David S. Hilzenrath
Financial

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David Hilzenrath is an investigative reporter on The Post’s Business desk. He has written extensively about accounting problems at corporations such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, MicroStrategy and Enron. As early as 1995, David covered conflicts of interest that compromised auditors. His 2001 series “The Numbers Crunch” documented accountability issues. David has also covered executive compensation, influence-peddling, the rise of managed health care, the breakdown of federal housing programs, the shaping of fiscal policy and international money-laundering. He joined The Post as an intern in 1987.
David is an honors graduate of Harvard University, where he majored in government.
Articles by David S. Hilzenrath
Scrutinize any contract to avoid nasty surprises at continuing care community (November 1, 2009)
Retirement can be only as secure as your retirement home (October 31, 2009)
Wellness Incentives Could Create Health-Care Loophole (October 16, 2009)
Democrats Fire Back at Health Industry (October 15, 2009)
Sunrise Senior Living Selling 21 Properties (October 10, 2009)
Reform Is No Cure for Insurer Discrimination, Health Experts Say (October 4, 2009)
Life Insurers May See More Flexibility in Proposed Rules on Reserves (September 24, 2009)
Insurers Criticize Administration 'Gag Order' (September 22, 2009)
Papers Show Insurers Limited Coverage for Acne, Pregnancy (September 19, 2009)
House Subcommittee Hearing Focuses on Alleged Insurer Abuses (September 17, 2009)
Many Employers to Raise Cost of Health Benefits, Survey Finds (September 16, 2009)
UBS to Name Account Holders in New Era for Swiss Banking (August 20, 2009)
Health Cooperatives Gain Backing as Alternative to Public Option (August 18, 2009)
Under the Microscope: President's Coverage Promise Is No Keeper (August 17, 2009)
U.S., Switzerland Resolve Bank Secrecy Dispute (August 12, 2009)
UBS Trial Delayed Again; U.S., Swiss Seek Settlement (August 8, 2009)
Official: Proposal in Swiss Banking Dispute Doesn't Threaten Secrecy (August 4, 2009)
Swiss, U.S. May Have Deal on Naming American Bank Account Holders (August 1, 2009)
Tentative Settlement Reached in Swiss Bank Tax Evasion Case (July 31, 2009)
U.S. Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion (July 31, 2009)
Bush Official Sees Peril in Health Plan (July 24, 2009)
Lewin Group, Insurer-Owned Consulting Firm, Often Cited in Health Reform Debate (July 23, 2009)
Research Firm Cited by GOP Is Owned by Health Insurer (July 22, 2009)
Health Insurance Lobby Cherry-Picks Data in Fight Against Public Plan (July 22, 2009)
OMB Director Questions Insurance Giant's Approach to Reform (July 21, 2009)
Judge Delays Hearing on Swiss Bank Secrecy (July 13, 2009)
Deal Sought in Swiss Bank Suit (July 13, 2009)
Treaty Conveys Little Power to Break Swiss Bank Secrecy (July 8, 2009)
Senate Panel Hears of Raw Deal' Consumers Get From Health Insurers (June 25, 2009)
Obama Health-Care Cuts Could Shift Costs to Private Sector (June 18, 2009)
More Problems Than Solutions in Medicare Report (June 16, 2009)
When Fundraising and Regulation Mix (June 13, 2009)
Politics Puts Insurance Regulators in a Bind (June 12, 2009)
U.S. Pension Insurer Could Require Aid as Deficits Surge (May 21, 2009)
Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Constitutionality of Sarbanes-Oxley Provision (May 19, 2009)
Ameriprise Declines Treasury Bailout Funds; Prudential Undecided (May 16, 2009)
Treasury Agrees To Aid Insurers (May 15, 2009)
W.R. Grace, Former Executives Acquitted in Mont. Asbestos Case (May 9, 2009)
Senators Decry Flipping Of Life Insurance Policies (April 30, 2009)
Investors Find Morbid Niche In Surrendered Life Insurance (April 29, 2009)
Area Mall Owner's Crisis Signals Wave of Distress (April 17, 2009)
Goldman Revamp Puts Dec. Losses Off Books (April 15, 2009)
Landlords Feel Troubled Retailers' Pain (April 14, 2009)
Richmond Insurer Fails To Qualify for TARP (April 10, 2009)
Treasury Weighs Investment in Life Insurers (April 9, 2009)
Mall Developer's Shares Soar, but Its Troubles Continue (April 8, 2009)
AIG Suing to Recover Taxes in IRS Dispute (March 21, 2009)
States Give Regulatory Relief to Insurers (March 10, 2009)
Pressure Builds on UBS Over Secrecy (March 5, 2009)
Va. Insurer's Decline Came With Scant Warning (March 4, 2009)
UBS Revealed Far Less Than U.S. Sought in Tax Case (February 20, 2009)
UBS to Pay $780 Million Over U.S. Tax Charges (February 19, 2009)
Regulators Reconsidering Insurer Relief (February 7, 2009)
Insurers' Finances Clouded by Bookkeeping Changes (February 6, 2009)
The Risks of Life Insurance (February 1, 2009)
Relief Denied For Life Insurers (January 30, 2009)
Regulators Endorse Plan to Lower Insurers' Cash Cushions (January 28, 2009)
Life Insurers' Request for Relief Challenged (January 27, 2009)
Life Insurers Take a Hit (January 24, 2009)
Life Insurers Seek Lower Cash Cushions (January 21, 2009)
AIG Sells Canadian Subsidiary for $308 Million (January 14, 2009)
Stock Losses Leave Pension Funds Underfunded (January 8, 2009)
SEC Chair Defends His Restraint During Financial Crisis (December 24, 2008)
Executive Pay: Will inflated pay packages get slashed? (December 21, 2008)
SEC Ignored Credible Tips About Madoff, Chief Says (December 17, 2008)
SEC Didn't Act on Madoff Tips (December 16, 2008)
'All Just One Big Lie' (December 13, 2008)
United Therapeutics Resets Its Stock Options (November 27, 2008)
AIG Cuts Pay of Its Top Executives (November 26, 2008)
Insurers Seek to Buy Thrifts To Get Piece of Bailout (November 21, 2008)
UBS Closing Down Thousands of Accounts (November 15, 2008)
Top UBS Executive Indicted In Florida (November 13, 2008)
U.S. Given A Look at Swiss Bank Accounts (November 10, 2008)
AIG in Talks to Rework Terms of Federal Bailout (November 8, 2008)
IRS, Justice Target Undisclosed Assets In Swiss Accounts (November 1, 2008)
Lobbyist Hired by Freddie Mac to Work on McCain Is Now Senator's Aide (October 3, 2008)
Firms Too Big to Fail May Grow Stronger (September 23, 2008)
How Your Money-Market Fund Just Got Safer (September 20, 2008)
Some Say AIG Will Cost U.S., Others See a Chance for Profit (September 18, 2008)
U.S. Seizes Control of AIG With $85 Billion Emergency Loan (September 17, 2008)
Stocks Plunge as Crisis Intensifies (September 16, 2008)
How Washington Failed to Rein In Fannie, Freddie (September 14, 2008)
Mortgage Giants' Mess Falls to Their Regulator (September 11, 2008)
Ousted Fannie, Freddie CEOs Could Still See Big Paydays (September 9, 2008)
U.S. Nears Rescue Plan For Fannie And Freddie (September 6, 2008)
