GSE guaranty fees were down slightly in 2016 with the average fee falling from 59 basis points to 57 basis points, according to a new Federal Housing Finance Agency report published this week. But the pricing decline wasn't due to changes in the credit risk of loans. The drop reflected FHFA’s decision to establish minimum g-fees that took effect in November 2016. The report noted that the lower fees led to a larger negative gap, which reflects expected returns slightly below the target returns. “The average guarantee fee in 2016 on fixed-rate, 30-year loans fell by 2 bps to 61 bps; the fee on fixed-rate, 15-year loans fell by 4 bps to 37 bps.