Sunday, April 18, 2010

Life imitates comedy

Voltron says: The Treasury Dept. is "open to suggestions" on how to deal with bankrupt, too big to fail, mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg639.htm

Excerpt:
The Obama Administration today released questions for public comment on the future of the housing finance system, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the overall role of the federal government in housing policy. The questions have been designed to generate input from a wide variety of constituents, including market participants, industry groups, academic experts, and consumer and community organizations. The questions will also be published in a Federal Register notice requesting public comments, and information on the process for submitting comments will be included in that notice.

"A well-functioning housing finance system is critical to the long term stability of the housing market," said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. "Hearing from a wide variety of perspectives as we embark on this process is an important part of establishing a more stable and sound housing finance system for the American people."

Here are the actual questions:
  1. How should federal housing finance objectives be prioritized in the context of the broader objectives of housing policy?
  2. What role should the federal government play in supporting a stable, well-functioning housing finance system and what risks, if any, should the federal government bear in meeting its housing finance objectives?
  3. Should the government approach differ across different segments of the market, and if so, how?
  4. How should the current organization of the housing finance system be improved?
  5. How should the housing finance system support sound market practices?
  6. What is the best way for the housing finance system to help ensure consumers are protected from unfair, abusive or deceptive practices?
  7. Do housing finance systems in other countries offer insights that can help inform US reform choices?

Here's the SNL skit (from a year ago - March 2009, right at the bottom of the stock market):



Hat tip to: Blownmortgage.com

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