Company: MFAN
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001055160-25-000004
Chunk: 264

Company: MFA FINANCIAL, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 264
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 materially adversely affect our earnings and thus our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

•Our use of repurchase agreements to borrow money may give our lenders greater rights in the event of bankruptcy.  Borrowings made under repurchase agreements may qualify for special treatment under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.  If a lender under one of our repurchase agreements defaults on its obligations, it may be difficult for us to recover our assets pledged as collateral to such lender.  In the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of a lender during the term of a repurchase agreement, the lender may be permitted, under applicable insolvency laws, to repudiate the contract, and our claim against the lender for damages may be treated simply as an unsecured creditor.  In addition, if the lender is a broker or dealer subject to the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970, or an insured depository institution subject to the Federal Deposit Insurance Act of 1950, our ability to exercise our rights to recover our securities under a repurchase agreement or to be compensated for any damages resulting from the lender’s insolvency may be further limited by those statutes.  These claims would be subject to significant delay and, if and when received, may be substantially less than the damages we actually incur.  In addition, in the event of our insolvency or bankruptcy, certain repurchase agreements may qualify for special treatment under the Bankruptcy Code, the effect of which, among other things, would be to allow the creditor under the agreement to avoid the automatic stay provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and take possession of, and liquidate, our collateral under our repurchase agreements without delay.  Our risks associated with the insolvency or bankruptcy of a lender maybe more pronounced during periods of significant volatility in the market conditions for mortgages and mortgage-related assets as well as the broader financial markets.

An increase in our borrowing costs relative to the interest we receive on our investments may materially adversely affect our profitability.

Our earnings are primarily generated from the difference between the interest income we earn on our investment portfolio, less net amortization of purchase premiums and discounts, and the interest expense we pay on our borrowings.  We rely primarily on borrowings under repurchase agreements and other financing arrangements to finance the acquisition of residential mortgage investments. Our financing arrangements typically have shorter-term contractual maturities than the maturities of our mortgage investments.  Even though the majority of our investments have interest rates that adjust over time based on changes in corresponding interest rate indexes, the interest we pay on our