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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

1.  Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Organization

 

We are a stockholder-owned corporation organized and existing under the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act (the Charter Act” or our “charter”). We are a government-sponsored enterprise (“GSE”) and subject to government oversight and regulation. Our regulators include the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”). The U.S. government does not guarantee our securities or other obligations.

 

Conservatorship

 

On September 7, 2008, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of FHFA announced several actions taken by Treasury and FHFA regarding Fannie Mae, which included: (1) placing us in conservatorship; (2) the execution of a senior preferred stock purchase agreement by our conservator, on our behalf, and Treasury, pursuant to which we issued to Treasury both senior preferred stock and a warrant to purchase common stock; and (3) Treasury's agreement to establish a temporary secured lending credit facility that was available to us and the other GSEs regulated by FHFA under identical terms until December 31, 2009.

 

Under the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992, as amended by the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008, (together, the “GSE Act”), the conservator immediately succeeded to (1) all rights, titles, powers and privileges of Fannie Mae, and of any stockholder, officer or director of Fannie Mae with respect to Fannie Mae and its assets, and (2) title to the books, records and assets of any other legal custodian of Fannie Mae. The conservator has since delegated specified authorities to our Board of Directors and has delegated to management the authority to conduct our day-to-day operations. The conservator retains the authority to withdraw its delegations at any time.

 

We were directed by FHFA to voluntarily delist our common stock and each listed series of our preferred stock from the New York Stock Exchange and the Chicago Stock Exchange. The last trading day for the listed securities on the New York Stock Exchange and the Chicago Stock Exchange was July 7, 2010, and since July 8, 2010, the securities have been traded on the over-the-counter market.

 

The conservator has the power to transfer or sell any asset or liability of Fannie Mae (subject to limitations and post-transfer notice provisions for transfers of qualified financial contracts) without any approval, assignment of rights or consent of any party. The GSE Act, however, provides that mortgage loans and mortgage-related assets that have been transferred to a Fannie Mae MBS trust must be held by the conservator for the beneficial owners of the Fannie Mae MBS and cannot be used to satisfy the general creditors of the company. As of August 4, 2011, FHFA has not exercised this power.

 

Neither the conservatorship nor the terms of our agreements with Treasury change our obligation to make required payments on our debt securities or perform under our mortgage guaranty obligations.

 

On June 20, 2011, FHFA issued a final rule establishing a framework for conservatorship and receivership operations for the GSEs. The final rule, which became effective on July 20, 2011, establishes procedures for conservatorship and receivership, and priorities of claims for contract parties and other claimants. The final rule is part of FHFA's implementation of the powers provided by the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008, and does not seek to anticipate or predict future conservatorships or receiverships.

 

The conservatorship has no specified termination date and there continues to be uncertainty regarding the future of our company, including how long we will continue to be in existence, the extent of our role in the market, what form we will have, and what ownership interest, if any, our current common and preferred stockholders will hold in us after the conservatorship is terminated. Under the GSE Act, FHFA must place us into receivership if the Director of FHFA makes a written determination that our assets are less than our obligations (that is, we have a net worth deficit) or if we have not been paying our debts, in either case, for a period of 60 days. In addition, the Director of FHFA may place us in receivership at his discretion at any time for other reasons, including conditions that FHFA has already asserted existed at the time the former Director of FHFA placed us into conservatorship. Placement into receivership would have a material adverse effect on holders of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities and Fannie Mae MBS. Should we be placed into receivership, different assumptions would be required to determine the carrying value of our assets, which could lead to substantially different financial results. We are not aware of any plans of FHFA to significantly change our business model or capital structure in the near-term.


Impact of U.S. Government Support

We are dependent upon the continued support of Treasury to eliminate our net worth deficit, which avoids our being placed into receivership. Based on consideration of all the relevant conditions and events affecting our operations, including our dependence on the U.S. government, we continue to operate as a going concern and in accordance with our delegation of authority from FHFA.

 

Pursuant to the amended senior preferred stock purchase agreement, Treasury has committed to provide us with funding as needed to help us maintain a positive net worth thereby avoiding the mandatory receivership trigger described above. We have received a total of $98.7 billion as of June 30, 2011 under Treasury's funding commitment and the Acting Director of FHFA will submit a request for an additional $5.1 billion from Treasury to eliminate our net worth deficit as of June 30, 2011. The aggregate liquidation preference of the senior preferred stock was $99.7 billion as of June 30, 2011 and will increase to $104.8 billion as a result of FHFA's request on our behalf for funds to eliminate our net worth deficit as of June 30, 2011.