To Investors, Freddie's Cushion Was Thin (August 29, 2008)
Sarbanes-Oxley Upheld By Court as Constitutional (August 23, 2008)
Fannie's Perilous Pursuit of Subprime Loans (August 19, 2008)
As Defaults Climb, Fannie Mae Posts $2.3 Billion Loss (August 9, 2008)
Freddie Mac Reports More Losses From Bad Loans (August 7, 2008)
Freddie CEO Feels Strain Of Firm's Twin Missions (August 6, 2008)
Potentially Disruptive Lender Rule Is Delayed (July 31, 2008)
Hill Budget Chief Weighs Odds, Cost Of Rescue Plan (July 23, 2008)
Mortgage Giants' Aid Faces GOP Skepticism (July 16, 2008)
Fannie, Freddie Deflected Risk Warnings (July 14, 2008)
Fannie, Freddie Shares Plunge as Unease Rises (July 11, 2008)
OFHEO Chief Addresses Stock Sell-Off (July 9, 2008)
Shares of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Plummet (July 8, 2008)
Delinquencies Rise at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac (June 26, 2008)
Obama's Choice of Insider Draws Fire (June 11, 2008)
Mortgages With No Money Down Still Available (June 9, 2008)
Administration Unveils Plan To Protect Student Lenders (May 22, 2008)
Freddie's Quarterly Loss Widens (May 15, 2008)
California Firm Discloses Investment in Sallie Mae (May 10, 2008)
Fannie Loses $2.2 Billion As Home Prices Fall (May 7, 2008)
Freddie Mac Differs With Regulator on 2007 Results (April 30, 2008)
Estimates Are Key at Financial Firms (April 28, 2008)
Fannie, Freddie Get Relief On Affordable-Loan Quotas (April 25, 2008)
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Warned on Accounting (April 22, 2008)
Former Fannie Chief Settles (April 19, 2008)
OFHEO Plans Settlement With Raines (April 18, 2008)
Sallie Mae Reports Loss; Cut 1,000 Jobs in Past 6 Months (April 17, 2008)
Attempting to Heal a Fractured Mortgage Market (April 16, 2008)
Fannie, Freddie Shares Soar After Restraints Loosened (March 22, 2008)
Fannie, Freddie Cleared To Buy More Mortgages (March 20, 2008)
U.S. May Loosen Reins on Fannie, Freddie (March 18, 2008)
Chief Says Freddie Won't Raise Capital (March 13, 2008)
Whom Do Consultants On Pay Work For? (March 8, 2008)
Investors Dump Securities From Fannie, Freddie (March 7, 2008)
Fannie, Freddie Agree to Tighten Appraisal Rules (March 4, 2008)
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Seek to Preserve Capital (March 3, 2008)
Freddie Mac Reports $2.5 Billion Loss (February 29, 2008)
Fannie Mae Reports $3.56 Billion Loss (February 28, 2008)
OFHEO Questions Mortgage Proposal (February 8, 2008)
Sallie Directors Halve Salary of CEO (February 7, 2008)
Fannie Mae CEO '07 Pay Cut Not in Line With Stock Fall (January 31, 2008)
Sallie Drops Lawsuit Over Disputed Fee For Breakup (January 29, 2008)
Bad Loans Help Push Sallie Mae To Loss (January 24, 2008)
Sallie Mae Laying Off 14 in Reston, 350 in U.S. (January 18, 2008)
Sallie Mae Pays Price To Hire New CFO (January 14, 2008)
Sallie Mae Names Bank Executive as Chairman (January 8, 2008)
Sallie Discloses Billing Audit (December 28, 2007)
Sallie Mae Bids to Raise $2.5 Billion In Stock Sale (December 27, 2007)
FBR to Buy Back Stock, Forgo Paying Dividend (December 22, 2007)
Judge Dismisses Raines's Attempt To Subpoena White House Records (December 21, 2007)
Sallie Shares Tumble After Lord's Tense Call With Investors (December 20, 2007)
A Reversal of Fortune For Sallie Mae Chairman (December 18, 2007)
