In IndyMac's Wake, Are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Safe?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are private companies with deep ties to the government. Fannie Mae was created during the Depression as part of the New Deal as a way to revive a collapsed housing market by providing mortgage guarantees to low- and middle-income Americans. Today they own or guarantee a mind-boggling $5 trillion in loans — far more than any other lender, which is why the fear that they could go under has been so nerve rattling. "If they were to go out of business, most of...Full Story