A commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) is a claim on future returns to a bundle of loans. Empirically, loans that are securitized “in-house” -- when the loan originator is vertically integrated with the issuer of the CMBS -- outperform loans securitized by unaffiliated issuers. I...

We empirically investigate the benefits of multiple ratings not only at issuance of debt instruments but also during the subsequent monitoring phase. Using a record of monthly credit rating migration data on all U.S. residential mortgage-backed securities rated by Standard & Poor's, Moody's, and...

In this paper, I find a charter which allows Government Sponsored Enterprises (Fannie Mae) that guarantee mortgage backed securities (MBS) to act as liquidity providers within secondary mortgage markets is beneficial for MBS prices and dealers' transaction costs. I also demonstrate that the...

We develop a model of the U.S. housing finance system that delivers an equilibrium connection between the securitization and mortgage credit markets. An endogenous securitization market efficiently reallocates illiquid assets, increases liquidity to fund mortgage lending, and lowers mortgage...

Covered bonds and mortgage-backed securities both allow mortgages to be financed with duration-matched bonds. Given the problems in the MBS market during the financial crisis, some suggest that CB might be a substitute for MBS. We examine the use of CB and MBS in the U.S. and Europe, finding...

We compare the structure and performance of private (non-GSE) mortgage-backed securities sold by large issuers vs. those sold by small issuers over the period 2000-2006. Securities sold by large issuers have less subordination — a greater fraction of the deal receiving AAA rating — than...

Agency mortgage-backed securities trade simultaneously in a market for specified pools (SPs) and in the to-be-announced (TBA) forward market. TBA trading creates liquidity by allowing thousands of different MBS to be traded in a handful of TBA contracts. SPs that are eligible to be traded as...

The Global Financial Crisis exposed financial institutions to severe unexpected losses in relation to mortgage securitizations and derivatives. This paper analyzes a unique and extensive ratings and impairment events database for securitizations. The paper finds that risk models such as ratings...

This paper describes an important borrower risk factor observed privately by the issuer of non-agency RMBS. The private information available to the issuer is drawn from behavioral cues exhibited early in the life of the loan. Mortgage borrowers that make their first six payments at least a day...