Housing Regulators Seek More Than $6 Billion from BofA

U.S. housing regulators are looking to fine Bank of America more than $6 billion for its role in misleading mortgage agencies during the housing boom, compared with the $4 billion to be paid by JPMorgan Chase, the Financial Times reported on its website, citing people familiar with the matter.

FT said the Federal Housing Finance Agency, pursuing claims on behalf of finance agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that back about half the existing U.S. home loans, are seeking the penalty.

FHFA and Bank of America (BAC) couldn't be reached for comment outside of regular business hours.

%VIRTUAL-article-sponsoredlinks%Countrywide Financial, the mortgage lender acquired by Bank of America in July 2008, has cost the bank more than $40 billion in litigation expenses and other charges linked to its bad subprime mortgages. The bank set aside an additional $300 million for mortgage litigation in the latest quarter.

JPMorgan (JPM) reached a tentative $4 billion deal with the FHFA on Friday to settle claims that the bank misled government-sponsored mortgage agencies about the quality of mortgages it sold them, according to a person familiar with the matter.

JPMorgan also reached a tentative $13 billion deal with the U.S. Justice Department and other government agencies to settle investigations into bad mortgage loans the bank sold to investors before the financial crisis, a source familiar with the talks told Reuters on Saturday.

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