Thrifts are savings and loans associations. Thrifts also refer to credit unions and mutual savings banks that provide a variety saving and loans services. There are two basic thrift savings and loans: a general purpose loan which requires repayment within five years and a residential loan which must be repayed within 15 years. 



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A residential loan must be used for the purposes of constructing a residence. Thrifts can be traded between institutions and investors in the form of collateralized debt obligations (CDO). Securing thrifts into pass through securities helps investors spread out the underlying prepayment risk.