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Number of the Week: Government’s Overwhelming Role in Mortgages

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The share of new mortgage loans backed by the US government through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is at 92%. This makes the fast overhaul of the two agencies much more difficult. Treasury Secretary Geithner said last week that overhaul of the two agencies could take 5 to 7 years. The problems with Fannie and Freddie are real. The U.S. government subsidizes mortgages through Fannie and Freddie, encouraging Americans to take on more debt. Their balance sheets pose serious risks in another crisis, as long term investments are financed with short term borrowing. Any losses will be the responsibility of the US government. A recent paper from the US Treasury outlined some of the steps needed to wind down both agencies and to reform the way they operated including- requiring larger down payments and lowering loan limits, and increasing the fees charged for the government's guarantees to be more in line with the risk being taken. Slower reform in this area means additional systemic risks in the event of another crisis.

Fannie and Freddie in 2010-2011

06/19/2010

The growing US governmet liability for Fannie and Freddie -companies that fueled the housing bubble with their implicit governmet guarantees to investors in housing mortgages. The cost of rescue has reached $146 billion and according to the Congressional Budget Office could have eventual cost of $389 billion.

Grouped Articles

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Unfinished business

Economist 07/24/2010

Cost of Fannie And Freddie Keeps Rising

New York Times 06/19/2010

Fannie, Freddie Elicit Grim Forecast

Wall Street Journal 10/22/2010

What Fannie and Freddie Might Cost the Taxpayers

New York Times 10/21/2010

Housing Gloom Deepens

Wall Street Journal 10/26/2010

Mugged by the Debt Moralizers

New York Times 10/31/2010

The need to move government away from housing for a better allocation of resources in the U.S. economy

02/09/2011

Grouped Articles

White House Plans to Revamp Mortgage Market

Wall Street Journal 02/09/2011

Fannie, Freddie Phaseout Proposed

Wall Street Journal 02/11/2011

Obama Can't Fix Housing Without a 30-Year War

Wall Street Journal 02/11/2011

Number of the Week: Government’s Overwhelming Role in Mortgages

Wall Street Journal 02/12/2011

Planning a Better Way Than Fannie and Freddie

New York Times 02/12/2011

The End of Fannie Mae

Wall Street Journal 02/14/2011

The total cost to US taxpayers for Fannie and Freddie.

01/12/2009

The total cost could be $658 billion, according to a Standard and Poor's estimate in late 2010. And prove very costly for taxpayers in the USA. The government put the agencies in conservatorship during the housing crisis of 2008.

Grouped Articles

Heavens, Not Havens

New York Times 04/13/2013

Freddie's Profit Soars on Housing Rebound

Wall Street Journal 05/08/2013

Fannie Mae to pay $59.4B to Treasury - The Washington Post

Washington Post 05/09/2013

Fannie Chief: Payout Must Not Delay Revamp

Wall Street Journal 05/10/2013

Fannie, Freddie Payments Nearly Match Aid

Wall Street Journal 11/08/2013

White House Rejects Fannie-Freddie Recapitalization Plans

Wall Street Journal 11/23/2013


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