Great read by Horowitz Court Forces Government to Release Documents in Fannie/Freddie Suit Submitted by Carl Horowitz on Fri, 07/25/2014 - 14:50 Printer-friendlyPrinter- friendlyEmail to friendEmail to friend The burden carried by the holders of stock in mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, each operating for nearly six years under federal conservatorship, just got lighter. On July 16, U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Margaret Sweeney, in a procedural ruling, held that shareholder-plaintiffs in Fairholme Funds Inc. et al. v. United States are entitled to know material facts that the government wants to keep secret. The shareholders are seeking compensation for foregone income resulting from the Treasury Department's "sweep" rule of August 2012, which forced the companies to forward all dividends to the department in perpetuity. Government lawyers had filed a motion for a protective order on May 30 to inhibit discovery. The outcome of this case will hav...
TAKEAWAYS ON FANNIE, FREDDIE EARNINGS Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are sending $10.2 billion to the U.S. Treasury after reporting combined first-quarter profits of $9.3 billion. But Thursday’s earnings reports hinted at a possible cooling off in the profits of both companies, which have benefited from large one-time gains over the past several quarters. They also suggested a modestly softer housing demand. Here are five takeaways: 8 MAY 2014 6:17PM BY NICK TIMIRAOS CONNECT 1 BIG ONE TIME GAINS Share on Twitter Fannie reported pre-tax income of $7.9 billion, of which $4.1 billion came in legal settlements that aren’t likely to be repeated. Freddie reported pre-tax income of $5.8 billion, with $4.9 billion in legal settlements. In recent quarters, the companies have also benefited from a big rebound in home prices. The rebound has allowed them to release reserves as expected losses failed to materialize and to re...
The US housing finance system works just fine From Mr Chris Lafakis. Sir, Edward Luce (“ Hedge funds are testing the quality of US democracy ” (Comment, May 12) paints the investors’ lawsuit against the US government on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as a righteous struggle between noble American democracy and the evil lords of Wall Street. Should we not question the authority of the US government to confiscate the profits of any company, including one that it bailed out, by fiat decree? The US government would not have dared to do this to AIG because it knows it would have lost in court. Banks, regulators and Congress were just as indispensable to the financial crisis as the government-sponsored enterprises. So why should the GSEs alone be taken to task? More I Mr Luce and virtually every commentator or politician who opines on this issue, including President Barack Obama, wants the US to unilaterally disarm one of its greatest sources of comparative advantage: cheap, ...
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