Posts Tagged ‘Fannie Mae’
Posted by Larry Doyle on March 11th, 2010 2:08 PM |
…shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!!!
There are a handful of financial journalists who pull no punches in telling the absolute truth and in providing real transparency. Bloomberg’s Jonathan Weil holds a special spot in the Sense on Cents Hall of Fame for his determination in calling people and institutions on the carpet. From Wall Street to Washington to around the global financial landscape, Weil leaves no stone unturned in promoting integrity. His commentary today is superb. Please share it with friends. Weil writes, Greece Lifts a Page From Citigroup’s Playbook:
Is it too much to ask for the world’s titans of government and finance to speak credibly when they open their mouths? (more…)
Tags: Ambac Financial, balance sheets, Bear Stearns, Ben Bernanke, cds in europe, credit default swaps in europe, Dick Fuld, Fannie Mae, financial regulatory reform, fool me once, Freddie Mac, GAO, George Papandreou, Greece, Greece Lifts a Page from Citigroup's Playbook, Hank Paulson, herb allison, jonathan Weil, Lehman Bros, rating agencies, SEC, Sense on Cents Hall of Fame, too big to fail, transparency, Treasury, Vikram Pandit
Posted in General | 2 Comments »
Posted by Larry Doyle on March 5th, 2010 12:38 PM |
“Let’s see, do you want to go for the prize behind Door #1 or take a chance on what’s in the big box?”
“Well Monty, I’m playing with your money so it doesn’t really matter now, does it?”
1970’s vintage TV may have been entertaining, but is the current deal-making used by Fannie Mae to liquidate housing inventory truly the way to develop a healthy and robust housing market?
Just what is Fannie Mae doing? (more…)
Tags: American Banker, Fannie Cuts FHA-Like Deals to Sell Homes, Fannie Mae, Fannie Mae Homepath, FICO scores, home appraisals, housing, Housing Crisis, housing finance, John Dutra, low down payments, mortgage finance, mortgage insurance
Posted in Fannie Mae, General | 2 Comments »
Posted by Larry Doyle on March 4th, 2010 12:33 PM |
According to testimony this morning from Treasury official Herb Allison, currently charged with overseeing the management of the TARP, there are no financial firms now guaranteed as ‘too big to fail.’
What rock did Herb just crawl out from?
The Wall Street Journal addresses Herb’s ridiculous comment in writing, Treasury Official: ‘No Too Big to Fail Guarantee’ for Big Financial Firms:
There is no U.S. government guarantee to protect the largest financial firms, a Treasury Department official said Thursday, as a congressional watchdog criticized the $45 billion in government aid provided to Citigroup Inc. (more…)
Tags: Allison Congressional testimony March 4 2010, Citigroup Vikram Pandit Congressional testimony March 4 2010, Damon Silvers, Elizabeth Warren, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, herb allison, Herbert Allison, TARP, tbtf, too big to fail, Treasury Official:'No Too Big to Fail Guarantee' for Big Financial Firms, U.S. Treasury, U.S. Treasury Herb Allison testimony March 4 2010
Posted in General, U.S. Treasury | 1 Comment »
Posted by Larry Doyle on February 26th, 2010 6:22 PM |
Is it any surprise that the next drawdown in a multi-billion dollar ongoing bailout gets posted at 5pm on a Friday afternoon? Not in this economy where Uncle Sam, that’s you and me boys and girls, continues to pay for the woefully mismanaged financial and legislative practices of those in Washington.
The gutless typically prefer to operate under a veil of darkness.
I am referring to the sinkhole that is the organization known as Fannie Mae, as it comes back to the well for another $15 billion. Bloomberg highlights this ongoing bleeding in writing, Fannie Seeks $15 Billion in U.S. Aid After 10th Straight Loss:
Fannie Mae, the mortgage-finance company under federal conservatorship, said it will seek $15.3 billion in aid from the U.S. Treasury after posting a 10th straight quarterly loss. (more…)
Tags: Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Daniel Mudd, Fannie Mae, Fannie Mae losses, Fannie Seeks $15 Billion in U.S. Aid After 10th Straight Loss, Franklin Raines, housing, Housing Crisis, housing policy, John Kerrey, Mortgage Crisis, Mortgages
Posted in Fannie Mae, General | 3 Comments »
Posted by Larry Doyle on December 30th, 2009 12:16 PM |
Who will reveal the truth and consequences embedded in the operations of Washington’s newly designed slush funds housed within Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae? The Washington Way all too often pays off those who promote the administration’s interests (both Republican and Democrat alike) while sticking future generations with an ever larger bill.
