Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Posted by Robin Thieu on September 5, 2008
Fannie Freddie
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/business/06fannie.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
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U.S. Rescue Seen at Hand for 2 Mortgage Giants
Under a conservatorship, the common and preferred shares of Fannie and Freddie would be reduced to little or nothing, and any losses on mortgages they own or guarantee could be paid by taxpayers. Shareholders have already lost billions of dollars as the stocks have plunged more than 80 percent this year.
A conservatorship would operate much like a pre-packaged bankruptcy, similar to what smaller companies use to clean up their books and then emerge with stronger balance sheets. It would allow for uninterrupted operation of the companies, crucial players in the diminished mortgage market, where they are now responsible for nearly 70 percent of new loans.
