Fannie Mae seeks $8.5 billion from taxpayers

[The Northerner]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae (FNMA.OB) on Friday said it would ask for an additional $8.5 billion from taxpayers as it continues to suffer losses on loans made prior to 2009.

The largest U.S. residential mortgage funds provider reported a net loss attributable to common shareholders of $8.7 billion, or $1.52 per diluted share, in the first quarter.

Including the latest request, the firm has taken about $100 billion from the U.S. government since it was seized in 2008, though it has also paid about $12.4 billion to taxpayers in interest.

Loans made in the past two years have been more profitable than loans made during the housing boom in preceding years.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110506/bs_nm/us_usa_treasury_fannie_mae