Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac reach deal to ease mortgage lending

Los Angeles Times: Mortgage financing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, together with their federal regulator, have drawn up rules aimed at loosening constricted lending standards to make mortgages more affordable and easier to get for those with less than stellar credit.

The move comes in response to criticism that banks have clamped down too much on loan criteria to avoid legal liability for any mortgages they sell to Fannie or Freddie that may go bad in the future.

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