Freddie Mac is a government-sponsored enterprise chartered by the United States Congress to provide a continuous flow of funds for residential mortgages in the U.S. We achieve our public purpose by purchasing, securitizing, and investing in home mortgages in the U.S., in effect acting as a conduit between the U.S. residential mortgage market and the investment community. We may receive personal information about you in the ordinary course of carrying out our business. We are committed to protecting the privacy of this information.

This Privacy Policy (this "Policy") describes the types of personally identifiable information we receive and maintain in the ordinary course of business and what we do with that information. This Policy also describes how we safeguard that information. Freddie Mac may provide links to third-party websites that have different privacy and security practices. This Policy does not apply to information that may be collected by or that you may provide to third parties through websites that link to or from this or our other websites. If you are a resident of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oregon, Texas, Utah, or Virginia, please also review our  State Privacy Notices which supplements this Policy.

Personal Information of Minors

We do not have actual knowledge about selling or sharing personal information of consumers under the age of 18. Additionally, none of our websites are directed to individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that information is or has been submitted by or collected from a child under the age of 13, we will delete that information.

By your use of this website, you agree to the terms and conditions set forth in this Policy.

Personally Identifiable Information We Receive and Maintain in the Ordinary Course of Our Business

As used in this Policy, the term "personally identifiable information" means financial and other personal information about an individual. "Personally identifiable information" includes, but is not limited to, first and last names, address, email address, income information, debt payment histories, social security numbers, credit reports, and other information provided by consumer reporting agencies, mortgage lenders, mortgage and securities dealers, and other participants in the secondary mortgage market. "Personally identifiable information" does not include information that has been "de-identified" so that it no longer can reasonably be identified with a particular individual.

Circumstances under which we receive personally identifiable information include the following:

  • We receive personally identifiable information about borrowers, loan applicants and other individuals in the ordinary course of our secondary market business. We receive this information in several circumstances, including when evaluating whether to purchase a loan, when consummating the purchase of a loan, when reviewing information about loans in which we already have an interest (for quality control and other purposes), and when evaluating, engaging in or otherwise dealing with various debt and securities-related transactions.
  • We receive personally identifiable information from employees of brokers and third-party originators, principals and directors who register for our proprietary services, such as MyOptigo®, Loan Product Advisor®, and the Loan Advisor®, and from individuals seeking information from the CreditSmart®, Home Steps® and other programs.
  • We receive personally identifiable information from individuals employed by or interested in pursuing employment with Freddie Mac.
  • We receive personally identifiable information from individuals and entities seeking to do business with Freddie Mac.
  • We receive personally identifiable information from borrowers, loan applicants and other individuals who contact us and provide us with information by telephone (for example, through our 1-800-FREDDIE service), through this and our other websites, and from voluntary surveys offered on our websites and elsewhere.
  • We receive personally identifiable information in providing educational programs and information about managing money and credit, the mortgage loan process and getting ready to purchase a home. For example, we may receive your name, address, email address, age, gender, race, ethnicity and income range when you register for our CreditSmart®, HomeBuyer U or other education programs.

Information We Collect Through This and our Other Websites

When you visit this website or our other websites, we collect and store the following information (collectively, "Website Visitor Information"): the name of the domain and host from which you access the Internet, such as aol.com; the Internet protocol address of the host server you are using, such as ww3.aol.com; the name and version of your Web browser, such as Internet Explorer; the date, time and type of device you used to access the website; and if you came to us through a link from some other website, the Internet address of the website from which you linked to us.

Cookies, Tracking Pixels and Tags: Some parts of this or our other websites may use "cookies," “tracking pixels,” or “tags,” all of which are small files of code placed on your computer or other internet-connected device when you connect to our websites. Our website may use a cookie, tracking pixel or tag in order to log which pages you visit on the website, to provide certain features during your visit to the website, to track your browsing activity over time and across third-party websites and to deliver targeted advertisements to you.

Third-Party Analytics: We also use third-party web analytics services, such as Google Analytics, to evaluate use of this and our other websites and to improve functionality. These services may use cookies, tracking pixels, tags, web server logs and web beacons to provide us with analysis of how visitors access and use the websites. Some of these services may also use this website data to provide and improve their products and services, but most use this data in an aggregated, non-identifiable form and do not share it externally. We and certain of our third-party service providers may also conduct surveys and use survey information and analytics to determine and report to us with recommendations on user satisfaction with website functionality and features.

Opting Out: You can decline or refuse to accept cookies, tracking pixels or tags by setting your cookie preferences on our website or by adjusting your browser’s cookie settings. We have also enabled the Global Privacy Control (“GPC”) on Freddie Mac’s websites to operate in a frictionless manner. If you download a browser or extension that supports the signal and then visit a Freddie Mac website, the website will recognize the signal and you will immediately have performance and targeting cookies blocked. However, some features of the website may not function properly if you do this.

Calculators: If you enter information into a financing or affordability calculator offered on this website (such as income, the down payment you want to make, the length of a loan you want or the price of a home you have in mind), that information is not seen or received by Freddie Mac. Your computer performs the calculator's functions and the results are displayed in your browser.

