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Friday Fun Thread for May 1, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Is it just me, or do mortgage backed securities feel like they aren't as radioactive as they were ~20 years ago? The underwriting requirements for mortgages are lot more strict these days, and the systems in place for what happens on a default are more robust.

I've been using a strategy right now of mostly purchasing things that have multiple layers of backstopping. Municipal bonds are another - in my state, if the municipality fails, the state takes it over. If the state fails, at least for the ones I've bought, the feds take over. If the US government fails, I'm not going to be worried about my bond yields. The tax exemption is a nice bonus on those too.