Goldman Sachs Mortgage Chief Steps Down

The head of Goldman Sachs' mortgage department, Daniel Sparks will leave his post for personal reasons, the company revealed on Friday.

Sparks who headed the team that successfully bet against the subprime mortgage crisis is reportedly leaving 'to do something different.'

Sparks has been at Goldman Sachs for 19 years and is the second executive to depart from the team that reaped benefits from the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, the first being Josh Birnbaum, a trader who left early April to setup his own hedge fund.

Sparks will stay on for a further six months to oversee the smooth transition of his role to the head of U.S. credit trading, Justin Gmelich who is expected to replace him.

More Top Stories »

Bankruptcy Reform Back on the Table

One of the earliest ideas for helping homeowners facing mounting mortgage debt and potential foreclosure on their home was to reform bankruptcy laws. The concept is now officially back on the table, introduced into the Congressional lame-duck session by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL).

TARP is Closed for Relief Until Further Notice

Remember what a crisis the $700 billion mortgage market bailout was--the very existence of the American financial order hung in the balance.

Fixing the Housing Market, Lots of Ideas...Any Answers?

Almost a year into the dawning of the housing crisis (many chronologist are setting that around the January 2008 crumbling of Countrywide) ideas continue to flow, but few seem to be the answer. In fact, this seems to be the growing consensus--there is no silver bullet.

G-20 Lots of Motion, Will There Be Action?

The 20 most powerful industrial nations, and now the caretakers of an unprecedented global financial crisis, assembled in Washington DC over the weekend. Their mandate was broad and daunting--stabilize world markets.

FDIC Challenges Treasury with New Loan Modification Proposal

On the heels of the Treasury and Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) loan modification plan for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the FDIC releases their own proposal. In this unprecedented, unilateral, and aggressive move by a Federal agency the FDIC is essential fighting a very public political battle directly with the Treasury and the current Administration.

Mortgage Rates Drop for Second Straight Week

Another week of dismal economic data have again pushed down mortgage rates. Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.14 percent, down from 6.20 percent last week. This demonstrates a steep decline from 6.46 percent two weeks prior.

Compare Rates

National Rates

Loan Type Today
30 Year Fixed   5.63
15 Year Fixed   5.47
5/1 Adjustable   5.85

Get Your Rates »

Rates may contain points

Browse Mortgage Rates

Featured Guides

Browse our comprehensive guides to popular topics related to mortgage and personal finance.

100+ Calculators