finally broke through that barrier yesterday to drop into the 3s. Mo

The news out this week is that D.R. Horton is acquiring SK Builders . So yes, the nation’s largest builder is expanding its presence in the fast-growing South Carolina markets. Despite what President Trump has to say about builders stepping up their game, the question those of us in the biz are asking is, “Are homebuilders really stalling, or are high rates to blame?” For years people have pointed out inventory issues, but those seem to be behind us. In the first quarter of t

Under the category of careers that are, or will be, impacted, by artificial intelligence, attorneys are inevitably on it. Here’s a tale of a lawyer caught using AI while explaining to the Court why he used AI . In other legal mortgage news, California mandated forbearances for mortgage borrowers affected by wildfires. Meanwhile, is disaster assistance based on politics? Apparently California is not receiving any disaster assistance from the federal government from the fires

While the government shutdown continues to simmer in stall-out mode, the US-China 100% tariff announcement, set to go live on November 1, is sure to spice things up. As the proverbial pot-lid begins to rattle, markets are watching closely to see what bubbles up next. So far, the flight-to-quality trade has worked in our favor, with the 10-year Treasury yield retreating to the 4.0% level. But the question remains: what catalyst could push us into a full boil—or breach that 4.0

“I was gambling in Las Vegas; I took a little risk. Send lawyers, guns, and money , Dad, get me out of this!” Hopefully, no one heading to LV tomorrow or this weekend runs into that kind of trouble. Did you know… The difference between an American roulette wheel and a European wheel? The American version has “00.” Fans of Lucifer, and numerology, know that, for both, the numbers add up to 666! Homeowners in Las Vegas are not typically big gamblers, unless you consider their

While the debate rages on about whether the three colors of candy corn taste different, at the other end of the tech spectrum, lenders are weeding out unused or out-of-date technology, reviewing new tools, all the while looking at bad developments in the IT world. (Speaking of tools, Ben Teerlink, Founder/CEO, MMI, will be interviewed today at 11AM PT on the L1 show.) AI companies are paying people to fold laundry in front of robots so they can learn to do household chores

“Where do amputees get prosthetics on a budget? The secondhand store.” Budget, stalemate, and shutdown news continues in Washington DC. The sun still comes up in the morning, and there is news on related issues. For example, thank you to Sean S. who told me that HUD opened the suggestions window for improving the HECM (reverse mortgage) product. The reasons why Treasury and mortgage rates remain elevated despite the shutdown and Fed’s rate cuts will be discussed in the Capit

As I wrap up my time with FinLocker and step into my role as President of MISMO, I’m happy to share that the MLO VieauxPoint  weekly segment will continue with Chrisman Commentary. You’ll just have a new, and improved, Vieaux. Ethan Vieaux, Vice President of Customer Success at FinLocker, will be taking the pen from here. Ethan has spent years in the trenches with loan officers, helping them integrate technology that genuinely serves both their business and their borrowers. H

It used to be that schools began after Labor Day and got a week off for spring break. Well, now they're "woke," and get a week off in the fall, much like the mortgage industry seemingly did this week due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, currently in its tenth day. While the data void left market participants with little hard news to digest, attention turned to Fed comments on monetary policy and inflation expectations, highlighted by Governor Barr’s cautious stance

“Rob, do you think that people spend more time at conferences talking about what they do rather than actually doing it at work ?” Perhaps. It's hard for me to answer a question from someone who really doesn't care about the answer, and besides, for many people going to many conferences is part of their job, right? There are a handful of important events to attend every year, and several state and local events that have merit. Roughly 3,000 are bound for Las Vegas this weeken

The stalemate & shutdown continue, all but eliminating the government release of economic news. Recall that the U.S. Treasury posted a $345 billion budget deficit in August, the largest monthly deficit of 2025 and the 2nd-worst August on record but helped by tariff revenue. This is up from July’s $291 billion deficit and has only been surpassed by last year’s $380 billion deficit. Government spending surged to $689 billion for the month. Through the first 11 months of FY2025

“Two lawyers walk into a pub. They order a couple of drinks and take subs out of their brief cases. They begin to eat. Seeing this, the...

Vendor management is a cornerstone of risk management for mortgage lenders, ensuring operational stability and regulatory compliance in a...

We’re sailing through autumn. Places like Seattle and Minneapolis are losing 3-5 minutes of sunlight a day. Donald Trump told Congress to...

President Trump has recommended that publicly held companies only report earnings every six months instead of every three. Don’t...

There are many wise sayings out there… One of my favorites is by Will Rogers: ”Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if...