GENERAL SESSION: The Market's Peaks and Valleys

Chief Business Officer, RKT Holdings

Bill Banfield is the Chief Business Officer of RKT Holdings. In this role, Bill is responsible for overseeing critical business areas including Capital Markets, Mortgage Servicing and Government Affairs. Under Bill’s leadership, Rocket navigates the ever-evolving financial landscape, safeguarding the company’s interests while fostering growth. Bill’s team is responsible for creating innovative mortgage offerings that help more Americans responsibly achieve homeownership through low down payment options and special purpose credit programs. Rocket’s Capital Markets team also manages company’s interest rate risk – including loan pricing and securitization activity – while working closely with investors and the secondary market. Rocket Mortgage’s Servicing Team manages a portfolio exceeding $500 billion for 2.5 million clients. The team ensures that each of these clients receives the same award-winning service they expect from Rocket, from the day their loan closes until the final payment is made. The Government Affairs Team ensures Rocket Companies’ partners in government understand the current state of the mortgage market and how homeownership can be more accessible. Bill joined Rocket Mortgage in 1999, holding many leadership roles in Capital Markets over the last 25 years. Before Rocket, Bill served at MCA Mortgage and Lambrecht Mortgage Company. He earned an undergraduate degree in Finance from Western Michigan University. Bill serves on the Mortgage Bankers Association Board of Directors and is a sought-after commentator on mortgage and personal finance topics. He is frequently quoted by prestigious national media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Reuters and many more.

Chief Economist, Senior Vice President, Research and Business Development, Mortgage Bankers Association

Michael Fratantoni is MBA's Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research and Business Development. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing MBA's industry surveys and benchmarking studies, economic and mortgage originations forecasts, and policy development research for both single-family and commercial/multifamily markets. Additionally, Fratantoni is a member of the Board of Directors of the CONVERGENCE Collaborative, and the Smith Enterprise Risk Consortium’s (SERC’s) Advisory Council. Prior to joining MBA, Fratantoni worked in risk management and senior economist roles at Washington Mutual and Fannie Mae. He received a Ph.D. in economics from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in economics from The College of William and Mary and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Washington, and Johns Hopkins, George Washington, and Georgetown Universities.