Freddie Mac

Freddie Mac
2. a publicly traded security that represents participation in a pool of mortgages guaranteed by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. Cf. Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae.
[1970-75; from the initials FHLMC, on the model of FANNIE MAE]

* * *

▪ American corporation

      federally chartered private corporation created by the U.S. Congress (Congress of the United States) in 1970 to provide continuous and affordable home financing. It is one of several government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) established since the early 20th century to help reduce the cost of credit to various borrowing sectors of the economy. Its headquarters are in the Washington, D.C., suburb of McLean, Va.

      The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, commonly known as Freddie Mac, operates mainly by purchasing mortgages (mortgage) from lenders, repackaging them as mortgage-backed securities (security) (securities collateralized by cash flows from pools of mortgage loans), and selling the securities to investors with a guarantee of timely payment of principal and interest, whether or not the original borrowers pay. Mortgage lenders use the proceeds from their loan sales to Freddie Mac to fund new mortgages, thus replenishing the funds available to home buyers at a lower cost.

      From 1938 to 1968 the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), better known as Fannie Mae, was by far the largest buyer and seller of government-insured mortgages. Congress took steps to increase competition in the secondary mortgage market (the market for the purchase and sale of mortgage loans) by privatizing Fannie Mae in 1968 and creating Freddie Mac in 1970.

      Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac together exercised a virtual monopoly on the secondary mortgage market until the 1990s, when increasing federal regulation of the corporations and new legislation allowing mergers between banks and other financial companies resulted in greater competition from conventional firms. In 1989 Freddie Mac was given an independent board of directors but was subjected to oversight by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD and its Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight assumed additional regulatory responsibilities for both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in 1992. In 2007 the Federal Housing Reform Act transferred these responsibilities to the new Federal Housing Finance Agency.

      Both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae suffered heavy losses in 2007–08 during the subprime mortgage crisis, a severe contraction of liquidity in credit markets worldwide brought about by drastic declines in the value of securities backed by subprime mortgage loans. To prevent further losses that would worsen the crisis and damage the U.S. economy, both corporations were placed under the conservatorship of the U.S. government in September 2008, though neither was legally entitled to any direct government backing, insurance, or support. As part of this takeover, the government planned to provide billions of dollars to the corporations in the form of investments and loans.

Jeannette Nolen
 

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Freddie Mac — Тип Публичная компания Листинг на бирже NYSE …   Википедия

  • Freddie Mac — Rechtsform GSE ISIN US3134003017 Gründung 1970 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Freddie Mac — USA Common term for the Federal Home Loan and Mortgage Corporation. Freddie Mac was created in 1970 as a publicly traded corporation to compete with Fannie Mae. These entities buy mortgage loans from originators and then securitize… …   Law dictionary

  • Freddie Mac — by 1992, vaguely from Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation …   Etymology dictionary

  • Freddie Mac — (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) U.S. Government chartered corporation that purchases mortgages from lenders and reoffers them to investors as mortgage backed securities (Finance) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Freddie Mac — [fred΄ē mak′] n. 1. informal name for Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation: a corporation sponsored by the federal government which issues securities backed by pools of residential mortgages purchased from lending institutions 2. any of the… …   English World dictionary

  • Freddie Mac — Infobox Company company name = Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) company company type = Public (nyse|FRE) company slogan = We Make Home Possible foundation = 1970 location = McLean, Virginia key people = David M. Moffett (CEO)… …   Wikipedia

  • Freddie Mac — Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Logo de Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Création 1970 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Freddie Mac — An informal name for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ( FHLMC) or for securities issued by it. American Banker Glossary ( Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) A Congressionally chartered corporation that purchases residential… …   Financial and business terms

  • Freddie Mac — Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) Lema We Make Home Possible Tipo Pública (NYSE: FRE) Fundación 1970 …   Wikipedia Español

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”