I always wonder, when I see two gas stations near each other in a small town, if the owners agree on pricing and share information. But when you’re dealing with trillions of dollars of mortgages and millions of borrowers, well, that’s a different scale, and the leader and boards of directors should be held responsible if the news is correct. Per the AP, “A confidant of Bill Pulte, the Trump administration’s top housing regulator, provided confidential mortgage pricing data from Fannie Mae to (Freddie Mac), alarming senior officials of the government-backed lending giant who warned it could expose the company to claims that it was colluding with a rival to fix mortgage rates. CEOs report to boards, and some are saying that if Mr. Pulte and the Fannie and Freddie boards want to be relieved of their duties, they should have just resigned. And if nothing of consequence happens, what does that say about the housing finance system in the U.S.? (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s are sponsored by TransUnion. Mortgage lenders choose TransUnion for their identity-focused, data-driven mortgage insights and solutions, enabling them to achieve more desirable lending outcomes in a volatile housing market. Hear an interview with Telhio Credit Union’s Allie Hager on independent mortgage banks and credit unions differ in serving today’s borrowers, focusing on borrower sentiment around rates versus payments, strategies for building customer loyalty, and personal insights on professional growth and finding one’s comfort zone.)