Best’s Special Report: AM Best Updates Net Capital Charge Associated With Fannie-Freddie Mortgage Risk Transfers

OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has updated tables of net capital charges associated with a representative sample of mortgage-related transactions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s credit risk transfer (CRT) programs, Freddie Mac’s Agency Credit Insurance Structure (ACIS) and Fannie Mae’s Credit Insurance Risk Transfer (CIRT). These tables also highlight some of the key components of the factor-based method used to calculate net capital charges in the Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) model.

The net capital charge of CRT transactions is represented as B5_m—mortgage-related net loss and LAE reserves risk—in the net required capital formula that is part of BCAR. It is based on unexpected losses and premiums associated with the transactions and is represented as a fraction of the original exposures. For this Best’s Special Report, “Updated Net Capital Charge Tables for ACIS/CIRT Reinsurance Transactions,” the sixth one on net capital charges, AM Best has selected approximately half the 127 CRT transactions effective through December 2021 to calculate the net capital charges associated with individual layers of the CRT transactions.

According to the report, some of these transactions remain under trigger events caused by the elevated delinquency rates brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in no principal being allocated to junior tranches. This will not affect AM Best’s net capital charge calculation, as the calculation assumes stress scenarios with trigger events in place for each transaction.

The report also notes that the ultimate effect of the pandemic on the ACIS/CIRT transactions should become more apparent in the coming year, now that the forbearance period has ended. Forbearance, loan modifications and foreclosure moratoriums have slowed the speed at which losses in the pools in these transactions develop. At the very least, forbearance has delayed the realization of losses simply because of the time needed to go through the foreclosure process after the maximum forbearance timeframe expires.

AM Best publishes these net capital charge tables semi-annually, using the most current performance data available from the government-sponsored enterprises’ websites. Future publications of the net capital charges will be dependent on the continued timely availability of data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, among other factors.

To access the full copy of this special report, please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?record_code=317233.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

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