Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of presentation	Basis of Presentation The consolidated interim financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X as promulgated by the SEC. Accordingly, the financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. The interim consolidated financial statements are unaudited; however, in the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring items, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been included. Dollar amounts are reported in millions, except per share data and other key metrics, unless otherwise noted. The Company evaluated subsequent events through the date these interim consolidated financial statements were issued.
Basis of consolidation	Basis of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries, other entities in which the Company has a controlling financial interest and those variable interest entities (“VIE”) where the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries are the primary beneficiaries. Assets and liabilities of VIEs and their respective results of operations are consolidated from the date that the Company became the primary beneficiary through the date the Company ceases to be the primary beneficiary. The Company applies the equity method of accounting to investments where it is able to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the policies and procedures of the entity and owns less than 50% of the voting interests. Investments in certain companies over which the Company does not exert significant influence are accounted for as cost method investments. Intercompany balances and transactions on consolidated entities have been eliminated. Business combinations are included in the consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition.
Use of estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates due to factors such as adverse changes in the economy, changes in interest rates, secondary market pricing for loans held for sale and derivatives, strength of underwriting and servicing practices, changes in prepayment assumptions, declines in home prices or discrete events adversely affecting specific borrowers, uncertainties in the economy from the COVID-19 pandemic, and such differences could be material.
Recent accounting guidance adopted and not yet adopted	Recent Accounting Guidance Adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), (“ASU 2016-13”) requires expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date to be measured based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts, which is referred to as the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) methodology. The update eliminates the initial recognition of credit losses on an incurred basis in current GAAP and instead reflects an entity’s current estimate of all expected credit losses over the life of the asset. Previously, when credit losses were measured under GAAP, an entity generally only considered past events and current conditions in measuring the incurred loss. The new standard will reflect management’s best estimate of all expected credit losses for the Company’s financial assets that are recognized at amortized cost. The guidance was effective for the Company as of January 1, 2020, with a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of that date. Based upon management’s scoping analysis, the Company determined that reverse mortgage interests, net of reserves, advances and other receivables, net of reserves, and certain financial instruments included in other assets are within the scope of ASU 2016-13. Certain financial instruments within these respective line items have been determined to have limited expected credit-related losses due to the contractual servicing agreements with agencies and loan product guarantees. For advances and other receivables, net, the Company determined that the majority of estimated losses are due to servicing operational errors and credit-related losses are not significant because of the contractual relationships with the agencies. For reverse mortgage interests the Company determined that the guarantee from Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) on Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (“HECM”) loan products limits credit-related losses to an immaterial amount with substantially all losses related to servicing operational errors. For other assets, primarily trade receivables, the Company determined that these are short-term in nature (less than one year), and the estimated credit-related losses over the life of these receivables are similar to those resulting from the Company’s existing loss reserve process. For each of the aforementioned financial instruments carried at amortized cost, the Company enhanced its processes to consider and include the requirements of ASU 2016-13, as applicable, into the determination of credit-related losses. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13 using the modified retrospective method for the above-mentioned financial assets. Results for reporting periods after January 1, 2020 are presented under ASU 2016-13 while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable GAAP. The Company recorded transition adjustments aggregating to a net increase of $9, or $7 after tax, to retained earnings and a reduction of $7 to the advances and other receivables reserve and a $2 reduction in the other assets reserves, as of January 1, 2020 for the cumulative effect of adopting ASU 2016-13. In connection with adoption of ASU 2016-13, the Company updated its accounting policies as follows: For certain financial instruments included in advances and other receivables, net, and certain trade receivables and accrued revenues included in other assets that are within the scope of ASU 2016-13, the reserve methodology was revised to consider CECL losses. The revised CECL methodology considers expected lifetime loss rates calculated from historical data using a weighted average life to determine the current expected credit loss required. Due to the nature of the financial instrument, reverse