The government should get out of the business of providing 100% money-back guarantees

[TheBreeze]

I’d really like to see the government get out of the business of providing 100% money-back guarantees. This goes for everything — FDIC, mortgages, insurance, whatever.

By providing a 100% money-back guarantee to depositors, the FDIC keeps bad actors like Countrywide and Etrade in the game. According to bankrate.com, Countrywide and Etrade are currently paying the highest rates on 1-year CDs. Their rate is probably something like a half- to a quarter-point higher than other banks. With the 100% federal guarantee on deposits up to $100,000, depositors are doing the logical thing and sending their deposits to Etrade and Countrywide. This allows both of these bad actors to stay in the game and continue making bad loans.

Now imagine if FDIC only paid out 95% up to $100,000. Would anyone be depositing money with Etrade or Countrywide? Unlikely.

By providing a 100% guarantee, the government totally skews the market. If the government would scale back those guarantees just a bit, the investor/depositor would have some skin in the game and the market would function much more efficiently.

For mortgages, I’d actually like to see the GSEs scale back to an 80% guarantee up to $417,000. If a lender wanted to take the risk on that last 20%, they would be free to do so. However, most likely, this would force lenders to go back to requiring 20% down and we would quickly see the home-buying market go back to normal.

[NeetaT]

“For mortgages, I’d actually like to see the GSEs scale back to an 80% guarantee up to $417,000. If a lender wanted to take the risk on that last 20%, they would be free to do so. However, most likely, this would force lenders to go back to requiring 20% down and we would quickly see the home-buying market go back to normal.”

Isn’t this the way banks are headed? I mean back to the 20% down concept. I haven’t heard anything corroborating what I hope happens, but it seems like the logical thing to do. Practicing this concept may be the only way to assure investors that they are making a good investment in the mortgage bundles.

[NeetaT]

“For mortgages, I’d actually like to see the GSEs scale back to an 80% guarantee up to $417,000. If a lender wanted to take the risk on that last 20%, they would be free to do so. However, most likely, this would force lenders to go back to requiring 20% down and we would quickly see the home-buying market go back to normal.”

Isn’t this the way banks are headed? I mean back to the 20% down concept. I haven’t heard anything corroborating what I hope happens, but it seems like the logical thing to do. Practicing this concept may be the only way to assure investors that they are making a good investment in the mortgage bundles.

[NeetaT]

“For mortgages, I’d actually like to see the GSEs scale back to an 80% guarantee up to $417,000. If a lender wanted to take the risk on that last 20%, they would be free to do so. However, most likely, this would force lenders to go back to requiring 20% down and we would quickly see the home-buying market go back to normal.”

Isn’t this the way banks are headed? I mean back to the 20% down concept. I haven’t heard anything corroborating what I hope happens, but it seems like the logical thing to do. Practicing this concept may be the only way to assure investors that they are making a good investment in the mortgage bundles.

[NeetaT]

“For mortgages, I’d actually like to see the GSEs scale back to an 80% guarantee up to $417,000. If a lender wanted to take the risk on that last 20%, they would be free to do so. However, most likely, this would force lenders to go back to requiring 20% down and we would quickly see the home-buying market go back to normal.”

Isn’t this the way banks are headed? I mean back to the 20% down concept. I haven’t heard anything corroborating what I hope happens, but it seems like the logical thing to do. Practicing this concept may be the only way to assure investors that they are making a good investment in the mortgage bundles.

[NeetaT]

“For mortgages, I’d actually like to see the GSEs scale back to an 80% guarantee up to $417,000. If a lender wanted to take the risk on that last 20%, they would be free to do so. However, most likely, this would force lenders to go back to requiring 20% down and we would quickly see the home-buying market go back to normal.”

Isn’t this the way banks are headed? I mean back to the 20% down concept. I haven’t heard anything corroborating what I hope happens, but it seems like the logical thing to do. Practicing this concept may be the only way to assure investors that they are making a good investment in the mortgage bundles.

[Author]

Posts