Team to Offer Loan-Level Identifiers for Securitizations

Standard & Poor's Fixed Income Risk Management Services and the American Securitization Forum are creating a loan identifier and mortgage loan repository. FIRMS, an analytics unit separate from S&P's ratings business, said it will create a new loan numbering system and a central loan data repository aimed at providing investors with a means to understanding the risk, collateral and credit of an individual loan that has been securitized or may be repackaged for the secondary market. Assigned by Standard & Poor's at no cost to issuers, the unique Loan ID linked to the CUSIP and ISIN number of the security are aimed at helping investors track loans throughout their life spans and providing a chain of accountability between loan originators and investors.