Is slush fund too harsh a characterization for a Washington-issued blank check? In my opinion, a blank check in Washington has never been anything other than that.
Ron Paul (R-TX) has created quite a stir in 2009 given his continual calls to audit the Fed. Who in Congress will call for the same treatment for Freddie and Fannie?
Let the record show that on December 30th, Sense on Cents is issuing what will be the first of many calls to audit Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Why am I calling for an audit of these entities? (more…)
Tags: audit Freddie and fannie, audit the fed, blank check for freddie and fannie, credit risk in mortgages, effective duration, Fannie Mae, Fannie Mae audit, freddie and fannie risks, Freddie Mac, Freddie mac audit, mortgage backed securities risks, mortgage risks, prepayment risk, risk in mortgages, risks within freddie and fannie, Ron Paul, what is duration
Posted in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, General | 13 Comments »
Posted by Larry Doyle on December 28th, 2009 8:38 AM |
I remain incensed at the sheer arrogance and brazen demeanor of the Obama administration providing a blank check on Christmas Eve to cover future losses of the failed institutions Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Given the fact that this check has been issued, America deserves to know what exactly it is covering. Over and above a full and total exposition of these government sponsored entities, America is in a position to demand certain retributions. Let’s bang the drum and demand some answers, including:
1. The current valuations of all of Freddie’s and Fannie’s holdings so America can fully evaluate those holdings relative to market prices.
2. The current fees being paid for all services rendered.
3. An independent audit.
4. Why aren’t these stocks delisted immediately? To allow stock in these entities to continue to trade is a total mockery of a legitimate market.
5. Clawback all bonus payments rendered to Franklin Raines, James Johnson, and Leland Brendsel, the executives at Fannie and Freddie who truly plundered these institutions. (more…)
Tags: delist fannie and freddie, fannie and freddie stock, Fannie and freddie's blank check, Fannie and freddie's contingency liabilities to Wall Street, Fannie and freddie's portfolio holdings, Fannie Mae, Fannie Mae and freddie Mac future, Franklin Raines, Freddie Mac, hat is fueling america's rage, James johnson, Leland Brendsel, socialized housing, w
Posted in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, General | 8 Comments »
Posted by Larry Doyle on December 26th, 2009 11:14 AM |
While Americans across the country hustled and bustled for last minute gifts and holiday preparations, our wizards in Washington tied a big red ribbon on a blank check made out to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. In the process, a future of socialized housing finance has been increasingly solidified.
Why would the Obama administration pass this blank check under the cover of darkness on December 24th? In hopes that America had just settled down for its long winter’s nap and would miss this act of pillage and plunder. The Wall Street Journal highlights this ‘blank check’ in writing, U.S. Move to Cover Fannie, Freddie Losses Stirs Controversy:
The Obama administration’s decision to cover an unlimited amount of losses at the mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over the next three years stirred controversy over the holiday.
The Treasury announced Thursday it was removing the caps that limited the amount of available capital to the companies to $200 billion each. (more…)
Tags: bailout funds for Fannie and Freddie, Barack Obama, blank check for Fannie and Freddie al, Chris Dodd, Fannie Mae, fannie's future, Freddie Mac, freddie's future, freddie's outlook, future for freddie mac and fannie mae, homeowner defaults and foreclosures, housing finance, housing losses, John Kerry, losses at Fannie and Freddie, Mortgage Crisis, socialized housing, Treasury gives blank check to Fannie and Freddie, U.S. Moves to Cover Fannie Freddie Losses Stirs Controversy
Posted in General | 3 Comments »
Posted by Larry Doyle on December 2nd, 2009 11:09 AM |
When will those charged with spending taxpayer money treat associated responsibilities with the seriousness they deserve? Indiscriminately and wastefully allocating taxpayer funds is not merely a question of competence but, in my opinion, a question of patriotism.
The Obama administration’s support of our nation’s housing market has been overwhelming. Taxpayer funds have been directed towards Freddie, Fannie, the FHA (Federal Housing Administration), and a wide number of banks. Although government spending and waste go hand in hand, the American taxpayer deserves so much better.