 

Treasury's maximum funding commitment to us prior to a December 2009 amendment of the senior preferred stock purchase agreement was $200 billion. The amendment to the agreement stipulates that the cap on Treasury's funding commitment to us under the senior preferred stock purchase agreement will increase as necessary to accommodate any net worth deficits for calendar quarters in 2010 through 2012. For any net worth deficits as of December 31, 2012, Treasury's remaining funding commitment will be $124.8 billion ($200 billion less $75.2 billion cumulatively drawn through March 31, 2010) less the smaller of either (a) our positive net worth as of December 31, 2012 or (b) our cumulative draws from Treasury for the calendar quarters in 2010 through 2012.

 

Treasury has waived the quarterly commitment fee under the senior preferred stock purchase agreement for the first, second and third quarters of 2011 due to the continued fragility of the U.S. mortgage market and because Treasury believed that imposing the commitment fee would not generate increased compensation for taxpayers. Treasury stated that it will reevaluate the situation during the next calendar quarter to determine whether to set the quarterly commitment fee for the fourth quarter of 2011.

 

We fund our business primarily through the issuance of short-term and long-term debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. Because debt issuance is our primary funding source, we are subject to “roll-over,” or refinancing, risk on our outstanding debt. Our ability to issue long-term debt has been strong primarily due to actions taken by the federal government to support us and the financial markets.

 

We believe that continued federal government support of our business and the financial markets, as well as our status as a GSE, are essential to maintaining our access to debt funding. Changes or perceived changes in the government's support could materially adversely affect our ability to refinance our debt as it becomes due, which could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, due to our reliance on the U.S. government's support, our access to debt funding also could be materially adversely affected by a change or perceived change in the creditworthiness of the U.S. government. Future changes or disruptions in the financial markets could significantly change the amount, mix and cost of funds we obtain, which also could increase our liquidity and roll-over risk and have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

On February 11, 2011, Treasury and HUD released a report to Congress on reforming America's housing finance market.  The report provides that the Administration will work with FHFA to determine the best way to responsibly reduce Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's role in the market and ultimately wind down both institutions.  The report emphasizes the importance of proceeding with a careful transition plan and providing the necessary financial support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the transition period. We expect that Congress will continue to hold hearings and consider legislation in 2011 on the future status of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including proposals that would result in a substantial change to our business structure, or our operations, or that involve Fannie Mae's liquidation or dissolution. We cannot predict the prospects for the enactment, timing or content of legislative proposals regarding the future status of the GSEs.  

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the SEC's instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and note disclosures required by GAAP for complete consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments of a normal recurring nature considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 may not necessarily be indicative of the results for the year ending December 31, 2011. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 (“2010 Form 10-K”), filed with the SEC on February 24, 2011.

 

Related Parties

 

As a result of our issuance to Treasury of the warrant to purchase shares of Fannie Mae common stock equal to 79.9% of the total number of shares of Fannie Mae common stock, we and the Treasury are deemed related parties. As of June 30, 2011, Treasury held an investment in our senior preferred stock with an aggregate liquidation preference of $99.7 billion. Our administrative expenses were reduced by $25 million and $60 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, respectively, due to accrual and receipt of reimbursements from Treasury and Freddie Mac for expenses incurred as program administrator for the Home Affordable Modification Program (“HAMP”) and other initiatives under the Making Home Affordable Program.

 

During the six months ended June 30, 2011, we received a refund of $1.1 billion from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), a bureau of Treasury, related to the carryback of our 2009 operating loss to the 2008 and 2007 tax years. In addition, in June 2011, we effectively settled our 2007 and 2008 tax years with the IRS and as a result, we have recognized an income tax benefit of $90 million in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011.

 

Under a temporary credit and liquidity facilities (“TCLF”) program, we had $3.5 billion and $3.7 billion outstanding, which include principal and interest, of three-year standby credit and liquidity support as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively.  Treasury has purchased participating interests in these temporary credit and liquidity facilities.  Under a new issue bond (“NIB”) program, we had $7.6 billion outstanding of pass-through securities backed by single-family and multifamily housing bonds issued by housing finance agencies (“HFAs”) as of both June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010. Treasury bears the initial loss of principal under the TCLF program and the NIB program up to 35% of the total principal on a combined program-wide basis.

