B. Riley FBR initiated equity coverage of the mortgage giant, citing housing finance reform proposals that could result in Fannie and Freddie Mac being released from conservatorship.
Readers react to Sen. Elizabeth Warren's "too big to jail" bill, respond to legislation prohibiting banks from denying service to gun dealers, consider the impact of housing finance reform on small lenders and more.
After a brief delay, the agency’s acting director signed off on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac contributing to the National Housing Trust Fund and Capital Magnet Fund.
As lawmakers discuss reform legislation, the president’s memo calls on agencies to draft both administrative and legislative reform options and deliver their reports “as soon as practicable.”
Lawmakers still have a long way to go before enacting housing finance reform, but the testimony could signal how future legislative talks will play out.
The government-sponsored enterprises have continued to expand over the past decade, despite being in conservatorship. New leadership at the FHFA should reverse this trend.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency in recent years has required Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to contribute to the funds every March, but has yet to make a 2019 request. Housing groups see the delay as a troubling sign.
