Question

What is mortgage backed securities? Explain the role of banks here.

Answer 1

Essentially, the mortgage-backed security turns the bank into a middleman between the homebuyer and the investment industry. A bank can grant mortgages to its customers and then sell them on at a discount for inclusion in an MBS. The bank records the sale as a plus on its balance sheet and loses nothing if the homebuyer defaults sometime down the road.

The investor who buys a mortgage-backed security is essentially lending money to home buyers. An MBS can be bought and sold through a broker. The minimum investment varies between issuers.

This process works for all concerned as everyone does what they're supposed to do. That is, the bank keeps to reasonable standards for granting mortgages; the homeowner keeps paying on time, and the credit rating agencies that review MBS perform due diligence.

In order to be sold on the markets today, an MBS must be issued by a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) or a private financial company. The mortgages must have originated from a regulated and authorized financial institution. And the MBS must have received one of the top two ratings issued by an accredited credit rating agency.