Mortgage Bankers Association
05/12/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/12/2026 07:46
Mortgage Credit Availability Decreased in April
Contact
(202) 557-2771
Share to
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 12, 2026) - Mortgage credit availability decreased in April according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) that analyzes data from ICE Mortgage Technology.
The MCAI fell by 0.4 percent to 107.9 in April. A decline in the MCAI indicates that lending standards are tightening, while increases in the index are indicative of loosening credit. The index was benchmarked to 100 in March 2012. The Conventional MCAI decreased 0.6 percent, while the Government MCAI remained unchanged. Of the component indices of the Conventional MCAI, the Jumbo MCAI decreased by 1.0 percent, and the Conforming MCAI rose by 0.5 percent.
"After three months of increases, mortgage credit availably decreased slightly in April as lenders tightened up on conventional loan programs with high LTV and low credit requirements," said Joel Kan, MBA's Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. "Some of this tightening also impacted super jumbo loan programs, which resulted in a decline in the conforming jumbo index. Offsetting some of the April decline was a small increase in non-QM programs, a segment of the market that continues to grow. Overall, credit availability remains tight by historical standards, but mortgage originations activity has recently been impacted by mortgage rates, housing inventory, and the economic environment."
Source: Mortgage Bankers Association; Powered by ICE Mortgage Technology
CONVENTIONAL, GOVERNMENT, CONFORMING, AND JUMBO MCAI COMPONENT INDICES
The MCAI fell by 0.4 percent to 107.9 in April. The Conventional MCAI decreased 0.6 percent, while the Government MCAI remained unchanged. Of the component indices of the Conventional MCAI, the Jumbo MCAI decreased by 1.0 percent, and the Conforming MCAI rose by 0.5 percent.
Source: Mortgage Bankers Association; Powered by ICE Mortgage Technology
Source: Mortgage Bankers Association; Powered by ICE Mortgage Technology
Data prior to 3/31/2011 was generated using less frequent and less complete data measured at 6-month intervals interpolated in the months between for charting purposes.
ABOUT THE MORTGAGE CREDIT AVAILABILITY INDEX
The MCAI provides the only standardized quantitative index that is solely focused on mortgage credit.
The MCAI is calculated using several factors related to borrower eligibility (credit score, loan type, loan-to-value ratio, etc.). These metrics and underwriting criteria for over 95 lenders/investors are combined by MBA using data made available via ICE Mortgage Technology and a proprietary formula derived by MBA to calculate the MCAI, a summary measure which indicates the availability of mortgage credit at a point in time. Base period and values for total index is March 31, 2012=100; Conventional March 31, 2012=73.5; Government March 31, 2012=183.5.
To learn more about the ICE Mortgage Technology platform click here.
For more information on the Mortgage Credit Availability Index, including Methodology, Frequently Asked Questions and other helpful resources, please contact [email protected].
Mortgage Bankers Association published this content on May 12, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 12, 2026 at 13:46 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]