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FHFA Releases Update Regarding the GSEs' Single Security and Common Securitization Platform

Freddie Mac Fannie Mae FHFA

Lending

On July 7, the FHFA released an update entitled An Update: An Implementation of the Single Security and the Common Securitization Platform (the Update) regarding Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s (collectively, the GSEs) joint venture – Common Securitization Solutions (CSS) – to develop and implement a Common Securitization Platform (CSP). As part of a multi-year initiative beginning as early as February 2012, the FHFA has been developing and reporting on the principles and functions for a new securitization platform that supports single-family residential mortgage-backed securitization activities guaranteed by the GSEs. FHFA’s recently issued Update outlines the CSS’s progress made to date, describes expected upcoming milestones, and summarizes the various phases of required testing for Release 1 and Release 2 of the CSP. Importantly, Release 1 will allow Freddie Mac to use the CSP and its Data Acceptance, Issuance Support, and Bond Administration modules to “perform activities related to its current single-class, fixed-rate securities—Participation Certifications (PCs) and Giant PCs—and certain activities related to the underlying mortgage loans (such as tracking unpaid principal balances).” Release 2 will allow both GSEs to use the CSP’s Data Acceptance, Issuance Support, Disclosure, and Bond Administration modules to “perform activities related to their current fixed-rate securities, both single- and multi-class; to issue Single Securities, including commingled resecuritizations; and to perform activities related to the underlying loans,” as well as to allow the GSEs to use the CSP “to issue and administer certain non-TBA mortgage securities, including Fannie Mae securities backed by adjustable rate mortgages.” According to the Update, the Single Security features of the CSP described in the FHFA’s May 2015 update have not been altered and are final. The Single Security features are fundamentally the same as those of the current Fannie Mae MBS and include: (i) payment delay of 55 days; (ii) certain pooling prefixes; (iii) mortgage coupon pooling requirements; (iv) minimum pool submission amounts; (v) general loan requirements such as first lien position, good title, and non-delinquent status; and (vi) seasoning requirements. As outlined in FHFA’s December 2015 publication of the 2016 Scorecard for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Common Securitization Solutions, the GSEs are expected to implement Release 1 in 2016 and Release 2 in 2018.