Adoption of AI in underwriting could significantly reduce refinancing costs for small loans, eroding the prepayment protection low-loan balances have typically provided.

The Trump administration has provided little guidance on how the GSEs will achieve their goal of purchasing $200 billion of agency MBS. Still, actions by Fannie and Freddie have helped competing agency MBS investors get comfortable with activity by the mortgage giants.

Angel Oak Capital Advisors believes that a recent rise in interest rate volatility could help increase returns for MBS.

Testifying before the House Financial Services Committee this week, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said any changes to monetary policy — including the Fed’s balance sheet — will be made transparently and communicated in advance to the market.

Investors are scrutinizing risks to MBS posed by climate issues. Analysts believe the anxiety doesn’t align with historical data.

While FICO and VantageScore debate whose new credit score model performs best, industry insiders say the transition to new scoring models may take years.

In May, the combined retained mortgage portfolios of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac saw their first monthly decline in more than a year.

SFA and other trade groups are seeking major changes to the re-proposed bank capital requirements. MBA raised concerns that non-agency MBS would receive more favorable capital treatment than GSE MBS.

Most analysts say that higher inflation means rate cuts are off the table for Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, even though President Trump still says he still wants lower rates.

More than 90% of expanded-credit mortgage production went into MBS in the first quarter of 2026. (Includes data table.)