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An analysis of the systemic risks posed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and an evaluation of the policy options for reducing those risks

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Author Info
Robert A. Eisenbeis
W. Scott Frame
Larry D. Wall

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Abstract

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government-sponsored enterprises that are central players in U.S. secondary mortgage markets. Over the past decade, these institutions have amassed enormous mortgage- and non-mortgage-oriented investment portfolios that pose significant interest-rate risks to the companies and a systemic risk to the financial system. This paper describes the nature of these risks and systemic concerns and then evaluates several policy options for reducing the institutions’ investment portfolios. We conclude that limits on portfolio size (assets or liabilities) would be the most desirable approach to mitigating the systemic risk posed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

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Paper provided by Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in its series Working Paper with number 2006-02.

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Date of creation: 2006
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Handle: RePEc:fip:fedawp:2006-02

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Richard K. Green & Susan M. Wachter, 2005. "The American Mortgage in Historical and International Context," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(4), pages 93-114, Fall. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Brent W. Ambrose & Michael LaCour-Little & Anthony B. Sanders, 2004. "The Effect of Conforming Loan Status on Mortgage Yield Spreads: A Loan Level Analysis," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 32(4), pages 541-569, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Ambrose, Brent W & Warga, Arthur, 2002. "Measuring Potential GSE Funding Advantages," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 25(2-3), pages 129-50, Sept.-Dec. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Larry Wall & Robert Eisenbeis, 1999. "Financial Regulatory Structure and the Resolution of Conflicting Goals," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 223-245, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Andreas Lehnert & Wayne Passmore & Shane M. Sherlund, 2005. "GSEs, mortgage rates, and secondary market activities," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2005-07, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  6. W. Scott Frame & Larry Wall, 2002. "Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's voluntary initiatives: Lessons from banking," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, issue Q1, pages 45-59. [Downloadable!]
  7. Wayne Passmore, 2005. "The GSE implicit subsidy and the value of government ambiguity," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2005-05, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  8. Wayne Passmore, 2005. "The GSE Implicit Subsidy and the Value of Government Ambiguity," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 33(3), pages 465-486, 09. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Wayne Passmore & Shane M. Sherlund & Gillian Burgess, 2005. "The effect of housing government-sponsored enterprises on mortgage rates," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2005-06, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  10. W. Scott Frame & Larry Wall, 2002. "Financing housing through government-sponsored enterprises," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, issue Q1, pages 29-43. [Downloadable!]
  11. Richard Roll, 2003. "Benefits to Homeowners from Mortgage Portfolios Retained by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 29-42, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Jonathan McCarthy & Richard W. Peach, 2004. "Are home prices the next "bubble"?," Economic Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, issue Dec, pages 1-17. [Downloadable!]
  13. Edward J. Kane & Chester Foster, 1986. "Valuing conjectural government guarantees of FNMA liabilities," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, pages 347-368.
  14. W. Scott Frame & Lawrence J. White, 2004. "Regulating housing GSEs: thoughts on institutional structure and authorities," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, issue Q 2, pages 87 - 102. [Downloadable!]
  15. Dwight Jaffee, 2003. "The Interest Rate Risk of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 5-29, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Flannery, Mark J., 1991. "Pricing deposit insurance when the insurer measures bank risk with error," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 15(4-5), pages 975-998, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. John Kambhu & Patricia C. Mosser, 2001. "The effect of interest rate options hedging on term-structure dynamics," Economic Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, issue Dec, pages 51-70. [Downloadable!]
  18. Wayne Passmore & Shane M. Sherlund & Gillian Burgess, 2005. "The Effect of Housing Government-Sponsored Enterprises on Mortgage Rates," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 33(3), pages 427-463, 09. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Lucas, Deborah & McDonald, Robert L., 2006. "An options-based approach to evaluating the risk of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 155-176, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Nothaft, Frank E & Pearce, James E & Stevanovic, Stevan, 2002. "Debt Spreads between GSEs and Other Corporations," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 25(2-3), pages 151-72, Sept.-Dec. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Lawrence J. White & W. Scott Frame, 2004. "Regulating Housing GSEs: Thoughts on Institutional Structure and Authorities," Working Papers 04-01, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  22. Roberto Perli & Brian Sack, 2003. "Does mortgage hedging amplify movements in long-term interest rates?," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2003-49, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. W. Scott Frame & Diana Hancock & Wayne Passmore, 2007. "Federal Home Loan Bank advances and commercial bank portfolio composition," Working Paper 2007-17, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. [Downloadable!]
  2. W. Scott Frame & Diana Hancock & Wayne Passmore, 2007. "Federal Home Loan Bank advances and commercial bank portfolio composition," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2007-31, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
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