The Obama administration on Wednesday detailed its new proposal to let some homeowners with mortgages not owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac refinance into a new loan backed by the Federal Housing Administration, even if they are underwater and have low credit scores.
The proposal, if approved by Congress, would slap a government guarantee on a lot of risky mortgages that are not government-guaranteed today. The White House says it would impose a small fee on large financial institutions to cover the cost of the program, which it estimates at $5 billon to $10 billion.
The plan is designed to help underwater borrowers who are ineligible for the governments Home Affordable Refinance...