Cost of funds indexed mortgage contracts with government-backed catastrophic insurance (COFI-Cats): A realistic alternative to the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage?

For policymakers, replacing fixed-rate mortgages with adjustable rate mortgages, such as COFI-Cat mortgages, could improve monetary policy pass-through when market rates are lowered; households would not need to refinance when interest rates drop, thereby benefiting a broad range of households, including those with little or no home equity and/or low credit scores. As a result, the need for special federal programs such as the Home Affordable Refinance Program or FHASecure is potentially reduced. In a rising interest rate environment, depository institution COFIs tend to adjust at a slower pace than other indexes typically tied to adjustable-rate mortgages. Consequently, the distributional consequences associated with tighter monetary policy are less with COFI-based mortgage contracts than with other adjustable-rate mortgage contracts.