RISK MANAGEMENT	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
RISK MANAGEMENT	17. RISK MANAGEMENT The primary risks to the Company are liquidity and investment/market risk. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic and political considerations and other factors beyond the Company’s control. Changes in the general level of interest rates can affect net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income earned on interest earning assets and the interest expense incurred in connection with the interest bearing liabilities, by affecting the spread between the interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities. Changes in the level of interest rates can also affect the value of the interest earning assets and the Company’s ability to realize gains from the sale of these assets. A decline in the value of the interest earning assets pledged as collateral for borrowings under repurchase agreements and derivative contracts could result in the counterparties demanding additional collateral pledges or liquidation of some of the existing collateral to reduce borrowing levels. The Company may seek to mitigate the potential financial impact by entering into interest rate agreements such as interest rate swaps, interest rate swaptions and other hedges. Weakness in the mortgage market, the shape of the yield curve and changes in the expectations for the volatility of future interest rates may adversely affect the performance and market value of the Company’s investments. This could negatively impact the Company’s book value. Furthermore, if many of the Company’s lenders are unwilling or unable to provide additional financing, the Company could be forced to sell its Investment Securities at an inopportune time when prices are depressed. The Company has established policies and procedures for mitigating risks, including conducting scenario analyses and utilizing a range of hedging strategies. The payment of principal and interest on the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Agency mortgage-backed securities, excluding Agency CRT securities, are guaranteed by those respective agencies and the payment of principal and interest on Ginnie Mae Agency mortgage-backed securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Principal and interest on Agency debentures are guaranteed by the Agency issuing the debenture. Substantially all of the Company’s Investment Securities have an actual or implied “AAA” rating. The Company faces credit risk on the portions of its portfolio which are not guaranteed by the respective Agency or by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The Company is exposed to credit risk on CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments, investments in commercial real estate, commercial mortgage-backed securities, Agency CRT securities and corporate debt. The Company is exposed to risk of loss if an issuer, borrower, tenant or counterparty fails to perform its obligations under contractual terms. The Company has established policies and procedures for mitigating credit risk, including reviewing and establishing limits for credit exposure, limiting transactions with specific counterparties, maintaining qualifying collateral and continually assessing the creditworthiness of issuers, borrowers, tenants and counterparties.

17. RISK MANAGEMENT

The primary risks to the Company are liquidity and investment/market risk. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic and political considerations and other factors beyond the Company’s control. Changes in the general level of interest rates can affect net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income earned on interest earning assets and the interest expense incurred in connection with the interest bearing liabilities, by affecting the spread between the interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities. Changes in the level of interest rates can also affect the value of the interest earning assets and the Company’s ability to realize gains from the sale of these assets. A decline in the value of the interest earning assets pledged as collateral for borrowings under repurchase agreements and derivative contracts could result in the counterparties demanding additional collateral pledges or liquidation of some of the existing collateral to reduce borrowing levels.

The Company may seek to mitigate the potential financial impact by entering into interest rate agreements such as interest rate swaps, interest rate swaptions and other hedges.

Weakness in the mortgage market, the shape of the yield curve and changes in the expectations for the volatility of future interest rates may adversely affect the performance and market value of the Company’s investments. This could negatively impact the Company’s book value. Furthermore, if many of the Company’s lenders are unwilling or unable to provide additional financing, the Company could be forced to sell its Investment Securities at an inopportune time when prices are depressed. The Company has established policies and procedures for mitigating risks, including conducting scenario analyses and utilizing a range of hedging strategies.

The payment of principal and interest on the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Agency mortgage-backed securities, excluding Agency CRT securities, are guaranteed by those respective agencies and the payment of principal and interest on Ginnie Mae Agency mortgage-backed securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Principal and interest on Agency debentures are guaranteed by the Agency issuing the debenture. Substantially all of the Company’s Investment Securities have an actual or implied “AAA” rating.

The Company faces credit risk on the portions of its portfolio which are not guaranteed by the respective Agency or by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The Company is exposed to credit risk on CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments, investments in commercial real estate, commercial mortgage-backed securities, Agency CRT securities and corporate debt. The Company is exposed to risk of loss if an issuer, borrower, tenant or counterparty fails to perform its obligations under contractual terms. The Company has established policies and procedures for mitigating credit risk, including reviewing and establishing limits for credit exposure, limiting transactions with specific counterparties, maintaining qualifying collateral and continually assessing the creditworthiness of issuers, borrowers, tenants and counterparties.