The Dodd-Frank Act is intended to reform residential mortgage lending and securitization practices that contributed to the recent financial crisis. The Act provides some liability protection for lenders originating mortgages that meet nine specified criteria associated with a borrower¿s ability to repay (¿qualified mortgages¿). The act also requires securitizers of mortgages not meeting separate criteria associated with lower default risk to retain at least 5% of the credit risk. This report discusses the potential impact of the act¿s: (1) qualified mortgage criteria; (2) credit risk retention requirement; and (3) provisions concerning homeownership counseling and regulation of high-cost loans. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand report.

"Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reformand Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) is intended, among otherthings, to reform residential mortgagelending and securitization practicesthat contributed to the recent financialcrisis. The act provides some liabilityprotection for lenders originatingmortgages that meet nine specifiedcriteria, as applicable, associated witha borrower's ability to repay ("qualifiedmortgages"). The act also requiressecuritizers of mortgages not meetingseparate criteria associated with lowerdefault risk to retain at least 5 percentof the credit risk, though federalrulemaking agencies may vary thisamount. The act directed GAO toassess the effect of mortgage-relatedprovisions on the availability andaffordability of mortgage credit and toissue a report by July 2011, but federalagencies are still developingimplementing regulations. This reportdiscusses the potential impact of theact's (1) qualified mortgage criteria,(2) credit risk retention requirement,and (3) provisions concerninghomeownership counseling andregulation of high-cost loans.To do this work, GAO analyzed aproprietary database of residentialmortgages, reviewed relevant housingand mortgage market research, andinterviewed key mortgage industrystakeholders.GAO provided a draft of this report toeight agencies. In a letter, the NationalCredit Union Administration said, asnoted in the report, that the act's..."

Why America's public-private mortgage giants threaten the world economy—and what to do about it The financial collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2008 led to one of the most sweeping government interventions in private financial markets in history. The bailout has already cost American taxpayers close to $150 billion, and substantially more will be needed. The U.S. economy--and by extension, the global financial system--has a lot riding on Fannie and Freddie. They cannot fail, yet that is precisely what these mortgage giants are guaranteed to do. How can we limit the damage to our economy, and avoid making the same mistakes in the future? Guaranteed to Fail explains how poorly designed government guarantees for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac led to the debacle of mortgage finance in the United States, weighs different reform proposals, and provides sensible, practical recommendations. Despite repeated calls for tougher action, Washington has expanded the scope of its guarantees to Fannie and Freddie, fueling more and more housing and mortgages all across the economy--and putting all of us at risk. This book unravels the dizzyingly immense, highly interconnected businesses of Fannie and Freddie. It proposes a unique model of reform that emphasizes public-private partnership, one that can serve as a blueprint for better organizing and managing government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In doing so, Guaranteed to Fail strikes a cautionary note about excessive government intervention in markets.

Successful home ownership requires the availability of appropriate mortgage products. In the years leading up to the collapse of the housing market, home buyers frequently accepted mortgages that were not only wrong for them but catastrophic for the economy as a whole. When the housing market bubble burst, so did a cornerstone of the American dream for many families. Restoring the promise of this dream requires an unflinching inspection of lending institutions and the right tools to repair the structures that support solid home purchases. The American Mortgage System: Crisis and Reform focuses on the causes of the housing market collapse and proposes solutions to prevent another rash of foreclosures. Edited by two leaders in the field of real estate and finance, Susan M. Wachter and Marvin M. Smith, The American Mortgage System examines key elements of the mortgage meltdown. The volume's contributors address the influence of the Community Reinvestment Act, which is often blamed for the crisis. They uncover how the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac invested outside the housing market with disastrous results. They present surprising information about low-income borrowers and the strengths of local banks. This collection of thoughtful studies includes extensive analysis of loan practices and the creation of unstable mortgage securities, presenting data largely unavailable until now. More than a critique, The American Mortgage System offers solutions to the problems facing the future of American home ownership, including identifying asset price bubbles, calculating risk, and preventing discrimination in lending. Measured yet timely and by turns provocative, The American Mortgage System provides a careful assessment of a troubled but indispensable part of the economic and social structure of the United States. This book is a sound investment for economists, urban planners, and all who shape public policy.