Servicers’ forbearance volume steadily falling Balance of exits and re-entires leave forbearance portfolios virtually unchanged

Didier Malagies • June 8, 2021



Servicers’ forbearance portfolio volumes decreased again last week, falling two basis points to 4.16%, according to a survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association.


Despite May 30 marking the 14th consecutive week of overall declines, a nearly equal number of forbearance exits and re-entries have left forbearance portfolio volumes essentially unaltered.


Broken down by investor types, the share of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans in forbearance decreased one basis point to 2.18%, while Ginnie Mae loans in forbearance also dropped one basis point to 5.54%. The forbearance share for portfolio loans and private-label securities (PLS) witnessed the greatest decline by six basis points, to 8.31%.


According to Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s senior vice president and chief economist, forbearance exits dropped to six basis points, the lowest weekly level since mid-February, however, new forbearance requests, at four basis points, matched the recent weekly low from early May.


Last week’s numbers aren’t unexpected – most expiring plans are typically removed the first week of the month, and forbearance volume hasn’t seen a large drop since fall 2020. A similar rise in restart activity occurred following a spike in exits in early October, when the first wave of forbearance entrants reached their six-month mark, according to a recent report from data analytics giant Black Knight.


According to the report, 830,000 plans are currently slated for review for extension or removal in June, the final quarterly review before early forbearance entrants begin to reach their 18-month plan expirations later this year.


As of mid-March, there were 1.45 million active plans that – based on their start date – would have been scheduled to reach their 18-month expirations in late 2021, and given recent improvements, 1.1 million such forbearance plans remain that – without any additional early exit activity – would reach their terminal expirations later this year, Black Knight said.


However, with all the exits and re-entries, the MBA estimated 2.1 million homeowners are still in some form of forbearance, with that number going unchanged for the third week in a row.


“Although the headline employment growth number for May was lower than many had anticipated, other data show evidence of a strengthening job market,” said Fratantoni. “That is good news for homeowners who have been struggling and are looking for work, as more families can regain their incomes and start making their mortgage payments again.”

Leave a comment




Start Your Loan with DDA today
Your local Mortgage Broker

Mortgage Broker Largo
See our Reviews

Looking for more details? Listen to our extended podcast! 

Check out our other helpful videos to learn more about credit and residential mortgages.

By Didier Malagies December 11, 2025
If the **Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by 0.25% and simultaneously restarts a form of quantitative easing (QE) by buying about $40 billion per month of securities, the overall monetary policy stance becomes very accommodative. Here’s what that generally means for interest rates and the broader economy: 📉 1. Short-Term Interest Rates The Fed’s benchmark rate (federal funds rate) directly sets the cost of overnight borrowing between banks. A 0.25% cut lowers that rate, which usually leads to lower short-term borrowing costs throughout the economy — for example on credit cards, variable-rate loans, and some business financing. Yahoo Finance +1 In most markets, short-term yields fall first, because they track the federal funds rate most closely. Reuters 📉 2. Long-Term Interest Rates Purchasing bonds (QE) puts downward pressure on long-term yields. When the Fed buys large amounts of Treasury bills or bonds, it increases demand for them, pushing prices up and yields down. SIEPR This tends to lower mortgage rates, corporate borrowing costs, and yields on long-dated government bonds, though not always as quickly or as much as short-term rates. Bankrate 🤝 3. Combined Effect Rate cuts + QE = dual easing. Rate cuts reduce the cost of short-term credit, and QE often helps bring down long-term rates too. Together, they usually flatten the yield curve (short and long rates both lower). SIEPR Lower rates overall tend to stimulate spending by households and investment by businesses because borrowing is cheaper. Cleveland Federal Reserve 💡 4. Market and Economic Responses Financial markets often interpret such easing as a cue that the Fed wants to support the economy. Stocks may rise and bond yields may fall. Reuters However, if inflation is already above target (as it has been), this accommodative stance could keep long-term inflation elevated or slow the pace of inflation decline. That’s one reason why Fed policymakers are sometimes divided over aggressive easing. Reuters 🔁 5. What This Doesn’t Mean The Fed buying $40 billion in bills right now may technically be labeled something like “reserve management purchases,” and some market analysts argue this may not be classic QE. But whether it’s traditional QE or not, the effect on liquidity and longer-term rates is similar: more Fed demand for government paper equals lower yields. Reuters In simple terms: ✅ Short-term rates will be lower because of the rate cut. ✅ Long-term rates are likely to decline too if the asset purchases are sustained. ➡️ Overall borrowing costs fall across the economy, boosting credit, investment, and spending. ⚠️ But this also risks higher inflation if demand strengthens too much while supply remains constrained. tune in and learn https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566 dda mortgage nmls#324329
By Didier Malagies December 9, 2025
How will AI reshape the mortgage industry
By Didier Malagies December 8, 2025
This is a subtitle for your new post
Show More