Secondary market disruption

When Countrywide finances mortgage loans, they usually package them for sale to large investors as mortgage-backed securities. Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac can only buy loans which conform to the standards of government sponsored enterprises. Non-conforming mortgages securities must be sold in the private, secondary market to alternative investors. On August 3, 2007, this secondary market essentially stopped trading most of the non-conforming securities. Secondary mortgage market disruptions had happened previously, but, the new disruption appeared more serious, both larger in range and likely duration. Alt-A mortgages (loans given to apparently creditworthy borrowers without much or any documentation) completely stopped at ratings lower than AAA. Difficulties extended to much of AAA-rated..After the collapse of American Home Mortgage on August 6, attention returned to Countrywide Financial which at the time had issued about 17% of all mortgages in the United States. Only days later Countrywide Financial disclosed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that these disruptions in the secondary mortgage markets could hurt it financially:"Since the company is highly dependent on the availability of credit to finance its operations, disruptions in the debt markets or a reduction in our credit ratings could have an adverse impact on our earnings and financial condition, particularly in the short term… Current conditions in the debt markets include reduced liquidity and increased credit risk premiums for certain market participants. These conditions, which increase