The Q1 financial reports released by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac this week have prompted even more intense questions as to the long-term sustainability of the FHFA's conservatorship of the GSEs, which was meant to be temporary but is now almost eight years old.
Read More »What Should Be the Aim of GSE Reform?
As the GSE conservatorship surges forward with no hope for reform in the near term, many in the industry cannot help but wonder what will happen next.
Read More »Back to Basics: 4 Ways to Transform the GSEs
Andrew Davidson, President of Andrew Davidson & Co., Inc., says that the GSEs should be striped down to the functions that promote standardization, liquidity, and access to credit, and adopt the best governance structures for those functions using these four methods.
Read More »The Long, Hard Road to GSE Reform
Many, including FHFA Director Mel Watt, have expressed concern over Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's lack of a capital buffer. But at this point, how likely is it that they will be recapitalized and released from the conservatorships?
Read More »Proposal to Reform GSEs Aims to Circumvent Stalling Legislation
Part of the plan includes the GSEs' conservator, FHFA, amending the preferred stock purchase agreements and suspending payment of cash dividends on Treasury's senior preferred stock.
Read More »GSE Reform: ‘Let’s Not Wait Until the Next Crisis’
Despite the hesitancy of the administration on GSE reform, the time to have a conversation about the topic is now, according to a group of analysts.
Read More »Industry Reaction Mixed on Allegations of Wall Street Influencing GSE Reform
Now that the news has had a bit of time to marinate, some within the housing industry reacted by taking up alliances with lobbyists, while others went the opposite direction and questioned these higher-ups' motives.
Read More »GSE Reform Must Go Through the Financial Stability Oversight Council
Eight of the nine members of the Financial Stability Oversight Council testify Tuesday before the House Financial Services Committee. Any realistic movement toward GSE reform leads to the FSOC, so what they say Tuesday will echo through the industry.
Read More »Did Advocates to Eliminate GSEs Engage in a Conflict of Interest?
Stakeholders in the mortgage industry question whether or not a takeover by Wall Street banks would help the industry. Some say not only would it not help the industry, but it would be harmful. Did three top housing policy officials advocate for their private sector clients after leaving their government positions?
Read More »Lawmakers Aggressively Push GSE Reform Act
The amendment to H.R. 2577, known as the Jumpstart GSE Reform Act, was introduced by Corker, Warner, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), and Senator David Vitter (R-Louisiana) in September and offered on Thursday by Corker and Warner as an amendment to H.R. 2577. The Jumpstart GSE Reform Act prohibits the sale of Treasury-owned preferred shares in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without approval from Congress, and also prohibits increases in guarantee fees charged by the GSEs from offsetting non-housing related government spending.
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