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The Institutional Risk Analyst
© 2003-2025 | Whalen Global Advisors LLC All Rights Reserved in All Media | ISSN 2692-1812
Banks | Markets | Finance
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![Mortgage Lenders Face Return of a Purchase Market](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_48683138504f537835716b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/nsplsh_48683138504f537835716b~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Jul 8, 20237 min read
Mortgage Lenders Face Return of a Purchase Market
The “winners” in the mortgage sector will be those larger players with equally large servicing books that can access bank funding
904 views
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![Profile: Synchrony Financial](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/77e9849579aa4e5985019cd20d8d5ea1.jpg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/77e9849579aa4e5985019cd20d8d5ea1.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 9, 20236 min read
Profile: Synchrony Financial
What can SYF tell us about the bleeding edge of unsecured consumer credit?
667 views
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![Ginnie Mae - Credit Suisse = ? A Biden MSR Tax? Does BKI + ICE = < 2?](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_b0734bd6a2f34ad0b509bd02b95e9727~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/nsplsh_b0734bd6a2f34ad0b509bd02b95e9727~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 13, 20238 min read
Ginnie Mae - Credit Suisse = ? A Biden MSR Tax? Does BKI + ICE = < 2?
Our view is that the BKI purchase is a horrible deal for ICE shareholders, a value killer of epic proportions
1,050 views
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![Mortgage Wrap; PennyMac Financial, Rithm Capital & MSRs](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_7e06c7d8906340ce869276007cf8da7b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/11062b_7e06c7d8906340ce869276007cf8da7b~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 9, 20237 min read
Mortgage Wrap; PennyMac Financial, Rithm Capital & MSRs
We suspect that the IMBs will be sellers of conventional assets to defend their Ginnie Mae MSRs. Banks may be buyers of conventional assets
535 views
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![Update: Bank of America](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_5556383145306f58585751~mv2_d_3648_5472_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/nsplsh_5556383145306f58585751~mv2_d_3648_5472_s_4_2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 23, 20236 min read
Update: Bank of America
We hear in the channel that regulators are making their views of future loss probabilities very clear in guidance to the top banks
536 views
![GNMA, FNMA Seize Assets from Reverse Mortgage Funding Estate](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0226b_eb2488830c86492db5f9ad9ff13a61dc~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/b0226b_eb2488830c86492db5f9ad9ff13a61dc~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Dec 22, 20226 min read
GNMA, FNMA Seize Assets from Reverse Mortgage Funding Estate
The US government now owns the largest reverse lender in the country.
1,416 views
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![Rising Interest Rates? Really?](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_a2e004d42b6d4d03a20dc34b552616ab~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/nsplsh_a2e004d42b6d4d03a20dc34b552616ab~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Dec 12, 20224 min read
Rising Interest Rates? Really?
Since 2008, dollar swap spreads have traded below Treasury yields, suggesting a persistent demand for dollars coming from offshore.
824 views
![Bank M2M Losses Surge in Q3 to $347 Billion](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0226b_74cdb5c520ea4ea084c7326599024cff~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/b0226b_74cdb5c520ea4ea084c7326599024cff~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Dec 6, 20221 min read
Bank M2M Losses Surge in Q3 to $347 Billion
Rapidly rising interest rates in Q3 2022 pushed down the tangible capital for the US banking industry to negative $1.9 trillion
519 views
![Record Losses for Mortgage Banks Presage Tough Year Ahead](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0226b_f33f3194e3374379b84c0b6e812ab259~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/b0226b_f33f3194e3374379b84c0b6e812ab259~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Nov 19, 20221 min read
Record Losses for Mortgage Banks Presage Tough Year Ahead
Is 2023 the year of the Return of the Distressed Loan Trade?