mortgage interests, net of reserves, and advances and other receivables had limited impact from the adoption of CECL to the reserve methodology. See Note 3, Advances and Other Receivables, Net, and Note 4, Reverse Mortgage Interests, Net, for additional information. Factors that influenced management’s current estimate of expected credit losses for certain advances and other receivables and certain trade receivables and accrued revenues included the following: historical collection and loss rates, passage of time, weighted average life of receivables, and various qualitative factors including current economic conditions. Factors that influenced management’s current estimate of expected credit related losses for certain reverse mortgage interests included the following: historical collection and loss rates, foreclosure timelines, and values of underlying collateral. Accounting Standards Update No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, (“ASU 2018-13”) removes the requirement to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurement methodologies, the policy for timing of transfers between levels and the valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements. It also adds a requirement to disclose changes in unrealized gains and losses for the period included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period and the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 measurements. For certain unobservable inputs, entities may disclose other quantitative information in lieu of the weighted average if the other quantitative information would be a more reasonable and rational method to reflect the distribution of unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. The Company adopted ASU 2018-13 on January 1, 2020. The guidance does not have a material impact to the disclosures currently provided by the Company.
Fair value measurement	Fair value is a market-based measurement, not an entity-specific measurement, and should be determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. As a basis for considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, a three-tiered fair value hierarchy has been established based on the level of observable inputs used in the measurement of fair value (e.g., Level 1 representing quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market; Level 2 representing values using observable inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1; and Level 3 representing estimated values based on significant unobservable inputs). There have been no significant changes to the valuation techniques and inputs used by the Company in estimating fair values of Level 2 and Level 3 assets and liabilities as disclosed in the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, with the exception of the following: Derivative Financial Instruments (Level 2 and Level 3) – During the three months ended June 30, 2020, the Company changed the fair value classification of its IRLCs and LPCs derivatives from Level 2 to Level 3. IRLCs and LPCs are carried at fair value primarily based on secondary market prices for underlying mortgage loans, which is observable data, with adjustments made to such observable data for the inherent value of servicing, which is an unobservable input. The fair value is also subject to adjustments for the estimated pull-through rate. The impact of the unobservable input to the overall valuation of IRLCs and LPCs was previously much less significant, resulting in a classification of Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2019. During the three months ended June 30,2020, market interest rates continued to decline and fell to record lows, which drove an increase in the volume of the Company’s IRLCs and LPCs and increased the impact of the unobservable input on the overall valuation of IRLCs and LPCs. Such increased impact of the unobservable input on the overall valuation resulted in a classification of Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy as of June 30, 2020. For other derivatives, they are exchange-traded or traded within highly active dealer markets. In order to determine the fair value of these instruments, the Company utilizes the exchange price or dealer market price for the particular derivative contract; therefore, the Company classifies these contracts as Level 2 in the fair value disclosure. Derivative financial instruments are recorded in other assets and payables and other liabilities within the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 8, Derivative Financial Instruments, for more information.
Business Segment Reporting	In the second quarter of 2020, the Company updated its presentation of segment assets to be aligned with a change in the reporting package provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker. The presentation change had no impact on the segments' operations. Assets allocated to the Servicing segment include MSRs; advances and other receivables, except for co-issue MSR holdback; Servicing related mortgage loans held for sale; and other assets including property, plant and equipment, lease-related assets, prepaid assets, and goodwill. Assets allocated to Originations segment include co-issue MSR holdback in advances and other receivables; Originations related mortgage loans held for sale; derivative assets; and other assets including property, plant and equipment, lease-related assets, prepaid assets, and goodwill. Assets allocated to the Xome segment include cash and cash equivalents; tax-related assets; receivables; and other assets including property, plant and equipment, lease-related assets, prepaid assets, goodwill, and other intangible assets. All assets that are not specifically identified or allocated to a reporting segment are reported as part of Corporate/Other and include cash and cash equivalents; tax-related assets; and intangibles assets excluding goodwill and assets allocated to Xome. Eliminations are also included in Corporate/Other. Prior year financial information has been adjusted retrospectively to reflect the updated presentation.

Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated interim financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X as promulgated by the SEC. Accordingly, the financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The interim consolidated financial statements are unaudited; however, in the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring items, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been included. Dollar amounts are reported in millions, except per share data and other key metrics, unless otherwise noted.

The Company evaluated subsequent events through the date these interim consolidated financial statements were issued.

Basis of consolidation

Basis of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries, other entities in which the Company has a controlling financial interest and those variable interest entities (“VIE”) where the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries are the primary beneficiaries. Assets and liabilities of VIEs and their respective results of operations are consolidated from the date that the Company became the primary beneficiary through the date the Company ceases to be the primary beneficiary. The Company applies the equity method of accounting to investments where it is able to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the policies and procedures of the entity and owns less than 50% of the voting interests. Investments in certain companies over which the Company does not exert significant influence are accounted for as cost method investments. Intercompany balances and transactions on consolidated entities have been eliminated. Business combinations are included in the consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition.

Use of estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates due to factors such as adverse changes in the economy, changes in interest rates, secondary market pricing for loans held for sale and derivatives, strength of underwriting and servicing practices, changes in prepayment assumptions, declines in home prices or discrete events adversely affecting specific borrowers, uncertainties in the economy from the COVID-19 pandemic, and such differences could be material.

Recent accounting guidance adopted and not yet adopted

Recent Accounting Guidance Adopted

Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), (“ASU 2016-13”) requires expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date to be measured based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts, which is referred to as the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) methodology. The update eliminates the initial recognition of credit losses on an incurred basis in current GAAP and instead reflects an entity’s current estimate of all expected credit losses over the life of the asset. Previously, when credit losses were measured under GAAP, an entity generally only considered past events and current conditions in measuring the incurred loss. The new standard will reflect management’s best estimate of all expected credit losses for the Company’s financial assets that are recognized at amortized cost. The guidance was effective for the Company as of January 1, 2020, with a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of that date.

Based upon management’s scoping analysis, the Company determined that reverse mortgage interests, net of reserves, advances and other receivables, net of reserves, and certain financial instruments included in other assets are within the scope of ASU 2016-13. Certain financial instruments within these respective line items have been determined to have limited expected credit-related losses due to the contractual servicing agreements with agencies and loan product guarantees. For advances and other receivables, net, the Company determined that the majority of estimated losses are due to servicing operational errors and credit-related losses are not significant because of the contractual relationships with the agencies. For reverse mortgage interests the Company determined that the guarantee from Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) on Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (“HECM”) loan products limits credit-related losses to an immaterial amount with substantially all losses related to servicing operational errors. For other assets, primarily trade receivables, the Company determined that these are short-term in nature (less than one year), and the estimated credit-related losses over the life of these receivables are similar to those resulting from the Company’s existing loss reserve process. For each of the aforementioned financial instruments carried at amortized cost, the Company enhanced its processes to consider and include the requirements of ASU 2016-13, as applicable, into the determination of credit-related losses.

On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13 using the modified retrospective method for the above-mentioned financial assets. Results for reporting periods after January 1, 2020 are presented under ASU 2016-13 while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable GAAP. The Company recorded transition adjustments aggregating to a net increase of $9, or $7 after tax, to retained earnings and a reduction of $7 to the advances and other receivables reserve and a $2 reduction in the other assets reserves, as of January 1, 2020 for the cumulative effect of adopting ASU 2016-13.

In connection with adoption of ASU 2016-13, the Company updated its accounting policies as follows:

For certain financial instruments included in advances and other receivables, net, and certain trade receivables and accrued revenues included in other assets that are within the scope of ASU 2016-13, the reserve methodology was revised to consider CECL losses. The revised CECL methodology considers expected lifetime loss rates calculated from historical data using a weighted average life to determine the current expected credit loss required. Due to the nature of the financial instrument, reverse mortgage interests, net of reserves, and advances and other receivables had limited impact from the adoption of CECL to the reserve methodology. See Note 3, Advances and Other Receivables, Net, and Note 4, Reverse Mortgage Interests, Net, for additional information.

