Treasury Announced a $25B Return Through its MBS Portfolio

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Through $225 billion in mortgage backed securities (MBS) investments, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a return of $25 billion for taxpayers through its portfolio. The Treasury invested in the MBS between 2008 and 2009 through the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. The purchases were made to preserve access to mortgage credit during the financial crises. Overall, total cash returns yielded $250 billion through sales, principal, and interest. “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, the Treasury announced it would begin the gradual sale of the purchased securities, all of which have been sold off now.