Trivia Alert

I've often wondered why two of the largest companies in the world--Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae--have such funny names.

Well, the name Freddie Mac comes from FHLMC, also known as Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.

And it turns out Fannie Mae is NOT named after a character from the Beverly Hillbillies. Rather, the name is derived from FNMA, which in turn is the acronym for Federal National Mortgage Association.

Incidentally, I in no way meant to suggest that the Clampetts are running Fannie Mae. Nothing could be further from the truth. No insult or defamation of character was intended with that comparison, nor did I mean to imply that there are any similarities between the Clampetts and the company's actual management team.

The Clampetts are obviously much better educated.