Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA or Fannie Mae), Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC or Freddie Mac) are all "secondary market lenders". Often many retail lenders actually receive their funds from a secondary market lender. These secondary lenders have assisted the national mortgage market by allowing money to move easily from state-to-state. The movement of loan funds helps to avoid a situation where mortgages are only available in certain areas or states. Also, the secondary lenders have established regulations and guidelines that help the general public. For example, the secondary market will not recycle a loan from a commercial lender unless the new homeowner meets specific financial qualifications.
