LM 6: Fixed Income Securitization: Asset-Backed & Mortgage-Backed Securities Flashcards
What is securitization?
process of creating streams of cash flows from an underlying pool of assets.
What is the difference between asset-backed securities and covered bonds?
asset-backed securities: investor receives interest and principal payments but also takes on the risk of the underlying asset
covered bonds (senior debt obligations): the issuer takes on the risk and the investor has dual recourse against both the issuer and assets in the segregated pool
What are 2 distinct characteristics that make covered bonds different than securitizations (ABS)?
- The assets in the segregated pool remain on the issuer’s balance sheet.
- Cash flows go directly from the issuer to investors without passing through an intermediary.
What are pass-through securities?
assets transferred from their owner to a legally distinct entity that the cash flow from these assets “pass-through” before they are received by investors
What is the pass through rate for mortgage pass through securities?
The pass-through rate earned by investors is the interest rate on the underlying mortgages after fees have been deducted.
fees like collecting payments, maintaining records, providing tax information, etc.
What are tranches (aka subordination) and credit tranches?
tranches: bonds with multiple classes
credit tranches: bonds with multiple tranches separated by credit risk. eg. MBS with AAA bonds and then B bonds, etc.
What are the 3 benefits of securitization? MII
- more funds available to borrowers at a lower cost
- improves liquidity
- improves efficiency of overall financial system
Describe the 3 risks associated with securitization.
- contraction risk (cash flows received sooner than expected)
- extension risk (cash flows received later than expected)
- credit risk (possibility of default)
What are the 7 steps to securitization process?
- The manufacturer sells equipment to its customers on credit
- The manufacturer establishes a special purpose vehicle (SPV) as a separate legal entity
- The SPV purchases loans from the manufacturer, which now has $200 million in cash
- The SPV creates securities backed by the loans purchased from the manufacturer
- Investors purchase securities from the SPV
- Loan payments from customers are received by the SPV
- The SPV distributes cash flows to investors
What are the 3 parties to securitization? SIS
- seller
- issuer
- servicer
Describe the role of the 3 parties to securitization?
- The seller (or depositor) originates the assets that are used as collateral
- The issuer is the legally distinct SPV that issues the asset-backed securities to investors
- The servicer collects payments on the underlying loans
What is the lawyers role in securitization?
lawyers draft the sale agreements and prospectus.
What is the investment bank’s role in securitization?
Investment banks underwrite the securities.
What is the financial guarantor’s role in securitization?
financial guarantors guarantee the performance of the underlying assets.
What is the rating agencies’ role in securitization?
Rating agencies assess the credit risk.
What is the trustee’s role in securitization?
Trustees safeguard the assets and transfer funds.
What does bankruptcy remote for a special purpose entity mean?
when a bank securitizes its pool of loans and the assets have been transferred to the SPE the bank no longer owns the assets, therefore, investors’ risk is no longer with the bank it is with the ones unable to repay the loans
What is over-collateralization?
when the value of collateral is greater than value of the bond
What are the 3 redemption regimes covered bonds use if payments do not occur according to original schedule?
- hard-bullet covered bond
- soft-bullet covered bond
- conditional pass-through covered bond
Describe the 3 redemption regimes covered bonds use if payments do not occur according to original schedule?
- hard-bullet covered bond trigger a bond default and accelerate the bond payments
- soft-bullet covered bond delay the bond default and payment acceleration until a new final maturity date
- conditional pass-through covered bond convert to pass-through securities after the original maturity date
What are 2 forms of credit enhancement?
- internal credit enhancements
- external credit enhancements
What are the 3 types of external credit enhancements? CLF
- cash collateral accounts
- letter of credit
- financial guarantees from banks or insurers
What are the 3 types of internal credit enhancements? OEC
- over-collateralization
- excess spread
- credit tranching
What are excess spread credit enhancements?
when the ABS coupon rate is lower than the underlying loans, the excess cash will be used to build up cash reserve
What is credit tranching?
when a bond is divided into tranches where cash flows are paid in a waterfall structure from highest seniority to lowest seniority. highest seniority gets the lowest yield and the lowest seniority gets the highest yield for taking on more risk.
What is the difference between an amortizing loan and a non-amortizing loan?
amortizing loans: include both interest and principal payments
non-amortizing loan: don’t have scheduled principal payments