The history & purpose of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac

Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac are back in the headlines as lawmakers debate the future of these two mortgage giants.  Many people have heard about Fannie & Freddie but few understand the role they play in the mortgage industry.  I wanted to re-post the summary I wrote back in July of 2008 which you can access HERE.  Or, if an audible presentation works better for you I listened to THIS PODCAST from NPR’s Planet Money on my run this morning and it does a pretty good job of summarizing the information.