January/February 2010 Issue

We’re Paying WHOM to Fix Subprime Mortgages?

Why, subprime lenders, of course.

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The Treasury Department has allocated $75 billion to entice lenders to let beleaguered borrowers stay in their homes. And the companies getting most of that money—well, they’re the same companies that got the borrowers into this mess. At least 21 of the top 25 recipients in the Home Affordable Modification Program were major subprime lenders, according to the Center for Public Integrity. Meanwhile, not even 1 in 5 homeowners eligible for the program has gotten help.

LENDER (PARENT COMPANY)

SUBPRIME LOANS
(MINIMUM, 2005-2007)

HAMP FUNDS
AVAILABLE

Countrywide Financial
(Bank of America)

$97.2 billion

$4.5 billion

National City (PNC)

$68 billion

$610 million

Option One Mortgage (formerly H&R Block,
now American Home Mortgage Servicing)

$64.7 billion

$1.2 billion*

Wells Fargo

$51.8 billion

$2.5 billion

BNC Mortgage/Aurora Loan Services
(Lehman Brothers)

$47.6 billion

$448 million

Chase Home Finance/EMC Mortgage
(JPMorgan Chase)

$30 billion

$3.4 billion

IndyMac (OneWest)

$26.4 billion

$814 million*

Citigroup

$26.3 billion

$2.1 billion

EquiFirst/HomeEq (Barclays)

$24.4 billion

$553 million

Wachovia (Wells Fargo)

$17.6 billion

$1.4 billion

GMAC (Cerberus Capital)

$17.2 billion

$3.6 billion

* Funds available to parent companySources: Center for Public Integrity; Treasury Department

This chart is part of Mother Jones’ coverage of the financial crisis, one year later.

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LET’S TALK ABOUT OPTIMISM FOR A CHANGE

Democracy and journalism are in crisis mode—and have been for a while. So how about doing something different?

Mother Jones did. We just merged with the Center for Investigative Reporting, bringing the radio show Reveal, the documentary film team CIR Studios, and Mother Jones together as one bigger, bolder investigative journalism nonprofit.

And this is the first time we’re asking you to support the new organization we’re building. In “Less Dreading, More Doing,” we lay it all out for you: why we merged, how we’re stronger together, why we’re optimistic about the work ahead, and why we need to raise the First $500,000 in online donations by June 22.

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