Treasury To Sell Its Mortgage Backed Securities

Washington, DC, March 21, 2011 — The U.S. Treasury plans to sell its remaining $142 billion in holdings of mortgage backed securities that it purchased during the financial crisis.

Treasury officials said the first sales of up to $10 billion in the securities, primarily issued by troubled mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, would start this month.

Assistant Treasury Secretary Mary Miller said that the sales are a continuation of efforts by the government to wind down the emergency programs put in place in 2008 and 2009 to help restore market stability.