FHFA Issues Rule On Uniform Mortgage-Backed Securities

The Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") issued a final rule intended to improve the liquidity of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac To-Be-Announced ("TBA") eligible mortgage-backed securities ("MBS"). The final rule requires Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to maintain policies that promote aligned investor cash flows for both the current TBA eligible mortgage-backed securities and, upon its implementation, the uniform mortgage-backed securities ("UMBS"). The UMBS is "a common, fungible MBS that will be eligible for trading in the TBA market for fixed-rate mortgage loans backed by one-to-four unit (single family) properties."

The final rule, which goes into effect on May 6, 2019, codifies alignment requirements that FHFA...