The GSEs continued to reduce their footprint in global debt markets during the fourth quarter of 2012, with debt outstanding and issuance down from the previous quarter and from the same period a year ago. Fannie Mae’s, Freddie Mac’s and the Federal Home Loan Banks’ combined debt outstanding was $1.867 billion during the period ending Dec. 31, 2012, down 2.5 percent from the third quarter and down 11.6 percent from the fourth quarter 2011, while the GSEs issued a combined total of $598.8 billion in new debt during the fourth quarter.

According to an analysis by Fitch Ratings, the overall charges for a simple jumbo non-agency MBS across all note-holders would increase to between 6.3 percent and 8.2 percent under the new proposal.

Fannie Mae could have an answer to its 'deferred tax asset' issue by the end of next week, freeing up billions of dollars in money.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac this week introduced another new, simplified loan modification program designed to help troubled borrowers avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes at a time when loss mitigation activity by the two government-sponsored enterprises appears to be losing steam. (Includes one data chart)

Severely delinquent Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac borrowers may get a shot at a streamlined refi under a new program unveiled Wednesday.

Residential loan production for 2013 may turn out to be better than originally projected, thanks to a vastly improved purchase-money business.

Urban legend: mortgage lenders are beginning to loosen loan standards. Well, maybe only for "rich" clients.

When Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac work with counterparties, they have contractual agreements that loans sold to them comply with federal and state laws governing the origination and servicing of mortgage loans.

Holding fixed-rate mortgages in portfolio was considered a dangerous practice for depositories, but no more.

The FHLB's MPF Xtra program – an alternative to the legacy Mortgage Partnership Finance program – saw volumes spike to $6.9 billion in 2012.