U.S. plan to save Fannie and Freddie

The Scotsman

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Paulson and Bernanke proposal would give mortgage finance giants bigger line of credit with Treasury and open NY Federal Reserve lending window.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Treasury Department and Federal Reserve on Sunday outlined a comprehensive government plan to prop up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - the two mortgage finance giants that play a crucial role in the U.S. economy.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said the Bush administration plans to ask Congress to enact legislation to temporarily increase the line of credit that the companies have with the Treasury. It would also allow the Treasury to buy stock in the companies.

Paulson also said the Federal Reserve should be given a greater role supervising the finances of Fannie and Freddie.

In addition, the Federal Reserve announced Sunday that the mortgage finance companies can turn to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for funds. The move gives Fannie and Freddie the same access to the funds as commercial banks and Wall Street firms. The agency granted investment banks such access earlier this year in the wake of a similar crisis of confidence when investors lost faith in Bear Stearns.

The decision by the government to step in come at a tumultuous time for the two shareholder-owned companies, which own or back $5 trillion in home mortgages and are counted on to play a central role in the recovery of the battered housing market.

At issue is the companies' financial condition and whether their balance sheets are strong enough to continue their business of buying and guaranteeing home mortgages. The plan by the Treasury and the Fed would provide Fannie and Freddie with needed capital. Beyond that, even the promise of government support could be sufficient to calm investors.

Last week, investor concern sent shares of Fannie Mae (FNM, Fortune 500) and Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) plummeting. The selloff left shares of both firms down more than 45% for the week and about 75% for the year.

"Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play a central role in our housing finance system and must continue to do so in their current form as shareholder-owned companies," Paulson said. "Their support for the housing market is particularly important as we work through the current housing correction," he added.

Provide crucial finance to housing markets
Fannie and Freddie provide a crucial source of funding for banks and other home lenders, especially since a credit market crisis last summer left them the only major players in packaging pools of mortgage loans into securities for sale to investors.

If they were unable to do so, it would raise the cost and restrict the availability of mortgage loans, causing more problems for already battered housing prices and sales. That in turn would be another significant problem for the overall U.S. economy, as well as global credit markets.

While investors have had doubts about Fannie and Freddie for years, the government is stepping in now because of the current heightened panic atmosphere on Wall Street.

"The market has its sights set on Fannie and Freddie," said Richard Yamarone, chief economist at Argus Research in New York. "With them in the target zone, the Fed and Treasury felt they had to act. [The agencies'] plan is being conducted to contain investors' fears from spreading to the rest of the market.

Sunday's announcement comes ahead of Monday's opening of the stock markets and a scheduled $3 billion debt sale by Freddie Mac.

"Now that you know you have the government's backing of these entities, that should go a long way to pacifying investor fears," Yamarone said.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., praised Paulson's plan. "While Fannie and Freddie still have solid fundamentals, it will be reassuring to investors, bondholders and mortgage-holders that the federal government will be behind these agencies should it be needed," he said. "The Treasury's plan is surgical and carefully thought out and will maximize confidence in Fannie and Freddie while minimizing potential costs to U.S. taxpayers."

In fact, the extent of their troubles is in debate. Several analysts and a former Federal Reserve governor have said last week that the two companies desperately need to raise money.

Others, including Fannie and Freddie, their regulators, some Wall Street analysts, and Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, have defended the strength of the two companies.

"What's important are facts - and the facts are that Fannie and Freddie are in sound situation," Dodd said on CNN's Late Edition on Sunday before the announcements by Treasury and the Fed. "They have more than adequate capital. They're in good shape."

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in statements Sunday, reiterated their financial strength. "We continue to hold more than adequate capital reserves and maintain access to liquidity from the capital markets," the Fannie statement said.

A Freddie statement pointed to the upcoming release of its quarterly results. "We expect the results will also show that we have a much greater surplus above the statutory minimum capital requirement. The company's capital and liquidity resources will enable it to continue to serve its public mission as it has always done."

While they now have access to the Fed funds, the companies likely won't need to use the privilege at this time, said Art Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies & Co. in New York. But the move will give investors additional confidence that Freddie and Fannie can tap the pool of liquidity backed the federal government.

Further, unlike the Fed's decision to let investment banks trade mortgage-backed securities for federal funds, the government is not taking on a lot of risk by letting Fannie and Freddie step up to the window.

"They have a very conservative pool of loans," Hogan said. "You know what you've got here. It's pretty bread-and-butter."


http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/13/news/economy/fannie_freddie_sunday/index.htm?postversion=2008071319

"What's important are facts - and the facts are that Fannie and Freddie are in sound situation," Dodd said on CNN's Late Edition on Sunday before the announcements by Treasury and the Fed. "They have more than adequate capital. They're in good shape."

Interesting comment given the circumstances!

At issue is the companies' financial condition and whether their balance sheets are strong enough to continue their business of buying and guaranteeing home mortgages.

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Good luck with your new purchases taxpayers!!
 
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"Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play a central role in our housing finance system and must continue to do so in their current form as shareholder-owned companies," Paulson said.

Commentators this week have talked a lot about the government's actions ammounting to socialism. However, let's get the reference straight: Paulson is actually advocating fascism, not socialism.

I discuss this distinction in my recent post, "Fascism: Socialism with Shareholders."
 