 

FHFA's control of both us and Freddie Mac has caused us and Freddie Mac to be related parties. No transactions outside of normal business activities have occurred between us and Freddie Mac. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, we held Freddie Mac mortgage-related securities with a fair value of $15.9 billion and $18.3 billion, respectively, and accrued interest receivable of $77 million and $93 million, respectively. We recognized interest income on Freddie Mac mortgage-related securities held by us of $172 million and $277 million for the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $360 million and $612 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. In addition, Freddie Mac may be an investor in variable interest entities that we have consolidated, and we may be an investor in variable interest entities that Freddie Mac has consolidated.

 

Use of Estimates

 

Preparing condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect our reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the dates of our condensed consolidated financial statements, as well as our reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Management has made significant estimates in a variety of areas including, but not limited to, valuation of certain financial instruments and other assets and liabilities, the allowance for loan losses and reserve for guaranty losses, and other-than-temporary impairment of investment securities. Actual results could be different from these estimates.

 

In the three months ended June 30, 2011, we updated our loan loss models to incorporate more recent data on prepayments of modified loans which contributed to an increase to our allowance for loan losses of approximately $1.5 billion. The change resulted in slower expected prepayment speeds, which extended the expected lives of modified loans and lowered the present value of cash flows on those loans. Also in the three months ended June 30, 2011, we updated our estimate of the reserve for guaranty losses related to private-label mortgage-related securities that we have guaranteed to increase our focus on earlier stage delinquency as a driver of foreclosures in order to reflect changes to the foreclosure environment. This update resulted in an increase to our reserve for guaranty losses included within “Other liabilities” of approximately $700 million.

 

In addition, in the three months ended June 30, 2011, we revised our estimate for amounts due to us related to outstanding repurchase requests to incorporate additional loan-level attributes which resulted in a decrease in our provision for loan losses and foreclosed property expense of $1.5 billion.

 

Principles of Consolidation

 

Our condensed consolidated financial statements include our accounts as well as the accounts of other entities in which we have a controlling financial interest. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. The typical condition for a controlling financial interest is ownership of a majority of the voting interests of an entity. A controlling financial interest may also exist in entities through arrangements that do not involve voting interests, such as a variable interest entity (“VIE).

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Statements of Cash Flows

 

During 2010, we identified certain servicer and consolidation related transactions that were not appropriately reflected in our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2010. As a result, our condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2010 includes a $2.5 billion adjustment to decrease net cash used in operating activities, a $4.6 billion adjustment to decrease net cash provided by investing activities, primarily related to “Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities,” “Purchases of loans held for investment,” and “Proceeds from repayments of loans held for investment of consolidated trusts” and a $2.1 billion adjustment to decrease net cash used in financing activities, primarily related to “Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt of consolidated trusts. We evaluated the effects of these misstatements, both quantitatively and qualitatively, on our previously reported condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2010 and concluded that this prior period was not materially misstated.

 

Collateral

 

Cash Collateral

 

The following table displays cash collateral accepted and pledged as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010.

   As of 
   June 30, 2011 December 31, 2010 
         
    (Dollars in millions) 
         
Cash collateral accepted(1) $ 2,671 $ 3,101 
         
Cash collateral pledged $ 5,599 $ 5,884 
Cash collateral pledged related to derivatives activities    2,907   3,453 
 Total cash collateral pledged $ 8,506 $ 9,337 

___________ 
 (1)Includes restricted cash of $2.5 billion as of both June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010. 

Non-Cash Collateral

 

The following table displays non-cash collateral pledged and accepted as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010.

   As of 
   June 30, 2011 December 31, 2010 
         
     (Dollars in millions) 
         
Non-cash collateral pledged where the secured party has the right      
 to sell or repledge:       
 Held-for-investment loans of consolidated trusts $ 460 $ 2,522 
         
Non-cash collateral accepted with the right to sell or repledge(1) $ 17,011 $ 7,500 
Non-cash collateral accepted without the right to sell or repledge   8,587   6,744 

__________ 
 (1) None of this collateral was sold or repledged as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010. 

Additionally, we provide early funding to lenders on a collateralized basis and account for the advances as secured lending arrangements in “Other assets” in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. These amounts totaled $3.8 billion as of June 30, 2011 and $7.2 billion at December 31, 2010.

 

Our liability to third-party holders of Fannie Mae MBS that arises as the result of a consolidation of a securitization trust is collateralized by the underlying loans and/or mortgage-related securities.

