By Alison J. Morgant


Rather than attempt to pay cash up front for the purchase of a home, many individuals will seek to borrow a majority of the funds needed through mortgage loans. This enables them to spread the sum over a much longer period of time, usually 15, 20 or 30 years. However, after the money has been borrowed, and although payments are still rendered to the original lender, many mortgages are actually sold off to an organization in the secondary mortgage market.

When a person initiates the lending procedure by finding a lending institution and agreeing to the terms of the contract, they are dealing in the primary market. It is here that the principal amount, interest rates, and length of the loan are decided. The details are subject to the stipulations of the bank and the agreement of the borrower.

The repetition of this process for individuals and businesses begins to slowly deplete the resources of the bank. Loans can be made for home purchases, or other personal or commercial reasons. As more people are lent money, the reserves of the institution are slowly no longer available for others to use.

One of the primary sources of income for banking institutions is the interest that is paid by borrowers. Therefore, the bank will want to have more capital to give to other people in the form of a loan. In order to do this, they will often sell the mortgages to an organization operating in the secondary market.

After purchasing the home loans, the company will often bundle them together with other similar purchases in an effort to sell them as a security on the stock market. These securities are referred to as mortgage-backed securities or collateralized debt obligations (CDO), amongst other names. Individuals can then purchase shares in these funds, which enables the business to hopefully cover the risk of default and possibly make a profit.

The offerings in the secondary market, which many people do not even realize exists, do not place the mortgage loans of the initial borrowers at risk for loss of their home. They do however, put the stock market at risk when the borrower defaults on their payments. It is a complicated process to understand and operate.




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