Though both Fannie and Freddie exceed FHFA’s benchmarks for low-income refis, low-income borrowers actually accounted for a smaller share of the companies’ refis than they did for the market as a whole.
In September, the FSOC endorsed the FHFA’s capital rule, even urging the agency to use tougher, more bank-like standards. What the report didn’t say was how the council reached its conclusions.
If the FHFA wants to release the GSEs from conservatorship before President Trump leaves office, it will need a big assist from Treasury. And therein lies the problem.
Under the final rule, Fannie and Freddie will have to hold slightly more than $283 billion in capital. That’s $49 billion more than what FHFA had estimated when it re-proposed the rule in May.
The new rule provides clarity about how much and what kind of capital Fannie and Freddie will need in order to exit conservatorships. But the likelihood of that kind of capital raise seems remote.
The third-quarter gain in combined FHLBank profits came despite a slightly lower net interest income, which fell to $1.17 billion from $1.25 billion in the second quarter. (Includes data chart.)