Legal Status
Federal Housing Finance Agency
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) was created on July 30, 2008, when the President signed into law the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. The Act created a world-class, empowered regulator with all of the authorities necessary to oversee vital components of our country's secondary mortgage markets - Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. In addition, this law combined the staffs of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB), and the GSE mission office at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). With a very turbulent market facing our nation, the strengthening of the regulatory and supervisory oversight of the 14 housing-related GSEs is imperative. The establishment of FHFA will promote a stronger, safer U.S. housing finance system. As of June 2008, the combined debt and obligations of these GSEs totaled $6.6 trillion, exceeding the total publicly held debt of the USA by $1.3 trillion. The GSEs also purchased or guaranteed 84% of new mortgages. Considering the impact of these GSEs on the U.S. economy and mortgage market, it is critical that we intensify our focus on oversight of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks.
FHFA is comprised of combined staffs of the former Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the former Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB), and the GSE mission office at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
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Golden Parachute and Indemnification Payments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is amending its golden parachute payments regulation to better align it with areas of FHFA's supervisory concern and reduce administrative and compliance burdens. This final rule amends a requirement that FHFA review and consent before a regulated entity or the Office of Finance (OF) enters certain...
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Affordable Housing Program Amendments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) is amending its regulation addressing requirements for the Federal Home Loan Banks' (Banks) Affordable Housing Program (AHP or Program). The final rule amends the regulation to: Provide the Banks additional authority to allocate their AHP funds; authorize the Banks to establish separate...
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Federal Home Loan Bank Housing Goals Amendments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing to amend the existing Federal Home Loan Bank Housing Goals regulation. FHFA proposes to replace the existing four separate retrospective housing goals with a single prospective mortgage purchase housing goal as well as establish a separate small member participation housing goal. The...
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Indemnification Payments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) is adopting this final rule establishing standards for identifying whether an indemnification payment by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), any of the Federal Home Loan Banks (collectively with Fannie Mae and Freddie...
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Golden Parachute and Indemnification Payments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing to amend its rule on golden parachute payments to better align the rule with areas of FHFA's supervisory concern and reduce administrative and compliance burdens. The current rule requires FHFA review and consent before a regulated entity or the Office of Finance (OF) enters into an...
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Validation and Approval of Credit Score Models
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing a rule on the process for validation and approval of credit score models by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (together, the Enterprises. FHFA requests public comment on all aspects of this proposed rule.
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Golden Parachute and Indemnification Payments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is amending its golden parachute payments regulation to better align it with areas of FHFA's supervisory concern and reduce administrative and compliance burdens. This final rule amends a requirement that FHFA review and consent before a regulated entity or the Office of Finance (OF) enters certain...
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Miscellaneous Federal Home Loan Bank Operations and Authorities-Financing Corporation Assessments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is adopting a final rule pertaining to the operation of the Financing Corporation (FICO), a vehicle established by one of FHFA's predecessors to issue bonds, the proceeds of which were used to help fund the resolution of failed savings and loan associations during the 1980s. The last of those FICO bonds...
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Affordable Housing Program Amendments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) is amending its regulation addressing requirements for the Federal Home Loan Banks' (Banks) Affordable Housing Program (AHP or Program). The final rule amends the regulation to: Provide the Banks additional authority to allocate their AHP funds; authorize the Banks to establish separate...
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Federal Home Loan Bank Housing Goals Amendments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing to amend the existing Federal Home Loan Bank Housing Goals regulation. FHFA proposes to replace the existing four separate retrospective housing goals with a single prospective mortgage purchase housing goal as well as establish a separate small member participation housing goal. The...
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Responsibilities of Boards of Directors, Corporate Practices, and Corporate Governance
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is amending its regulation on the Responsibilities of Boards of Directors, Corporate Practices, and Corporate Governance for its regulated entities. The final rule amends the existing regulation pertaining to Federal Home Loan Bank strategic business plans so that it applies as well to the Enterprises,...
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Proposed Collection; Comment Request
In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or the Agency) is seeking public comments concerning an information collection known as ``Advances to Housing Associates,'' which has been assigned control number 2590-0001 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). FHFA...
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Federal Home Loan Bank Community Support Program-Administrative Amendments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is issuing a final rule amending its community support regulation to require that FHFA establish relevant dates for FHFA's biennial community support review by written notice to the Federal Home Loan Banks (Banks). The amendments do not affect the substantive requirements of the regulation and do not...
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Margin and Capital Requirements for Covered Swap Entities; Final Rule
The Board, OCC, FDIC, FCA, and FHFA (each an Agency and, collectively, the Agencies) are adopting amendments to their rules establishing minimum margin requirements for registered swap dealers, major swap participants, security-based swap dealers, and major security-based swap participants (Swap Margin Rule). These amendments conform the Swap...
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Indemnification Payments
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) is adopting this final rule establishing standards for identifying whether an indemnification payment by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), any of the Federal Home Loan Banks (collectively with Fannie Mae and Freddie...