The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, P.L. 110-289, is likely to affect most owner-occupied housing in the United States through a variety of channels. The act creates a new, stronger, unified regulator for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks (the housing GSEs). As a result of various provisions in the act, the secondary mortgage market is likely to be broadly affected. For example, the Secretary of the Treasury is given (until December 31, 2009) the authority to lend or invest in the housing GSEs on whatever terms the Secretary determines to be appropriate. Starting in 2009, the maximum high cost conforming loan limit is increased to 150% of the conforming loan limit; based on 2008 limits, this would be $625,500. For the first time, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can go into receivership. The act also modernizes many aspects of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). In high-cost areas, the maximum loan that the FHA can insure is identical to the maximum mortgage amount that the housing GSEs can purchase. The minimum downpayment on FHA-insured mortgages is increased from 3% to 3.5%, seller-assisted downpayment assistance is prohibited, and there is a moratorium until October 31, ...

The continuing conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at a time of uncertainty in the housing, mortgage, and financial markets has raised doubts about the future of these enterprises, which are chartered by Congress as government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and whose debts are widely believed to be implicitly guaranteed by the federal government. In the second quarter of 2012, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reported profits for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2006. Also, the second quarter of 2012 was first time that neither GSE had to request financial support from the Treasury. The Treasury has agreed to buy mortgage-backed securities (MBSs) from the GSEs and to raise funds for them. Initially, each GSE gave Treasury $1 billion in senior preferred stock and warrants to acquire, at nominal cost, 80% of each GSE. Treasury holds more than $187 billion of preferred stock in the two GSEs. Treasury has agreed to invest whatever is required to maintain GSE solvency through calendar year 2012. Now the formerly implicit guarantee is nearly explicit. In addition to Treasury's purchases of senior preferred stock, the Federal Reserve (Fed) has purchased GSE bonds and MBSs. Under terms of the federal government's purchase of their preferred stock, the enterprises are required to pay the government dividends of nearly $20 billion annually (10% of the support). Housing, mortgage, and even general financial markets remain in an unprecedented situation. Estimates of the total cost to the federal government use different baselines and vary widely. The FHFA estimates that Treasury is likely to purchase $220 billion-$311 billion of senior preferred stock by the end of 2014. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the budget cost to be more than $300 billion. Standard & Poor's has estimated the cost at $280 billion plus $405 billion to create a replacement system. Once Treasury's support for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ends, sometime after 2012, the GSEs will be challenged to pay the 10% annual cash dividend contained in their contracts. The enterprises could instead pay a 12% annual senior preferred stock dividend indefinitely. In August 2011, Standard & Poor's downgraded the debt of the federal government, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. To date, there is no evidence that this has increased mortgage interest rates, but the impact may take longer to occur or to be detected.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are charted by Congress as government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) to provide liquidity in the mortgage market and promote homeownership for underserved groups and locations. They purchase mortgages, guarantee them, and package them in mortgage backed securities (MBSs), which they either keep as investments or sell to institutional investors. In addition to the GSEs' guarantees, investors widely believe that MBSs are implicitly guaranteed by the federal government. In 2008, the GSEs financial condition had weakened and there were concerns over their ability to meet their obligations on $1.2 trillion in bonds and $3.7 trillion in MBSs that they had guaranteed. In response to the financial risks, the federal government took control of these GSEs in a process known as conservatorship as a means to stabilize the mortgage credit market. Congressional interest in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has increased in recent years, primarily because the federal government's continuing conservatorship of these GSEs, at a time of uncertainty in the housing, mortgage, and financial markets, has raised doubts about the future of the enterprises and the potential cost to the Treasury of guaranteeing the enterprises' debt. Since more than 60% of households are homeowners, a large number of citizens could be affected by the future of the GSEs. Congress exercises oversight over the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which is both regulator and conservator of the GSEs, and is considering legislation to shape the future of the GSEs. Legislation introduced in the 112th Congress, the future of the GSEs, and ways to reduce the cost to the federal government are analyzed in CRS Report R41822, Proposals to Reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the 112th Congress, by N. Eric Weiss. Estimates of the eventual total cost to the federal government of supporting the GSEs use different baselines and vary widely. FHFA estimates that Treasury is likely to purchase $220 billion-$311 billion of senior preferred stock by the end of 2014. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the budget cost to be more than $300 billion. Standard & Poor's has estimated the cost at $280 billion plus $405 billion to create a replacement system. Under terms of the federal government's support agreement as amended and effective on August 17, 2012, the enterprises will pay the Treasury all of their quarterly profits (if any). Under the previous agreements, the enterprises paid Treasury dividends of nearly $20 billion annually (10% of the support). Paying the federal government all profits earned in a quarter could prevent the GSEs from accumulating funds to redeem the senior preferred stock. However, it would appear that the GSEs could make quarterly redemptions. The financial condition of the GSEs appears to be improving. In the first and second quarters of 2012, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reported profits for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2006. Also, the second quarter of 2012 was first time that neither GSE had to request financial support from the Treasury.

