Fannie Mae

For two decades, Alfred Pollard served as the general counsel for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s regulator. He had a front-row seat for the establishment of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the government’s subsequent seizure of the mortgage giants amid mounting losses in 2008 and the more recent legal dispute over the FHFA’s authority.

The government sponsored enterprise’s latest forecast calls for a nearly $4 trillion year for 2021.

After a booming 2020, more mortgage lenders than ever before expect diminishing margins in the coming months as climbing interest rates set up heightened competition.

Some applaud the agency's recent delay of the mandatory compliance date for a new Qualified Mortgage standard. Others say it leads to more uncertainty for lenders, opens the door to additional changes and enables some companies to loosen their underwriting.

The agency issued a proposal moving the compliance date for the Qualified Mortgage rule revamp to October 2022.

While its net income declined annually for the second consecutive year, CEO Hugh Frater touted Fannie Mae’s resiliency in a record year for providing mortgage liquidity.

The Biden administration could encourage the FHFA to increase the caps or restore exclusions for certain types of loans, which would boost overall volumes.

Despite mortgage rates expected to rise modestly in 2021, a bolstered Biden administration stimulus package and COVID-19 vaccination efforts bring promise for economic recovery.

The agency's request for input will shape how mortgages underwritten by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac handle appraisals and curb risk.

The proposal would require the government-sponsored enterprises to craft resolution plans similar to regulations imposed on the largest U.S. banks.