What is the process of pooling similar types of loans to create mortgage-backed securities for sale called?

The process of pooling similar types of loans to create mortgage-backed securities for sale is called securitization. This process involves taking individual mortgages, pooling them together, and then selling them as a single investment product to investors. The resulting securities are backed by the cash flows from the underlying mortgage loans, which are collected in the form of monthly payments from borrowers.

Securitization allows lenders to convert illiquid assets (like individual mortgages) into liquid securities that can be easily sold and traded in financial markets. This process not only helps in providing liquidity to lenders, allowing them to fund more mortgages, but it also enables investors to gain exposure to the mortgage market in a diversified manner.

Pooling, while related, is a step within the securitization process where loans are grouped together. Underwriting refers to the process of assessing the risk of lending to a particular borrower, while loan packaging typically involves gathering and organizing the documentation needed for a loan application. Securitization encompasses a wider scope by focusing on the transformation of pooled loans into marketable securities.