If mortgage giant Freddie Mac were a real man and not a government-sponsored entity dedicated to purchasing mortgages, he’d be “the slick talking widget salesman,” according to mortgage broker Ken Cook.

And, boy, did Freddie size us up and slick talk his way into our hearts. But here we are now, [...]

BY MARJORIE KORN, MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

One of Fannie Mae‘s [[FNM]] biggest challenges as it enters the second half of 2008 and into the following year is the number of unknown factors that are plaguing the U.S. housing market, according to Dan Mudd, president and CEO.

On a conference call with investors following the [...]

BY MARJORIE KORN, MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Fannie Mae [[FNM]] expects this year’s beefed-up loan-loss reserves to carry it through 2009 and 2010, but anticipates credit-related expenses to be “significant” in 2009.

The company expects to preserve $1.9 billion in capital through 2009 by slashing its quarter common stock dividend 86 percent, from 35 cents to [...]

BY MARJORIE KORN, MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Fannie Mae [[FNM]] was poised to open more than 16 percent lower, after plunging by $1.65 per share in premarket trading Friday, hovering around $8.30 down from Thursday’s close of $9.95, the lowest since July 16. The company’s 52-week low of $6.68 was set July 11.

In a press [...]

BY MARJORIE KORN, MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Fannie Mae [[FNM]] reported a second-quarter loss Friday as the troubled mortgage-finance company added $3.7 billion to combined loss reserves to total $5.4 billion in total credit-related expenses.

Fannie Mae reported Friday a net loss of $2.3 billion, or $2.54 per diluted share for the second quarter [...]

BY BENJAMIN MIRASKI, MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

The bailout continues on Wall Street with the Federal Reserve’s decision to extend its lending to primary dealers.

According to the release from the Federal Reserve, they seem to think the crisis is far from over, possibly extending as far as the new year.

In light of continued fragile circumstances [...]