The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a drop in mortgage applications and refinance applications last week. In this video, Motley Fool financial analyst Matt Koppenheffer tells us how, if this is the beginning of a trend, it could be very scary for the banks right now, as the fees from these mortgage and refinancing applications had been a major part of banks offsetting their shrinking net interest margins. He also tells us why, if this is a trend, it could be particularly bad for Bank of America (BAC 0.23%), though he warns that we shouldn't jump to conclusions yet over one week's worth of data.
A Tricky Turn of Events for Bank of America
By Matt Koppenheffer – Jan 30, 2013 at 5:47PM
NYSE: BAC
Bank of America
Market Cap
$389B
Today's Change
(-0.23%) $0.12
Current Price
$53.12
Price as of December 2, 2025 at 3:58 PM ET
The beginning of a scary trend?
About the Author
Matt Koppenheffer is the former Head of the Coverage Team at The Motley Fool. He was a full-time Motley Fool employee from 2012-2025 and is a former advisor and analyst for multiple Motley Fool services. Matt's articles and analysis have been published around the world and his views have been cited in worldwide publications from the Financial Times and The New York Times to the Toronto Star and Germany's Focus Money. He has appeared to offer analysis on a variety of outlets including CNBC and NPR. Matt is the co-author of The Astonishing Collapse of MF Global as well as the creator and former co-host of The Motley Fool's Industry Focus podcast.