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5/12/2020

Treasury Completes Wind Down of Mortgage-Backed Securities Investment, Generates $25 Billion Positive Return for Taxpayers

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Press Center

Treasury Completes Wind Down of Mortgage-Backed Securities Investment,
Generates $25 Billion Positive Return for Taxpayers
3/19/2012
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the completion of the orderly wind down of its agency-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities (MBS) portfolio,
which it acquired as part of its response to the financial crisis. Overall, Treasury’s MBS portfolio generated a positive return of $25 billion for taxpayers.
Treasury invested $225 billion in MBS during 2008 and 2009 through authority provided to it by Congress under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. These MBS
purchases helped preserve access to mortgage credit during a period of unprecedented market stress. Overall, taxpayers received total cash returns of $250 billion from this MBS
portfolio through sales, principal, and interest – $25 billion more than their initial investment.
“The successful sale of these securities marks another important milestone in the wind down of the government’s emergency financial crisis response efforts,” said Assistant Secretary
for Financial Markets Mary Miller. “This program helped support the housing market during a critical moment for our nation’s economy and delivered a substantial profit for taxpayers.”
In March 2011, in light of improved market conditions, Treasury announced that it would begin the orderly wind down of its MBS portfolio through the gradual sale of those securities
over time. Those sales were part of Treasury’s continued efforts to exit the emergency financial crisis response programs that were put in place in 2008 and 2009.
For additional details on the Treasury’s Agency MBS program, please visit, link. Treasury will also post additional information about individual trades, including trade date, price, and
CUSIP on April 30, 2012.
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5/12/2020

Treasury Completes Wind Down of Mortgage-Backed Securities Investment, Generates $25 Billion Positive Return for Taxpayers

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