Factors that influenced management’s current estimate of expected credit losses for certain advances and other receivables and certain trade receivables and accrued revenues included the following: historical collection and loss rates, passage of time, weighted average life of receivables, and various qualitative factors including current economic conditions.

Factors that influenced management’s current estimate of expected credit related losses for certain reverse mortgage interests included the following: historical collection and loss rates, foreclosure timelines, and values of underlying collateral.

Accounting Standards Update No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, (“ASU 2018-13”) removes the requirement to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurement methodologies, the policy for timing of transfers between levels and the valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements. It also adds a requirement to disclose changes in unrealized gains and losses for the period included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period and the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 measurements. For certain unobservable inputs, entities may disclose other quantitative information in lieu of the weighted average if the other quantitative information would be a more reasonable and rational method to reflect the distribution of unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. The Company adopted ASU 2018-13 on January 1, 2020. The guidance does not have a material impact to the disclosures currently provided by the Company.

Fair value measurement

Fair value is a market-based measurement, not an entity-specific measurement, and should be determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. As a basis for considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, a three-tiered fair value hierarchy has been established based on the level of observable inputs used in the measurement of fair value (e.g., Level 1 representing quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market; Level 2 representing values using observable inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1; and Level 3 representing estimated values based on significant unobservable inputs).

There have been no significant changes to the valuation techniques and inputs used by the Company in estimating fair values of Level 2 and Level 3 assets and liabilities as disclosed in the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, with the exception of the following:

Derivative Financial Instruments (Level 2 and Level 3) – During the three months ended June 30, 2020, the Company changed the fair value classification of its IRLCs and LPCs derivatives from Level 2 to Level 3. IRLCs and LPCs are carried at fair value primarily based on secondary market prices for underlying mortgage loans, which is observable data, with adjustments made to such observable data for the inherent value of servicing, which is an unobservable input. The fair value is also subject to adjustments for the estimated pull-through rate. The impact of the unobservable input to the overall valuation of IRLCs and LPCs was previously much less significant, resulting in a classification of Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2019. During the three months ended June 30,2020, market interest rates continued to decline and fell to record lows, which drove an increase in the volume of the Company’s IRLCs and LPCs and increased the impact of the unobservable input on the overall valuation of IRLCs and LPCs. Such increased impact of the unobservable input on the overall valuation resulted in a classification of Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy as of June 30, 2020.

For other derivatives, they are exchange-traded or traded within highly active dealer markets. In order to determine the fair value of these instruments, the Company utilizes the exchange price or dealer market price for the particular derivative contract; therefore, the Company classifies these contracts as Level 2 in the fair value disclosure.

Derivative financial instruments are recorded in other assets and payables and other liabilities within the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 8, Derivative Financial Instruments, for more information.

Business Segment Reporting

In the second quarter of 2020, the Company updated its presentation of segment assets to be aligned with a change in the reporting package provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker. The presentation change had no impact on the segments' operations. Assets allocated to the Servicing segment include MSRs; advances and other receivables, except for co-issue MSR holdback; Servicing related mortgage loans held for sale; and other assets including property, plant and equipment, lease-related assets, prepaid assets, and goodwill. Assets allocated to Originations segment include co-issue MSR holdback in advances and other receivables; Originations related mortgage loans held for sale; derivative assets; and other assets including property, plant and equipment, lease-related assets, prepaid assets, and goodwill. Assets allocated to the Xome segment include cash and cash equivalents; tax-related assets; receivables; and other assets including property, plant and equipment, lease-related assets, prepaid assets, goodwill, and other intangible assets. All assets that are not specifically identified or allocated to a reporting segment are reported as part of Corporate/Other and include cash and cash equivalents; tax-related assets; and intangibles assets excluding goodwill and assets allocated to Xome. Eliminations are also included in Corporate/Other. Prior year financial information has been adjusted retrospectively to reflect the updated presentation.