With the recent news that the FHA insurance fund is depleted, now the FHA decides to tighten standards. Spend money first, ask questions later? Where and when will this madness end? A recent release from the Federal Register/Department of Housing and Urban Development highlights new initiatives by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which oversees the FHA. The FHA Summary reads as follows: (more…)
Tags: accountability and competence in Washington, correspondent mortgage brokers, Fannie Mae, Federal Register and HUD, FHA dealing with entities of integrity, FHA insurance fund, FHA new initiatives, FHA standards, Freddie Mac, Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009, housing, Housing Crisis, Obama housing programs, rogue mortgage brokers
Posted in FHA, General | 1 Comment »
Posted by Larry Doyle on November 18th, 2009 9:35 AM |
Do you have any confidence that Washington even knows how to properly address our massive and growing fiscal deficit? Rahm Emanuel, Tim Geithner and others understand that from a political standpoint they need to start talking about deficit control, but will that talk lead to action?
Do you think Congressional leaders, specifically Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, have the character and fortitude to ‘tighten the belt?’
The first real test for this crowd is already upon us. How so? The TARP, with a $700 billion commitment, expires on December 31, 2009. Of that $700 billion, $400 billion has actually been spent. Why wasn’t the other $300 billion spent? Well, don’t forget that Obama’s Stimulus Bill totaled $770 billion and assorted other programs implemented by Treasury have run into the trillions. As a result, Geithner did not immediately need to allocate those funds.
The question begs as to what will happen to that $300 billion. While Emanuel and Geithner are starting to ‘talk’ the fiscal discipline ‘talk,’ will they ‘walk the walk?’ (more…)
Tags: allocating TARP funds, Deficit, deficit control, Fannie Mae, FDIC, FHA, fiscal discipline, Freddie Mac, GMAC, Harry Reid, insurance companies, Nancy Pelosi, Rahm Emanuel, richard trumka, Senator John Thune, stimulus bill, talk of fiscal deficit, TARP, TARP funds, TARP renewal, Treasury, walking around money
Posted in Deficit, General, Tim Geithner | 3 Comments »
Posted by Larry Doyle on May 28th, 2009 4:21 PM |
Can our economy absorb another financial hit of the magnitude of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae?
In the process of digging for some data on Uncle Sam’s TARP commitments, I came across a compelling story at Subsidyscope, a Financial Primer (right sidebar) link here at Sense on Cents. The lead story at Subsidyscope, dated May 26, 2009: Concerns Grow Over Federal Home Loan Bank Investments. They write:
The Federal Home Loan Banks, or FHLBs, may be the biggest financial players you’ve never heard of. Collectively, they hold $1.3 trillion in assets and are the largest U.S. borrower after the federal government.
For readers here at Sense on Cents, I have raised warnings about the FHLB system both on April 3rd (Putting Perfume on a Pig!!) and just this past Monday, May 25th (FHLBs: Red Sea, Dead Sea, or Both?). In my opinion, there is little doubt that the FHLB system was the greatest beneficiary of the FASB’s relaxation of the mark-to-market. Subsidyscope says as much:
A Subsidyscope review of the FHLBs’ financial statements has found that several of the banks are carrying substantial “unrealized losses” on their investments in mortgage-backed securities. Because the banks believe these losses are temporary, they don’t have to be recognized on the banks’ accounting statements.
What’s potentially worrisome is the sheer size of the losses. For the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, they are substantially larger than the capital the bank holds to protect itself against such declines. If its mortgage-backed securities don’t regain their value, the bank will have to write them down, which could wipe out its capital buffer and raise risks for taxpayers.
Remind you of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae? I thought so. Let’s continue to dig even deeper. Subsidyscope asserts: (more…)
Tags: capital base of FHLBs, Fannie Mae, FASB relaxation of mark to market, Federal Home Loan Bank investments, Federal Home Loan Loan banks, FHLB, FHLB Boston, FHLB capital requirements, FHLB financial statements, FHLB investments, FHLB investments in mortgages, FHLB losses, FHLB San Francisco, FHLB Seattle, FHLB Seattle may be broke, FHLMC, FNMA, Freddie Mac, growing losses in Federal Home Loan Banks, growing losses in FHLB banks, housing, impending losses in FHLB banks, impending losses in FHLB system, increasing losses in Federal Home Loan Banks, investment losses in Federal Home Loan Banks, is FHLB Seattle broke?, largest borrower after government, losses adn more losses in Federal Home Loan Banks, losses increasing in FHLB banksin, mortgage losses in Federal Home Loan Banks, Sense on Cents, size of losses within FHLBs, sub-prime losses in FHLB system, Subsidyscope, taxpayer risks with FHLBs
Posted in Federal Home Loan Banks, General | No Comments »
RSS Feed
Twitter
Facebook
Email
Home
