Why would the Fed loosen mortgage regulations?

What It Covers

The Federal Reserve is reconsidering post-2008 mortgage regulations that pushed banks out of home lending, dropping their market share from 70% to 30%. The episode also covers vaccine R&D pullback, AI data center energy demand, physical media's revival, and a shrimp farmer navigating rising shipping costs.

Key Questions Answered

• •Fed Mortgage Deregulation: The Fed proposes reducing capital reserve requirements banks must hold against mortgage portfolios, potentially reversing a trend where regulation drove roughly 60% of bank exits from home lending since 2008. Currently banks hold identical capital cushions for both risky and low-risk loans — proposed flexibility could incentivize banks to re-enter mortgage markets and increase competition for borrowers.
• •Non-Bank Mortgage Dominance: Banks now originate only 30% of home loans, down from 70% before the 2008 financial crisis. Non-bank fintechs fill the gap but operate in largely unregulated space. The Fed's proposed changes also target mortgage servicing capital requirements, meaning banks managing third-party loan payments could reduce reserve burdens and expand their overall participation in housing finance.
• •Vaccine R&D Contraction: Shifting federal policy under HHS Secretary RFK Jr. — including rescinded research funding, changed vaccine recommendations, and FDA refusal to review Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine — is causing companies to deprioritize early-stage vaccine development. Moderna has halted new late-stage trial investments, and smaller firms like GeoVax are narrowing pipelines, with experts warning setbacks will compound over decades.
• •AI Data Centers Driving Off-Grid Energy: AI infrastructure buildout is creating demand for rapid, off-grid power solutions. Redwood Materials deployed a 60-megawatt-hour battery storage system built from recycled EV batteries to power a Nevada data center in just four months — far faster than grid interconnection or gas turbine construction. The company raised $425 million to scale toward a 10-gigawatt-per-year manufacturing line.
• •Regional Housing Market Divergence: National homebuilder confidence sits at 36 out of 100, well below the 50-point threshold indicating positive conditions. Texas leads in housing starts due to sustained population and job growth, while Michigan and Atlanta face lot development cost barriers from energy codes and permitting delays. Builders across regions cite tariffs and immigration policy as compounding cost headwinds in 2025.