Many of the financial problems facing the U.S. can be traced to financial illiteracy among large segments of the population. Consider: 1. If people understood the relation between the economy and monetary policy they probably would not have taken out adjustable rate mortgages at precisely the time the Federal Reserve was set to raise interest rates. 2. If people understood the difference between the effective annual and the annual percentage rate they would likely incur less high cost credit card debt. 3. If people understood the benefits of tax-deferred compounding they likely would begin contributing to their retirement plan earlier in life -- resulting in substantially more wealth when they retire. Financial Illiteracy in America argues that financial illiteracy derives from the absence of personal finance instruction in most U.S. public high schools and a mistaken reliance, on the part of many, that the best way to learn about financial topics is through one's parents or life experiences. The problem is that most parents do not have the financial background to impart financial knowledge to their children, while learning through life experiences often results in costly mistakes or realizing a problem when it is too late. Financial Illiteracy in America outlines what young people need to know to get a head start in putting their lives on a sound financial footing including topics such as: - Using financial services intelligently - Does a young person need insurance? - Opening and operating a brokerage account - Investments a young person should make - Globalization effects on the prices of goods and services purchased by young people Finally, Financial Illiteracy in Americaa presents a curriculum for teaching personal finance to high school students. Financial Illiteracy in America was written by Eric J. Weiss, Certified Financial Planner PROFESSIONAL who also teaches an "Introduction to Finance" course to college students. Mr. Weiss's experience with clients and students sparked the idea for this book and has convinced him of the paramount importance of increasing financial literacy in the U.S.

In his first collection of poems, Eric Weiss explores humanity and nature as two separate entities and yet completely of one essence. These poems take the reader on a kaleidoscopic ride of emotion and imagery in the landscape of our living, be it the people we know or knew or the sights that we see. The lessons that we must learn and then teach to others are beautifully expressed in these poems. It is with simple and surreal honesty that Weiss's poems bring wonder and awe of the everyday occasions that we so ordinarily pass through into such focus. It is with profound thought that we will now walk with our senses in full bloom, fully realized through the imagery of "In Autumn."

"In Autumn" stands as a reminder to us all of the conscious breaths of our being and wraps them into the art of our world. Whether the reader is inspired by a grasshopper that ignites a profound thought, the mystery discovered in a river's name, or the suspense the sky brings to the art a season paints, the emotion of the intimate poetry included in this collection will resonate for all who experience it.

As government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are hybrids: created and chartered by Congress for specific public policy purposes, they are nonetheless private, profit-seeking businesses whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Their "government-sponsored" nature confers certain advantages over their purely private competitors. As a result, their operations have expanded rapidly over the years and they long ago assumed and continue to play critical roles in the residential mortgage market. This book provides background on the GSE reform issue, summarises the provisions of H.R. 1427 and S. 1100, and compares them to legislation passed by the House in the 109th Congress.