In what’s become a nearly annual event, the Congressional Budget Office this week suggested raising the guarantee fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and/or lowering the loan limit, in order to reduce the federal deficit.

“Securitization is the false god that failed us.” These are the words of Mark Calabria, the conservative economist whom the Trump administration nominated last week as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, replacing Mel Watt, whose term ends in January.

Banks held $553.4 billion of Federal Home Loan Bank advances at the end of the third quarter, according to Inside The GSEs analysis of call reports.

There are no surprises in the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s 2019 scorecard, which outlines its conservatorship priorities over the coming year for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and their joint venture Common Securitization Solutions. The report underscores goals dating from the FHFA’s 2014 strategic plan.

On Friday, just two days before the Congress recessed for the holidays, House Committee on Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, surprised industry observers by holding the long-delayed hearing on his pet project, “The Bipartisan Housing Finance Reform Act of 2018.”

Miscellaneous news items about the government-sponsored enterprises.

The ARM share typically goes up when interest rates rise, but not this time around…

The profit margin outlook has declined for nine consecutive quarters…

The securitization rate increased to 71.6 percent in 3Q18 compared to 65.0 percent in the previous period…

The Wall Street group’s advisory council on TBA guidelines met earlier this week with several key Trump administration officials...