Conservatorship

Commerce Secretary Lutnick says Fannie, Freddie IPO ‘could well be this year’

As the mortgage industry prepares for the Trump Administration’s plans for an initial public offering (IPO) of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appeared on CNBC to offer his comments on the subject. During the interview aired Thursday, Lutnick disclosed that the IPO “could well […]

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Ex-GSE risk chief makes case for Fannie-Freddie merger

Clifford Rossi speaks from the vantage point of someone who has been inside the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). In different periods during the 1990s and 2000s, he served as a senior financial economist at Fannie Mae and as senior director of single-family risk management at Freddie Mac. Rossi was among the earliest advocates of merging the

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MBA opposes GSE merger, supports explicit government guarantee

In the debate over whether Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should merge, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has remained consistent: “We don’t think that would be a good idea,” chief economist Mike Fratantoni said. The trade group supports a stock offering that preserves stability in the secondary mortgage market while advocating for privatization with an

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Shareholder Edge One Capital proposes Fannie-Freddie exit without higher rates

Edge One Capital has disclosed its stake in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, calling the government’s prolonged control of the mortgage giants the “largest shareholder rights violation in U.S. history.” It’s also proposing a road map to return them to private ownership without the consequence of higher mortgage rates. The Raleigh, North Carolina–based investment firm’s

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Trump’s GSE stock offering plan challenged by analysts

Analysts are tempering expectations after reports that the Trump administration aims to sell shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the end of 2025 at a combined valuation of $500 billion — more than double some market estimates. They’re concerned about the feasibility of completing all necessary steps by year’s end. Meanwhile, the federal

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Trump plans IPO for Fannie, Freddie later this year

The Trump administration is reportedly aiming for an initial public offering (IPO) of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac later this year. According to The Wall Street Journal, which spoke to sources familiar with the situation, the Trump administration is preparing to sell stock in Fannie and Freddie. Sources told the outlet

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Trump meets with big bank CEOs to talk about taking the GSEs public: Bloomberg

President Donald Trump appears to be taking another step to bring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of conservatorship, according to reporting by Bloomberg on Thursday. The president has invited the leaders of some of the country’s biggest banks, including JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Goldman Sachs Group CEO David Solomon, and Bank of

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GSEs could go public while staying under government control

The Trump administration has studied the possibility of turning Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into public companies while keeping them under conservatorship — one of several alternatives still under consideration, according to a Bloomberg report published Tuesday. The primary goal of the administration is to reduce the U.S. budget deficit and avoid any increase in

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What implicit guarantee means for rates on GSEs’ release

Will mortgage rates go higher if the government takes the GSEs out of conservatorship? Many people would say yes if there were no government backing of these two giants, but on Tuesday evening the calculus changed. In a social media post on Tuesday, President Trump expressed his intention to transition the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) out

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Trump: I’m taking Fannie and Freddie ‘public’ with implicit guarantee

President Trump last week promised a quick answer on whether to remove Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from government conservatorship. And it appears he’s already reached a decision: it’s time to take them ‘public.’ In a post published on Truth Social Tuesday night, Trump wrote: Our great Mortgage Agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, provide

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