US Government takes over mortgage giants

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration's seizure of troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is potentially a $200 billion bet that it will help reverse a prolonged housing and credit crisis.

US Government takes over mortgage giants: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080907/mortgage_giants_crisis.html)

This was expected and welcomed. If these two companies went down we're all in trouble. I hope the people responsible for putting these companies in such abysmal state are held accountable (I doubt it but one can only hope).

Interestingly they're making a sweet offer for companies running on empty:

Treasury will immediately be issued $1 billion of such stock from each company, which will pay 10 percent interest. Further purchases of preferred stock will be triggered if quarterly audits find that the companies' capital cushion is below prudent standards.

the reason they're in such horrible straits is due to thousands of individual neg am. mortgage salesmen selling bad loans (which the financial sector encouraged, or at least turned a blind eye) and the huge bonuses given per loan (up to 30-40k PER mortgage contract).

those guys are obviously out of business now, but they got their money before it burst.

the reason they're in such horrible straits is due to thousands of individual neg am. mortgage salesmen selling bad loans (which the financial sector encouraged, or at least turned a blind eye) and the huge bonuses given per loan (up to 30-40k PER mortgage contract).

those guys are obviously out of business now, but they got their money before it burst.
Blame does not all go to the loan officers. The people who took out these loans also made very poor decisions of what to do with the money they saved with the interest only loans. Many did not take the extra money and pay down their principle or put it away in savings. Allot of them took the money and spent it on new cars and other stuff and now when their loan is converting they are stuck. Why can't they just refinance at current rates? Its because they are now up side down in their loan from failure to pay down the principle or they now have other dept. Also now that their payment has gone up that money they saved with interest only has been spent and tied up in car payment or in other things. I know several loan officers and none of them made 30 to 40 k on and loans they did.

the reason they're in such horrible straits is due to thousands of individual neg am. mortgage salesmen selling bad loans (which the financial sector encouraged, or at least turned a blind eye) and the huge bonuses given per loan (up to 30-40k PER mortgage contract).

those guys are obviously out of business now, but they got their money before it burst.

Bonuses to the sales persons or the company?

Where's the bailouts for the consumers?

Blame does not all go to the loan officers. The people who took out these loans also made very poor decisions of what to do with the money they saved with the interest only loans. Many did not take the extra money and pay down their principle or put it away in savings. Allot of them took the money and spent it on new cars and other stuff and now when their loan is converting they are stuck. Why can't they just refinance at current rates? Its because they are now up side down in their loan from failure to pay down the principle or they now have other dept. Also now that their payment has gone up that money they saved with interest only has been spent and tied up in car payment or in other things. I know several loan officers and none of them made 30 to 40 k on and loans they did.

Of course they did. However, it's the bank's responsibility to minimize their risk. If they give out loans to all these people who aren't financially disciplined, and they default on their loans, the bank has to bear that burden. Well, the banks overextended themselves, and now it's a crisis, because they loaned too much money to too many people who shouldn't have qualified.

Where's the bailouts for the consumers?


They suffer. It is not fair, but what should be done with the people who did got a fixed loan and make their payments. Shouldnt they be rewarded for being responsible. Instead all of their neighbors get bailed out, or forclose, and they actually get hurt just as bad on the value of their homes.

They suffer. It is not fair, but what should be done with the people who did got a fixed loan and make their payments. Shouldnt they be rewarded for being responsible. Instead all of their neighbors get bailed out, or forclose, and they actually get hurt just as bad on the value of their homes.


I had a interest only loan and really was not about the monthly savings (it was difference of $100 to $200 a month). The reason I did it was for the tax returns. Now I refi my interest only mortgage and my payment went up $100 or in that ball park.

I am just trying to say don't lump all interest only loans as bad. I think it is bad when you used an interest only loan to try to get in to a house that was totally out of your budget.

They suffer. It is not fair, but what should be done with the people who did got a fixed loan and make their payments. Shouldnt they be rewarded for being responsible. Instead all of their neighbors get bailed out, or forclose, and they actually get hurt just as bad on the value of their homes.

The banks should have been more responsible too with the mortgages they handed out to anyone and everyone. It goes both ways, unfortunately it's always the little guy that gets F'd in the end.