By Kenneth R. Harney | Washington Post Writers Group
You may have seen two sets of news reports last week that didn’t quite add up: First, President Obama called for the liquidation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the country’s largest providers of funds for home mortgages.
Then a couple of days later, Fannie Mae announced its sixth straight quarterly profit and said it was sending $10.2 billion in dividends to the Treasury. Freddie Mac also reported a hefty profit — $5 billion over the previous three months — and said it is providing $4.4 billion in dividends to the government.
Both companies also summarized what they’ve been doing for homebuyers and homeowners after their takeover by the federal government in September 2008. Given the president’s call for them to disappear, it’s worth taking a quick look.
