Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs)

Read the Free Lesson โ†’ free ยท no signup wall

What this video covers

  • How collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) restructure mortgage pass-through cash flows into tranches with different maturities and risk profiles
  • Why CMOs redistribute prepayment risk but never eliminate it, and how to spot this classic exam trap
  • The two directions of prepayment risk: contraction risk (rates fall, refinancing surges) versus extension risk (rates rise, refinancing dries up)
  • How Planned Amortization Class (PAC) tranches use a prepayment band to provide dual-sided protection against both contraction and extension risk
  • Why Targeted Amortization Class (TAC) tranches only protect against contraction risk, not extension risk, and where they sit in the risk-yield spectrum
  • The role of companion (support) tranches in absorbing variable cash flows to protect PAC tranches, and why companions carry the highest risk and highest yield
  • The 30/360 day count convention for CMO accrued interest versus actual/actual for U.S. Treasuries, plus the 10% cleanup call threshold

Read the full lesson, free

This video's complete written lesson is free to read in the CertFuel app, no signup wall. When you're ready to drill the topic, the full Series 7 course adds adaptive practice questions and spaced-repetition flashcards.

Read the Free Lesson โ†’ free ยท no signup wall