mwengler comments on Blind Spot: Malthusian Crunch - Less Wrong
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Indeed the data you cite shows that it was Aaa rated CDOs that had default rates about 90%. CDOs were backed by mortgages as well.
Extending what you say about MBS to some more accurate statements, the AAA rated MBS had about a 9% or 10% default rate out to 4 years. There are 26 more years of life in those mortgages in which they can still default, going to an even higher cumulative default rate potentially.
Characterizing a 9% default rate on triple-A securities as "did very well" is quite wrong. Historically, triple-A corporate bonds default at 0.6% or less rate, and triple-A municipals default at 0.00% rate. A 9% default rate 15 times higher than the ratings were intended to suggest. And the Baa MBS defaulted at over 80% rate, more than 15 times the ~5% rate on Baa Corporate bonds prior to 2007.
The ratings were CRAP, suggesting a default rate which should have been 1 to 2 orders of magnitude lower.
The ratings aren't intra-class independent. Which is perfectly normal; junk corporate failures are correlated too.