The Lending Brief Podcast

Lender of Last Opportunity: Federal Credit, Nuclear Energy, and the Infrastructure Gap

In this episode of The Center for USA Lending [https://www.linkedin.com/company/centerforusalending/posts/?feedView=all]'s The Lending Brief, sponsored by Allocore [https://www.linkedin.com/company/allocore/posts/?feedView=all], we're joined by Owen Barwell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenbarwell/], five-time CFO of multiple federal agencies including the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, for a wide-ranging conversation on the role of federal lending in financing what private capital won't touch. Drawing on his experience deploying $30 billion in renewable energy loans during the Recovery Act, Owen makes the case for why government lending is essential to de-risking emerging technologies like small modular reactors until private markets are ready to step in. He also pulls no punches on the state of federal lending infrastructure, drawing a direct parallel to where federal financial management was before the CFO Act of 1990, and arguing that data standardization, systems consolidation, and a common language across agencies are prerequisites before any real modernization can take hold. Want more from the Lending Brief? Check out our Newsletter [https://share.hsforms.com/2FjOxwtEDSwmiCMREdvI__geiugz].

The Envy of the World: US Housing Finance in a Global Context

In this episode of The Center for USA Lending [https://www.linkedin.com/company/centerforusalending/posts/?feedView=all]'s The Lending Brief, sponsored by Allocore [https://www.linkedin.com/company/allocore/posts/?feedView=all], we're joined by Liz Kamins [https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-kamins/], a 25-year veteran of housing finance and former senior leader at Fannie Mae, for a global tour of mortgage market innovation. From teaching primary market lending fundamentals in Moscow to advising Mexico's INFONAVIT on securitization, Liz spent years bringing lessons from the US housing finance system to governments and institutions around the world, and bringing international insights back home. She breaks down how countries like Germany, the UK, and Australia are leapfrogging the US in areas like blockchain-based securities issuance and AI-driven credit assessment, why the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage remains uniquely American, and what it would take for Fannie Mae and FHFA to modernize at scale without breaking what already works. Want more from the Lending Brief? Check out our Newsletter [https://share.hsforms.com/2FjOxwtEDSwmiCMREdvI__geiugz].

The $1.6 Trillion Rollercoaster: Inside the Federal Student Loan Portfolio

In this episode of The Center for USA Lending [https://www.linkedin.com/company/centerforusalending/posts/?feedView=all]'s The Lending Brief, sponsored by Allocore [https://www.linkedin.com/company/allocore/posts/?feedView=all], we're joined by Jay Hurt [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayhurt/], former CFO of the Office of Federal Student Aid and a 34-year veteran of the U.S. Department of Education, for a candid look at one of the federal government's most complex and politically charged credit programs. From a $37 billion profit in 2015 to a $493 billion liability by 2024, Jay unpacks how administrative actions — not just legislation — drove a half-trillion-dollar swing in portfolio value, and what that rollercoaster means for American taxpayers. He also breaks down the coming waves of student loan defaults, what the collapse of the SAVE plan means for the 8.8 million borrowers currently in forbearance, and why the new Education-Treasury partnership to restart collections may be a critical turning point for the portfolio's long-term health. Want more from the Lending Brief? Check out our Newsletter [https://share.hsforms.com/2FjOxwtEDSwmiCMREdvI__geiugz].

Inside FHA and the Future of Housing Finance with Jeffrey Little

In this episode of The Center for USA Lending [https://www.linkedin.com/company/centerforusalending/posts/?feedView=all]'s The Lending Brief, sponsored by Allocore [https://www.linkedin.com/company/allocore/posts/?feedView=all], we're joined by Jeffrey Little [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-little-507b14174/], former senior executive at the Federal Housing Administration and current Deputy Director of the National Leased Housing Association, for a behind-the-scenes look at the federal government’s largest housing credit program. From navigating the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to managing a $1.6 trillion insurance portfolio, Jeff explains how FHA balances mission-driven lending with real-world credit risk. He also dives into the biggest challenges facing the agency today, including chronic underinvestment in technology, the constraints of congressional appropriations, and why modernizing federal credit systems is harder than it looks. Plus, Jeff shares his perspective on the growing bipartisan push to increase housing supply, the barriers facing multifamily finance, and what it will take for federal programs to keep pace with market demands. Want more from the Lending Brief? Check out our Newsletter [https://share.hsforms.com/2FjOxwtEDSwmiCMREdvI__geiugz].

$1.7 Trillion in Student Loans, Who's Going to Manage Them?

In this episode of The Center for USA Lending [https://usalending.org/#/]'s The Lending Brief, sponsored by Allocore [https://allocore.com/one-solution/], we're joined by Kyle Shohfi [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-shohfi-b877282a2/], an education policy analyst at the Congressional Research Service, for an inside look at the federal student loan portfolio and the seismic policy shifts reshaping it. From the four-year repayment pause to a surge in defaults, jumping from 3.7 million to 6 million borrowers in a single quarter, Kyle breaks down what the numbers really mean for American borrowers and taxpayers. He also weighs in on the administration's plan to transfer student loan administration from the Department of Education to Treasury, the statutory hurdles standing in the way, and why the true cost of federal credit programs remains so poorly understood, even on Capitol Hill. Want more from the Lending Brief? Check out our Newsletter [https://share.hsforms.com/2FjOxwtEDSwmiCMREdvI__geiugz].