Arch Reinsurance Insures Freddie Mac for Over $77 Million

Freddie Mac has announced that it has obtained an insurance policy underwritten by Arch Reinsurance Ltd. to cover up to $77.4 million of credit losses for a portion of the credit risk associated with a pool of Single-Family loans funded in the third quarter of 2012. This further demonstrates Freddie Mac's innovation in developing and introducing new ways to share credit risk with the private market. This new insurance coverage is intended to attract new sources of private capital from non-mortgage guaranty insurers and reinsurers interested in assuming a portion of the credit risk on specified portions of Freddie Mac's high-quality single-family mortgage loan portfolio. "This is part of our business strategy to expand risk-sharing with private firms, thus reducing taxpayers' exposure to losses from mortgage foreclosures," said David Lowman, executive vice president of single-family business for Freddie Mac. "We have brought to the market new sources of capital for transferring mortgage credit risk away from taxpayers. We've tapped into the global insurance community's appetite for U.S. mortgage credit exposure, and would like to do more of these policies in the future." This year Freddie Mac has led the market in introducing new risk sharing initiatives with two STACR debt offerings and credit insurance. STACR debt notes were among the largest credit security offerings in the market. “The completion of this deal is unique in that it is with a diversified non-mortgage insurer and it demonstrates yet another approach to risk-sharing with investors," said Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Acting Director Edward J. DeMarco. "The transaction supports FHFA’s 2013 Conservatorship Scorecard and FHFA’s Strategic Plan for the Enterprise Conservatorships, reducing Freddie Mac’s market footprint and ultimately protecting taxpayers.”