542 views
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![Brief: The Return of Home Equity Loans](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_02cbc366537944d5b11517ef20c1fecd~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/nsplsh_02cbc366537944d5b11517ef20c1fecd~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Nov 7, 20227 min read
Brief: The Return of Home Equity Loans
Every residential mortgage loan made in 2020-2021 is likely to be underwater by the end of 2023
1,339 views
![Update: U.S. Bank vs. Bank OZK; Q3 2022 Earnings Setup](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0226b_4803c1133e62404aa5a43f16dccd5b53~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/b0226b_4803c1133e62404aa5a43f16dccd5b53~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 12, 20227 min read
Update: U.S. Bank vs. Bank OZK; Q3 2022 Earnings Setup
How will this above-peer performer from Little Rock do in a Fed-induced recession that rivals 2008 in terms of market losses?
700 views
![Interest Rates, FinTechs & MSRs](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0226b_60189fd65d494f398e0a15a4c02ca847~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/b0226b_60189fd65d494f398e0a15a4c02ca847~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Aug 21, 20227 min read
Interest Rates, FinTechs & MSRs
Interest rates are starting to be very positive, and bank deposit rates are barely moving, so pretense of fintech as bank killer is over
568 views
![Hard Landings & Systemic Crypto](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0226b_3d37bef6811f453387dbaeb50ce166c7~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/b0226b_3d37bef6811f453387dbaeb50ce166c7~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Jul 4, 20226 min read
Hard Landings & Systemic Crypto
Putting dollar leverage under crypto tokens – that is to say, under nothing – makes for infinite dollar risk.
572 views
![Bank Earnings Setup: JPM, USB, WFC, BAC & Citi](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0226b_ced8a6e98b9a4447b44eab146a88a4fb~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/b0226b_ced8a6e98b9a4447b44eab146a88a4fb~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 29, 20228 min read
Bank Earnings Setup: JPM, USB, WFC, BAC & Citi
Most of the banks in our surveillance group are down between 10% and 30% so far this year, but none of these are particularly cheap as yet
575 views
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![The Fed and Housing](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_15c3d647dcf74839af3d21be03ca70b9~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/11062b_15c3d647dcf74839af3d21be03ca70b9~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 20, 20228 min read
The Fed and Housing
Issuing CMOs via the GSEs could help the FOMC out of its trading mess, but represents a monumental irony.
1,618 views
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![QE = Supranormal Credit Risk](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_b32161c902b04a1cb876cea9095f25a1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/nsplsh_b32161c902b04a1cb876cea9095f25a1~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 12, 20227 min read
QE = Supranormal Credit Risk
Given the demand for safe assets, the true risk free rate today is probably less than zero. Ponder that Chairman Powell
562 views
![Update: Upstart Holdings & Cross River Bank](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0226b_c21f8a6b66d0409185412d1db7c74510~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/b0226b_c21f8a6b66d0409185412d1db7c74510~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 2, 20227 min read
Update: Upstart Holdings & Cross River Bank
If investors and partner banks don’t want to buy UPST loans at current market rates, then the game is over in an originate to sell model
779 views
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![Equity Market Valuations & Quantitative Tightening](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0226b_3a268e4d12de46c79a0d93a9271efab0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_225,h_225,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/b0226b_3a268e4d12de46c79a0d93a9271efab0~mv2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
May 23, 20227 min read
Equity Market Valuations & Quantitative Tightening
The reduction in the Fed's balance sheet is the largest ever margin call on equity exposures of all descriptions.
1,004 views
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![Interest Rates, Credit and MSRs](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_31307354445a416a357341~mv2_d_3193_4000_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/nsplsh_31307354445a416a357341~mv2_d_3193_4000_s_4_2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
May 4, 20225 min read
Interest Rates, Credit and MSRs
Even as Powell signals willingness to take interest rate targets higher, he has put off a decision on the Fed's balance sheet until June.
498 views
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![Ukraine & the Return of Credit Risk](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_354d6a34504f374b494663~mv2_d_4385_2923_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_436,h_327,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/nsplsh_354d6a34504f374b494663~mv2_d_4385_2923_s_4_2.webp)
R. Christopher Whalen
Apr 20, 20225 min read
Ukraine & the Return of Credit Risk
Just imagine how global markets will react when Putin deploys tactical nuclear weapons in Eastern Ukraine to avoid a military defeat
547 views
Christopher Whalen
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