Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (MPF Program)
MPF Announcement 2026-68
October 16, 2026
Summary
MPF Announcement 2026-68 adopts Fannie Mae SEL-2026-09 updates for loans sold through the MPF Xtra product. The changes expand lender flexibility on verbal verification of employment methods, update income assessment and documentation requirements (including a three-year income-continuance horizon from the application date and a verbal VOE requirement for under-25% Schedule K-1 owners), broaden Attorney Opinion Letter eligibility, and digitize wire transfer instruction designation. Most provisions are effective immediately; the Schedule K-1 verbal VOE requirement applies to loan applications dated on or after December 2, 2026.
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MPF Announcement 2026-68
Date: October 16, 2026
Effective Date: Immediately (unless otherwise noted)
MPF Xtra Selling Updates – FNMA SEL-2026-09
Fannie Mae published SEL-2026-09, which covers the following Selling Guide updates applicable to mortgage loans sold under the MPF Xtra product:
- Verbal Verification of Employment
- Increasing operational flexibility by removing specific verbal verification of employment methods and improving clarity.
- Income Policy
- Updated requirements for Income Continuance and providing clarity on current loan delivery practices for Employment Offers or Contracts.
- Attorney Opinion Letters and Right of First Refusal
- expanding eligibility and clarifying requirements.
Other topics mentioned in the Fannie Mae announcement do not apply to MPF Xtra.
To gain a full understanding of these topics, PFIs should review the entire Fannie Mae Announcement and any applicable Fannie Mae Selling Guide chapters, forms, or exhibits noted in the announcements.
For questions or assistance, please contact the MPF Service Center by using one of the following options:
- MPF Customer Service Portal
- Email: MPF-Help@fhlbc.com
- Phone: (877) 345-2673
Selling Guide Announcement (SEL-2026-09)
Oct. 07, 2026
The Selling Guide has been updated to include changes to the following:
- Verbal Verification of Employment: increasing operational flexibility by removing specific verbal verification of employment methods and improving clarity by addressing requirements when borrowers use Schedule K-1 < 25% income to qualify
- Income Policy: updating requirements for Income Continuance and providing clarity on current loan delivery practices for Employment Offers or Contracts
- Attorney Opinion Letters and Right of First Refusal: expanding eligibility and clarifying requirements
- Digitizing seller’s designation of wire transfer instructions: introducing a more secure, self-service application replacing the manual PDF-based Form 482 submissions process and eliminating the requirements for Form 360
View the list of impacted topics.
Verbal verification of employment
We have removed the specific methods lenders must use to satisfy the verbal verification of employment requirement. The existing timing requirements for completing the verbal VOE remain unchanged.
With this update, lenders may use a verification method that is reasonable, verifiable, and appropriate for the borrower’s employment or income type.
Effective: Lenders may take advantage of these changes immediately.
Schedule K-1 <25% Income
In combination with this update, we are specifying that lenders must complete a verbal verification of employment for borrowers using Schedule K-1 income from a business in which they have less than 25% ownership to qualify. When the borrower also receives employment-related income from the same business, the applicable verification requirements depend on the borrower’s percentage of ownership. A verbal verification of employment is not required when rental income is the only income reported on Schedule K-1.
Effective: This change applies to loan applications dated on or after December 2, 2026.
Income policy updates
In response to lender feedback, we updated the Selling Guide to provide additional clarity to recent updates made to Chapter B3-3, Income Assessment.
- Income Assessment – The income continuance requirement is updated to reflect that income with a defined expiration date is expected to continue for at least three years from the application date instead of the note date.
- Employment Offers or Contracts – This requirement is updated to reflect acceptance of the fully executed and non-contingent offer or contract may be demonstrated through a signed agreement, written confirmation (e.g., email) or other verifiable means.
- Annuity, Pension and Retirement – This policy is updated to provide additional guidance for documentation requirements when the income begins after closing but prior to first payment date.
Effective: These policy changes are effective immediately.
Attorney Opinion Letters and Right of First Refusal
We have expanded eligibility for Attorney Opinion Letters (AOLs) by removing the following three restrictions:
- the requirement that AOLs be commonly accepted by private institutional investors in the local market,
- the exclusion of Texas Section 50(a)(6) loans, and
- the exclusion of loans executed under a power of attorney.
These changes provide lenders greater flexibility to use AOLs while retaining title protection requirements.
In addition, we have clarified that a tenant right of first refusal does not make a loan ineligible when the right arises from a statute or local ordinance rather than from a recorded instrument affecting the property. Recorded rights of first refusal remain subject to our existing Selling Guide requirements.
Effective: Lenders may take advantage of these changes immediately.
Digitizing seller’s designation of wire transfer instructions
We have implemented a new, more secure, self-service application that enables sellers to create, update, and deactivate wire transfer instructions for whole loan purchase proceeds. The application replaces the manual, PDF-based Seller's Designation of Wire Transfer Instructions (Form 482) submission process with a more secure digital workflow. This includes automated validations and approval controls, making wiring instructions available faster for use. As part of this change, we retired the Certificate of Authority, Incumbency, and Specimen Signatures (Form 360), eliminating the requirement for manual signature verification and callback procedures.
Effective: Lenders may begin using Form 482 application immediately.
Lenders may contact their Fannie Mae Account Team if they have questions about this Announcement.
Have guide questions? Get answers to all your policy questions, straight from the source. Ask Poli.
Impacted Topics
| Section of the Announcement | Updated Selling Guide Topics (Dated Oct. 07, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Verbal verification of employment | • B3-2-02, DU Validation Service • B3-3.1-04, Verbal Verification of Employment • B3-3.4-19, Schedule K-1 Income <25% Ownership |
| Income policy | • B3-3.1-01, General Income Information • B3-3.3-06, Mortgage Differential Payments Income • B3-3.3-07, Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Stock Employment Income • B3-3.4-02, Alimony, Child Support, Equalization Payments, or Separate Maintenance • B3-3.4-03, Annuity, Pension, or Retirement Income • B3-3.4-11, Notes Receivable Income • B3-3.4-12, Public Assistance Income • B3-3.4-13, Royalty Payment Income • B3-3.4-15, Social Security Income • B3-3.4-16, Trust Income • B3-3.4-18, VA Benefits Income • B3-3.3-03, Employment Offers or Contracts |
| Attorney Opinion Letters and Right of First Refusal | • B7-2-05, Title Exceptions and Impediments • B7-2-06, Attorney Title Opinion Letter Requirements |
| Digitizing seller’s designation of wire transfer instructions | • C2-2-06, Authorization to Transfer Funds • C2-2-07, Purchase Payee Codes • E-1-02, List of Contacts |
Source: https://www.fhlbmpf.com/program-guidelines/mpf-program-updates/mpf-announcement-2026-68
Common questions
- What does "MPF Announcement 2026-68" cover?
- MPF Announcement 2026-68 adopts Fannie Mae SEL-2026-09 updates for loans sold through the MPF Xtra product. The changes expand lender flexibility on…
- Which agency issued this update?
- This update was issued by Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (MPF Program).
- When was it published?
- It was published on October 16, 2026.
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