FREDDIE MAC

The IOU that is being laid on the doorsteps of U.S. taxpayers in the form of the national debt is far greater than most Americans realize. That's because the federal government does not report the true size of the national debt -- now nearly $80 trillion.

Fannie Mae, the federally controlled mortgage giant, said Tuesday it is appouinting its general counsel, Timothy Mayopoulos, as its new president and CEO.

Home prices are stagnant, crude oil is tumbling and copper has fallen to a seven-month low. Inflation is not the problem. What is the problem is inflation's evil twin, deflation.

U.S. mortgage rates dropped even lower in the week ending May 31, with the 30-year rate falling to 3.75 percent, mortgage financier Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Time to stop dropping the presumptive and the likely qualifiers: It is all but certain that after Texans finish voting in Tuesday's Republican presidential primary, Mitt Romney will have secured the 1,144 delegates he needs to win the nomination.

French and German consumer confidence showed unexpected strength, reports showed Friday. While the market is cheering about the good news, some economists view this as a warning sign of a euro zone crisis fatigue - something that is as dangerous, if not more so than the crisis itself.

U.S. mortgages rates have dropped to record lows for four consecutive weeks, but that doesn't mean more homes will be sold. In fact, at least one housing expert argues that extremely low rates are causing banks to be even more stringent with underwriting approvals, turning away more prospective buyers and hurting the national housing market.

U.S. 30-year fixed mortgage rates dropped to 3.78 percent in the week ending May 24, down slightly from 3.79 percent in the previous week, mortgage financier Freddie Mac said Thursday.

U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgages hit a new record low for the third straight week as concerns over the euro zone weighed on the economy, mortgage financier Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC), the second-largest U.S. mortgage guarantor, said Thursday it was appointing Donald Layton, the former head of E*Trade as its CEO.

New Labor Department data suggests a strong start to jobs growth in January may not get wiped out by negative growth heading into the third quarter.

U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates hit a new record low in the week ending May 10, following lower Treasury bond yields and weaker economic data in April, mortgage financier Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Freddie Mac, the second-largest mortgage guarantor, will announce the appointment of Donald Layton, former head of E*Trade Financial Corp., as a new CEO as early as Thursday, the Wall Street Journal said.

Fannie Mae (OTC: FNMA), the government-controlled mortgage giant that was brought to its knees during the housing crisis, said Wednesday it had net income of $2.7 billion in the first quarter as home prices declined at a slower rate than in the previous quarter, and its book of business improved.

U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to a new record low of 3.84 percent in the week ending May 2, following subdued economic data, mortgage financier Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Nearly five months after his unexpected surge into contention for the Republican presidential nomination, Newt Gingrich is set to suspend his campaign and endorse Mitt Romney.

U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates dipped to 3.88 percent in the week ending April 26, staying near record lows as the housing market remained mixed, mortgage financier Freddie Mac said Thursday.

The target U.S. interest rate will remain at its current level of 0 to 0.25 percent through late 2014, the Federal Open Market Committee led by Federal Reserve chairman Ben S. Bernanke decided at a meeting Wednesday.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) and Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) beat first quarter earnings expectations Friday with the help of rising mortgage revenue, but the weak housing market could drag down future gains for the two big banks.

U.S. 15-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped to a new record low of 3.11 percent in the week ending April 12, mortgage financier Freddie Mac said Thursday.

The regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said on Tuesday it might make sense for the housing finance companies to write down loan principal under an Obama administration plan, but further study was needed.