Well the bill needs to be stopped!

Simple enough...

Watch this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeWJZiJGc2s

Watch it, rate it, contact your senator. They already railroaded this bill thru the congress this week without debate. Dont let it happen in the senate. Contact your senator today. Tell them NO on bailouts.
 
When capitalism begins to rot!

What difference does it make how they try to fix it, the tax payers will end up holding the bag anyway.

Is anybody ready to start learning from this lesson yet. I think everyone would like to learn but it's not time yet. Give it another year or two and then we'll talk. The risk is Uhhhhh, minimal?
 
When capitalism begins to rot!

What difference does it make how they try to fix it, the tax payers will end up holding the bag anyway.

Is anybody ready to start learning from this lesson yet. I think everyone would like to learn but it's not time yet. Give it another year or two and then we'll talk. The risk is Uhhhhh, minimal?

You wouldn't know capitalism if it jumped up and bit your face. :D I'm sure I speak for many here when I say we're tired of your unschooled, imbecilic takes on economics. :D
 
I say let them continue to fight it out.

Anyone could have predicting when sub-prime started that financials were going to take a hit. I shorted tons of them and made a killing. Then when our friend Mr. Big government got involved I bought in on the low and it went back up. Sold that for another killing.

There are tons of deals to be had in the housing market right now too. People are full of panic and just trying to dump stuff for a lot less than it is worth. I recently finished a deal where I bought a house for 71,000 that was appraised at 98,000. People just wanted to get out and get cash. I did not do a thing to it and turned around and sold it for 95,000.

This down cycle has been the easiest money I have ever made. When people panic there are deals to be had. Now is the time to get into the market with the prices things are sitting at. I am 24, but in 15 years I will be happy that I took advantage of the situation that was presented.
 
I say let them continue to fight it out.

Anyone could have predicting when sub-prime started that financials were going to take a hit. I shorted tons of them and made a killing. Then when our friend Mr. Big government got involved I bought in on the low and it went back up. Sold that for another killing.

There are tons of deals to be had in the housing market right now too. People are full of panic and just trying to dump stuff for a lot less than it is worth. I recently finished a deal where I bought a house for 71,000 that was appraised at 98,000. People just wanted to get out and get cash. I did not do a thing to it and turned around and sold it for 95,000.

This down cycle has been the easiest money I have ever made. When people panic there are deals to be had. Now is the time to get into the market with the prices things are sitting at. I am 24, but in 15 years I will be happy that I took advantage of the situation that was presented.

Good post Rob, although you should maybe not brag so much about your successes. I too will keep a close eye on US real estate and when I think it has hit bottom I'll probably get into reaping the rewards from the spoils. If you buy something smart and flip it right away you will probably do o.k. but I don't think we want to sit on any US real estate at the moment. Real estate could be in such deep trouble in the US now that prices may not start up again for years. It's even a short in Canada but in only some regions.
 
Good post Rob, although you should maybe not brag so much about your successes. I too will keep a close eye on US real estate and when I think it has hit bottom I'll probably get into reaping the rewards from the spoils. If you buy something smart and flip it right away you will probably do o.k. but I don't think we want to sit on any US real estate at the moment. Real estate could be in such deep trouble in the US now that prices may not start up again for years. It's even a short in Canada but in only some regions.

It does come across as a bit arrogant you are right. Was not trying to make it seem like that just showing examples that there are tons of ways to make decent money with a slowdown.

Many stocks are at year or 5 year lows. While some of these companies are terrible and do not warrant your money, many are good deals ripe for the taking. Flipping houses is not something I would say is a good idea. I think if you can find the right deal like the one I listed and then just sell it immediately it works out, but I would not want to hold a lot of houses right now.

The good thing with real estate is that you can sit on and wait it out, and you've got something you can use. Buying land in general could be a good move right now however. My family has always been into this ever since they got off the boat. If you buy now for cheap and hold, you can sell trees on the land, lease it for hunting, and if oil is found it will be a good day for all.

So, the point is, even when the economy slows down, look for good deals out there, because there are tons of them to be had. Every time someone sells a stock at such a low price there is someone else buying it. The ones buying are the ones 10 years from now who are glad they did.
 
In general Rob, it's not a good deal to buy real estate when the price continues to decline, as we saw on the news yesterday. You would do better trying to judge when it hits bottom and that is not easy to get exactly right but with real estate it's not all that hard to be more or less right. There will be lots of indicators when the time comes.
 
In general Rob, it's not a good deal to buy real estate when the price continues to decline, as we saw on the news yesterday.

This depends on the market, some markets are booming right now.

You would do better trying to judge when it hits bottom and that is not easy to get exactly right but with real estate it's not all that hard to be more or less right. There will be lots of indicators when the time comes.


I agree, which is why I only did the one because it was such a good deal. I've been pouring money into stocks instead.
 
This depends on the market, some markets are booming right now.




I agree, which is why I only did the one because it was such a good deal. I've been pouring money into stocks instead.

My personal preference is to stay the hell away from most stocks at the moment and just sit tight on my real estate investments. However I am at the low risk, low volatility stage of life. And that includes shorts. I can personally handle the bullsh-t and manipulation in the real estate market but I don't mind admitting that I'm a little guy elsewhere. If you don't have the money to manipulate the market then you're on the negative side of the equation right from the start.
 
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