Mortgage-backed securities
Mortgage-backed securities: Investments backed by a pool of mortgage loans, whose holders are paid from the borrowers' payments. Agency mortgage-backed securities are issued or guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac; others are issued privately. SEC-registered offerings of asset-backed securities are subject to the disclosure rules in Regulation AB. Securitizing a loan does not cancel or change the borrower's obligation to repay it.
What mortgage-backed securities means
Put simply, mortgage-backed securities is part of the working vocabulary of a civil case. The short definition above covers the usual meaning. Still, a specific rule, statute or contract can give it a narrower meaning. For that reason, check how it is used in your own documents.
Where mortgage-backed securities comes up
The term is used across many kinds of cases. For example, you may see it in pleadings, motions and court orders. To see it in context, browse the motions and procedures library or the Learn the Law topics.
How to research the term
First, read the term where it actually appears. A rule, statute or court decision may define it for its own purposes. Next, check whether your court has a local rule that uses mortgage-backed securities in a special way. Then look at recent decisions from courts in your jurisdiction. They show how judges apply the term today. Also, remember that state law can differ from federal law. For that reason, use our state procedures guide to find your state’s rules. Finally, confirm every source is current before you rely on it.
You can read the current federal court rules online for free.
Related legal terms
- Mistrial: a trial that ends before a verdict without a valid result, for example because of a serious error or a jury that cannot agree. A mistrial usually means the case may be tried again.
- Model Rules of Professional Conduct: the ABA's model ethics rules for lawyers, adopted on Aug. 2, 1983.
- Moot: no longer presenting a live controversy, because events have made it impossible for the court to grant any effective relief.
- Mortgage: a security instrument that gives a lender an interest in real property to secure repayment of a debt.
Why precise terms matter
Legal words often look like everyday words, but they can carry a precise meaning. Because of that, a small misreading can change how you understand a deadline, a duty or a right. Our glossary keeps each definition short and links it to the procedures where it matters.
Sources
Sources last reviewed: 2026-10-24
Lawtopolis provides legal information and education, not legal advice. Using this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and court rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time; verify every authority against the official source and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction about your situation.