What We Do With Personally Identifiable Information

  • We comply with applicable laws and regulations in our use and disclosure of personally identifiable information.
  • We do not sell or disclose personally identifiable information to consumer marketing companies.
  • We use and disclose personally identifiable information in connection with our secondary market-related activities. For example, we use personally identifiable information to evaluate loans in which we are considering acquiring an interest or guaranteeing and to monitor the performance of loans that we own or guarantee. As another example, we use this information to evaluate the value of properties collateralizing these loans and predict default. We also disclose personally identifiable information to consumer credit counseling services.
  • We provide personally identifiable information to third parties as a necessary part of our secondary market-related activities and other aspects of our business, including to housing counselors, loan servicers, consumer reporting agencies, workout companies, attorneys, and technology providers who enable us or third parties to perform business, professional, and technical support functions for us or you. For example, we may disclose personally identifiable information to third parties to administer or protect our interest in a loan.
  • We use personally identifiable information in providing educational programs and information about managing money and credit, the mortgage loan process and getting ready to purchase a home. For example, we may collect your name, address, email address, age, gender, race, ethnicity, and income range when you register for our CreditSmart®, HomeBuyer U or other education programs. If you work with a housing agency or credit counselor, we may share financial and other personally identifiable information with them to facilitate your program participation or to demonstrate that you have completed the program.
  • We use personally identifiable information for purposes of research and for modeling related to our business, our public purpose, and our websites. We may publish the results of our research, but we will not publish personally identifiable information about you in connection with the research or otherwise.
  • We use personally identifiable information to establish and manage relationships with brokers, third-party originators, and other entities with whom we engage in business, such as information about these entities direct principals, officers, and guarantors. We also may receive name, email addresses, phone numbers, photographs/images, and other contact information for the employees of the entities with whom we are dealing.
  • We may disclose personally identifiable information related to your use of this or our other websites to third parties who assist us with those websites. This may include information you provide as part of voluntary surveys about related issues taken after using or visiting those sites.
  • We disclose personally identifiable information to our regulators, our conservator, and as otherwise required by applicable laws, regulations, and court orders.
  • If you send us an email or message and provide your name or other personally identifiable information, we may use this information to research your question, to send an answer to your question and to deliver the requested information or service to you. We also may use this information to provide you with information in which we believe you will be interested; however, at any time, you may request that we stop doing this by contacting us in the manner described in the "How to Reach Us" section of this Policy.
  • We use Website Visitor Information for general statistical modeling, to measure the number of visitors to different pages on the website, and to evaluate, modify and enhance our websites and our business as we consider appropriate. We also use this information to monitor network traffic and to identify unauthorized access or unusual activity on the website. We may also use Website Visitor Information to help improve our services and visitors' overall experience.

How We Safeguard Personally Identifiable Information

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of personally identifiable information that we receive, including computer files and documents that contain the information. Our standards are designed to:

  • Protect the security and confidentiality of the information;
  • Protect against anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of the information; and
  • Protect against unauthorized access to or use of the information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to an individual, such as a borrower, consumer, or employee.

We restrict access to personally identifiable information to those who need to know the information for our business purposes. We follow a corporate records retention program that requires us to destroy information we no longer need for our business or reasonable archival purposes. We destroy, erase, or make unreadable such information prior to disposal as required by applicable law. Our policies and our agreements with third parties require appropriate security and confidentiality standards to protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information (including Website Visitor Information) and prohibit its unlawful disclosure.

We strive to maintain a high standard of security and privacy. However, no information can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and we make no such warranty or guarantee.

Special Statement Regarding the "Does Freddie Mac Own Your Mortgage?" Web Form and Self–Service Tool

In connection with the federal Making Home Affordable program, Freddie Mac provides a web form and related self-service tool on Freddiemac.com that enables individual borrowers and their agents to determine whether or not Freddie Mac owns their mortgage (the "Look-up Tool"). In order for Freddie Mac to be able to respond to those inquiries, individuals are asked to provide information that includes the last four digits of their Social Security Number, first name, last name, property-related information and contact information.

Freddie Mac uses and discloses the information collected via the Look-up Tool (excluding last four digits of the Social Security Number) only (i) to respond to the individual's inquiry, (ii) to provide services and fulfill Freddie Mac's obligations under the federal Making Home Affordable program and similar programs, and (iii) in connection with other loss mitigation activities. All information that you enter into the Look-up Tool is transmitted from the Look-up Tool to Freddie Mac via an encrypted communication channel.

We do not store, use or disclose the last four digits of your Social Security Number collected via the Look-up Tool for any purpose other than to respond to the inquiry.

Data Storage and Retention

Your personally identifiable information is stored by Freddie Mac on its servers or on servers of our third-party service providers. We retain personally identifiable information that we collect or receive for as long as we need to use it in connection with our business and may retain it thereafter as determined in accordance with our corporate records retention program and in compliance with applicable laws. We continue to treat all personally identifiable information that we retain in accordance with the requirements of applicable laws and regulations and this Policy. For additional information on retention of biometric data of employees, on-site contractors, and other individuals who work for or with Freddie Mac, please also refer to our Biometric Information Privacy Policy.

Data Subject Rights under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (the "GDPR"), as well as the privacy laws of other countries, provide certain rights for natural persons who are considered data subjects under such regulation or laws ("data subjects"). This Policy is intended to provide data subjects with information about personal data (as defined in the GDPR, "personal data") that we collect and how that data is processed in compliance with GDPR and other countries’ laws. If you have any questions, please contact us using the contact information in the section below regarding How to Reach Us. In accordance with your rights as a data subject, you may request additional information about how we collect, use, share, store and retain your personal data. Among other rights as a data subject, you may obtain rectification of errors in the record of your personal data, or you may request erasure of your personal data, subject to our right to continue to process your personal data as necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are party (for example, a loan agreement, guarantee, deed of trust, mortgage, or other contract).

Changes and Updates to This Policy

We reserve the right to change this Policy in the future. The amended version of this Policy will be posted on this website. When this Policy is updated, the date 'Last Reviewed or Updated' will appear at the bottom of this Policy.

How to Reach Us

If you have a question about the way your information is used or about our information practices, please contact us by sending an email to: [email protected].

Last Reviewed or Updated: December 20, 2024