Federal Housing Finance Agency

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is the federal regulator of the companies and banks that support the home mortgage market. It supervises Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, which buy, guarantee, or fund home loans made by private lenders. Its job is to keep those institutions financially sound so mortgage credit keeps flowing.

People usually bring questions about how mortgage financing works behind the scenes, what role the government has in backing home loans, and how the agency's decisions affect loan terms and borrowing costs. Others want to understand what it means when these companies are placed under federal conservatorship and how the agency fits into the wider housing finance system.