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There's yet another proposal to get the government out of the mortgage-guarantee business

Feb 4, 2019
One of the last big unresolved issues from the financial crisis is what to do about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Together with government-owned Ginnie Mae, they own or guarantee more than half the home loans in the country. Fannie and Freddie have been under conservatorship — bascially government protection and control — since 2008, […]
Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac says rates on 30-year fixed mortgages fell below 3% this week. For some people, that's a chance to refinance.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Could the 30-year mortgage disappear?

Dec 12, 2018
President Trump's pick for housing regulator has questioned the loan's benefits.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, 10 years after the bailout

Sep 6, 2018
Why are the mortgage giants still under government control?
Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac says rates on 30-year fixed mortgages fell below 3% this week. For some people, that's a chance to refinance.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

FICO’s grip on mortgage credit scores challenged

Mar 14, 2018
Mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac consider one credit score when determining the creditworthiness of mortgage applicants: FICO.  Some members of Congress want to change that by adding a provision to a bank deregulation bill that would require Fannie and Freddie to also look at applicants’ VantageScore. The company that calculates VantageScores is […]

Fannie Mae CEO reflects on housing 10 years after the financial crisis

Jan 24, 2018
Timothy Mayopoulos joined Fannie Mae a few months after it was taken over by the government. Today, he's the CEO.
Mark Wilson / Getty Images

Corporate landlords may be getting a boost from the government

Jun 14, 2017
We are slowly becoming a nation of renters. What does that mean for Fannie Mae, the government-sponsored backer of mortgages for individuals and investors?
A rental home owned by Invitation in Las Vegas, NV.
Kimberly Adams/Marketplace

The future of Fannie & Freddie under Trump

Jan 3, 2017
President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury Secretary wants to remove government control and financial backing from the housing-finance entities.
PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

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Jumbo mortgages bigger piece of the housing pie

Aug 10, 2016
Jumbo mortgages constitute a growing share of mortgage lending by big banks, which may disadvantage people of color in the housing market.
A bicyclist rides by a row of homes in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

All in the family: the new mortgage math

Sep 16, 2015
Fannie Mae overhauls a loan option to reflect economic realities.
Fannie Mae has overhauled a mortgage loan option to reflect economic realities.
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U.S. mortgage giants under the microscope

Sep 14, 2015
What's the deal with our strange relationship with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?
The headquarters of Freddie Mac in McLean, Virginia.
Win McNamee/Getty Images