For MBS investors, the biggest complication in the GSEs’ implementation of VantageScore 4.0 is likely loan-level pricing adjustments.

Fannie Mae expanded its portfolio by adding both whole loans and MBS, while Freddie Mac cut whole loans as it added MBS.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac appear to be buying more MBS at times when spreads widen. They’re also hedging the purchases with interest rate swaps, according to industry participants.

The Treasury Market Practices Group released a white paper identifying how a change in the ownership structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could impact the broader financial markets.

Some 68.0% of mortgages originated in 2025 were sold into MBS. Securitization rates were stable across most products, except for expanded-credit mortgages, where the securitization rate increased sharply. (Includes data table.)

One of the GSEs has quietly issued an MBS comprised of loans underwritten using VantageScore 4.0.

Since the Iran war started, interest rates have returned to where they were when President Trump directed the GSEs to purchase $200 billion in MBS and most analysts say GSE reform is now off the table.

Since the U.S. initiated strikes on Iran, mortgage rates and MBS spreads have given up all the ground they gained from the Trump administration’s directive for the GSEs to purchase $200 billion in agency MBS.

The potential rule change would allow banks to redesignate MBS holdings from held-to-maturity to available-for-sale.

Fannie Mae’s retained mortgage portfolio surpassed the size of Freddie Mac’s in January, a first since 2022 as Fannie is adding to its MBS holdings at a faster rate than Freddie.