The Last Sucker
Jul 31, 20201.2M Shares17.6M Views
The stock market decline of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is more rapid and dramaticthan anyone expected, but it should be no surprise that the two eventually would wind up in some sort of trouble. For years, conservatives and liberals alike have had issueswith both of the entities, and although the specifics of the complaints have differed, the common theme of the complaints centered on the problematic nature of the Fannie and Freddie’s very existence. The two were created by Congress to provide money and stability to the mortgage markets. They are the largest buyers of home loans, which they repackage into securities for sale on Wall Street. They also are assumed to have the implicit backing of the government, even though they were converted into private companies. Here’s a good backgrounderfrom Econobrowser. Anyway, this meant for years that everyone assumed the government would step in if their portfolios tanked, but no one really believed that would ever happen or be necessary. They didn’t believe it because that would put the government in the position of being the last sucker if the housing market were to collapse and mortgages go sour.
So mortgage companies and banks complainedfor years that Fannie and Freddie’s implied government backing gave it an unfair advantage in the marketplace. On the other side, community groups and housing activists maintained that the two put market interests above their mission to promote homeownership. When Fannie Mae moved to quickly get foreclosed properties off its books, activists in Cleveland chargedthat Fannie turned the properties over to speculators who only added to neighborhood blight. When Fannie and Freddie, to stay competitive, waded into the subprime market, legal aid lawyers who deal with predatory lending victims contendedtheir presence encouraged more abusive subprime lending.
Now fears that the two will run out of capital and the government will be requiredto rescue them are roiling Wall Street. Some of this fear may be tied to the often irrational behavior of the financial markets. But there’s probably more to it; in the back of many an investor’s mind is the realization that "last sucker" theory could come true. As economist Dean Baker notes,it’s time to look back at the warning signs and figure out why regulators and analysts didn’t take this possiblity more seriously. And why Congress ever set up the government to become the mortgage market’s last sucker in the first place.
Paolo Reyna
Reviewer
Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.
Paolo enjoys writing about celebrity culture, gaming, visual arts, and events. He has a keen eye for trends in popular culture and an enthusiasm for exploring new ideas. Paolo's writing aims to inform and entertain while providing fresh perspectives on the topics that interest him most.
In his free time, he loves to travel, watch films, read books, and socialize with friends.
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