 

When securities sold under agreements to repurchase meet all of the conditions of a secured financing, we report the collateral of the transferred securities at fair value, excluding accrued interest. The fair value of these securities is classified in “Investments in securities” in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. We had no repurchase agreements outstanding as of June 30, 2011 and $49 million in repurchase agreements outstanding as of December 31, 2010.

 

Fair Value Gains (Losses), Net

 

The following table displays the composition of “Fair value gains (losses), net” for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010.

 

   For the Three  For the Six 
   Months Ended Months Ended 
   June 30,  June 30,  
   2011 2010 2011 2010 
   (Dollars in millions) 
               
Derivatives fair value losses, net $ (1,677) $ (397) $ (1,538) $ (3,159) 
Trading securities gains, net    135   640   360   1,698 
Other, net   (92)   60   (167)   59 
 Fair value gains (losses), net  $ (1,634) $303 $ (1,345) $ (1,402) 

Reclassifications

 

To conform to our current period presentation, we have reclassified and condensed certain amounts reported in our condensed consolidated financial statements. The following table displays the line items that were reclassified and condensed in our condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2010.

       As of December 31, 2010
       Before After
       Reclassification Reclassification
            
        (Dollars in millions)
Reclassified lines to:      
 Assets:      
  Servicer and MBS trust receivable $ 951 $ 
  Other assets   25,875   26,826
            
 Liabilities:      
  Short-term debt:      
   Of Fannie Mae   151,884   
   Of consolidated trusts   5,359   
  Long-term debt:      
   Of Fannie Mae   628,160   
   Of consolidated trusts   2,411,597   
  Debt:      
   Of Fannie Mae      780,044
   Of consolidated trusts      2,416,956
            
  Reserve for guaranty losses   323   
  Servicer and MBS trust payable   2,950   
  Other liabilities   10,400   13,673

The following table represents the line items that we reclassified and condensed in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

      For the Three Months Ended For the Six Months Ended
      June 30, 2010 June 30, 2010
      Before After  Before After
      Reclassification Reclassification Reclassification Reclassification
                 
      (Dollars in millions)
Reclassified lines to:           
 Interest Income:           
  Mortgage loans:           
   Of Fannie Mae$ 3,950 $  $ 7,248 $ 
   Of consolidated trusts  33,682      68,003   
  Mortgage loans (includes $33,682 and $68,003, respectively,           
    related to consolidated trusts)     37,632      75,251
 Interest expense:           
  Short-term debt:           
   Of Fannie Mae  164      280   
   Of consolidated trusts  3      5   
  Long-term debt:           
   Of Fannie Mae  4,975      10,056   
   Of consolidated trusts  30,043      61,501   
  Short-term debt (includes $3 and $5, respectively, related to     167      285
    consolidated trusts)           
  Long-term debt (includes $30,043 and $61,501, respectively,     35,018      71,557
    related to consolidated trusts)           
                 
 Guaranty fee income  52      106   
 Fee and other income  242   294   421   527
                 
 Losses from partnership investments  26      84   
 Other expenses  198   224   370   454

In our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2010, we reclassified the following amounts within “Cash flows used in financing activities” to conform to our current period presentation: $394.7 billion from “Proceeds from issuance of short-term debt of Fannie Mae” and $197.8 billion from “Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt of Fannie Mae” to “Proceeds from issuance of debt of Fannie Mae,” $339.4 billion from “Payments to redeem short-term debt of Fannie Mae” and $180.1 billion from “Payments to redeem long-term debt of Fannie Mae” to “Payments to redeem debt of Fannie Mae,” $5.9 billion from “Proceeds from issuance of short-term debt of consolidated trusts” and $128.1 billion from “Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt of consolidated trusts” to “Proceeds from issuance of debt of consolidated trusts,” $18.1 billion from “Payments to redeem short-term debt of consolidated trusts” and $394.2 billion from “Payments to redeem long-term debt of consolidated trusts” to “Payments to redeem debt of consolidated trusts and $37 million from “Proceeds from issuance of debt of Fannie Mae” to “Other, net.

 

New Accounting Pronouncements

 

In April 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued a new standard that clarifies when a loan restructuring is considered a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”). Specifically, the new standard amends existing guidance to clarify how to determine when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty, when a concession is granted by a creditor, and when a delay in payment is considered insignificant.

 

The new standard is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after June 15, 2011 and should be applied retrospectively to the beginning of the annual period of adoption. We will adopt this new guidance effective for the period ending September 30, 2011. As a result of implementing the new standard, we expect an increase in our TDR population such that we estimate that we will recognize approximately $200 million of additional impairment expense in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss upon initial adoption.