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A Bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Would be Costly

April 15, 2008 - 10:50am

If the U.S. enters a deep recession, a bailout to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac could threaten the United States' AAA credit rating according to a statement from Standard & Poor's. Government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are large in size, have high common equity, and are highly exposed to a deteriorating housing market, leaving them vulnerable to a deep recession. If they go under and need a large cash infusion from the government, it could cost the country 10% more of GDP to service its debt.

Barron's - Is Fannie Mae the Next Government Bailout?
Wall Street Journal - Fannie, Freddie Could Hurt U.S. Credit
Bloomberg - U.S. Rating Threatened More by Agencies Than Bailouts, S&P Says

When the subprime mortgage

When the subprime mortgage crisis hit US there are some issues that comes out that the Fannie Mae and the Freddie Mac would be bail out. The two biggest mortgage companies in the country lost billions of dollars in the collapse of the subprime lending bubble, and were on the fast track to bankruptcy. They were given the stimulus package in order for them to stay afloat in the wake of the recession. The House Oversight Committee in Washington reviewed the actions that were taken by the companies over the last few years on Tuesday, where they were criticized for their actions and termed irresponsible by Committee Chairman Henry Waxman. The firms' former executives testified that they thought they were doing the right thing, even after being counseled by senior risk managers that investing the company heavily in sub-prime mortgages severely compromised the firms' potential for cash flow. The idea was if they bought mortgages, or other people's debt, and bought debts owed by people who wouldn't have received a mortgage loan normally, that they would be receiving regular payments, even if they raised the mortgage payment rate. When the bubble burst and borrowers began defaulting, both companies started to sink. This demonstrates that proper security and planning is necessary in all areas of finance, be it at the level of large national lenders, or personal budgets. It's good to know that if a temporary expense puts a dent in your wallet, you can get a payday loan to help you through. Click to read more on Fast Payday Loans.

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