Sallie Mae Chairman Sells Shares, Resumes CEO Role (December 15, 2007)
On Wall St., Mortgage-Finance Chiefs Take Apologetic Tone (December 12, 2007)
'Piggyback' Loans Allowed by Freddie Fed Mortgage Risks (December 7, 2007)
Fannie Mae to Issue $7 Billion In Stock to Help Steady Itself (December 5, 2007)
Fannie, Freddie Face Conflicting Demands (December 4, 2007)
Fannie Stock Slides As Questions Arise Over Accounting (November 17, 2007)
Thousands of Medicaid Providers Fail to Pay Taxes, GAO Finds (November 14, 2007)
Fannie Mae Expenses Up Sixfold From Bad Loans (November 10, 2007)
Brendsel, OFHEO Agree to Settle (November 7, 2007)
Fannie Prepares to Issue Quarterly Reports (November 6, 2007)
Buffett Testifies That He Saw Early Signs of Freddie Mac's Woes (October 31, 2007)
Fannie, Freddie Portfolios Shrink (October 27, 2007)
Freddie Mac Woes Foreshadowed (October 23, 2007)
Government Wants Brendsel to Pay Costs (October 16, 2007)
Regulator Proposes to Raise Capital Requirements for Fannie, Freddie (October 12, 2007)
For Brendsel, Court Wait Is Almost Over (October 11, 2007)
Freddie Mac, Ex-Officials Settle Fraud Charges (September 28, 2007)
Loan Limits Relaxed For Freddie, Fannie (September 20, 2007)
Raines Tries To Broaden Defense in Fannie Suit (September 17, 2007)
Quarterly Foreclosure Rate Again Sets Record (September 7, 2007)
Some Local Lenders Unshaken by Credit-Market Quake (September 3, 2007)
Freddie Mac Profit Cut by Half (August 31, 2007)
Bernanke Opposes Lift Of Fannie, Freddie Caps (August 30, 2007)
U.S. Ponders a New Deal for FHA (August 23, 2007)
Capital One Will Close Loan Unit (August 21, 2007)
Higher Caps Urged For Fannie, Freddie (August 18, 2007)
Fannie Mae Predicts Price Decline Will Accelerate in '08 (August 17, 2007)
Shareholders Agree to Buyout Of Sallie Mae (August 16, 2007)
Sallie Mae Chairman Exercises Stock Options (August 14, 2007)
Reins Kept on Fannie, Freddie (August 11, 2007)
Fannie, Freddie Aim to Ease Mortgage-Market Crunch (August 8, 2007)
Fannie, Freddie Shares Get Boost (August 7, 2007)
Some Charges Dismissed From Lawsuits Against Fannie Mae Directors (August 1, 2007)
MicroStrategy Profit Falls 30% (July 28, 2007)
Capital One Profits as Its Mortgage Unit Steadies (July 20, 2007)
SLM Buyout To Trigger Options Windfall (July 18, 2007)
New SEC Rules Make Pay More Transparent (July 16, 2007)
Region's Highest-Paid Executives Oversaw Mixed Results in 2006 (July 16, 2007)
Salary Holds Less Power to Motivate When CEO Holds a Large Share of Firm (July 16, 2007)
How Thick Are Their Wallets? (July 16, 2007)
Raines Sues OFHEO Over Stock (July 6, 2007)
There's Less Momentum In Capital One's Wallet (July 2, 2007)
Fannie Proposes Releasing Executive Incentive Payments (June 22, 2007)
Freddie Mac Reports Loss Of $211 Million in Quarter (June 15, 2007)
TVI Ousted 2 Executives After 'Questionable' Deals (May 9, 2007)
Sunrise Dismisses CFO After Documents Flap (May 4, 2007)
Heir Apparent Spurns Freddie Mac Offer (May 2, 2007)
Fannie Mae's Former Chief Loses Plea To Move Case (May 1, 2007)
Local Executive Pay Proposals Fall Short Despite Growing Support (April 27, 2007)
The Upside of Being Out (April 26, 2007)
Sunrise Suspends CFO Over Missing Records (April 26, 2007)
Sallie Mae Board Members Under SEC Trading Probe (April 25, 2007)
Fannie Mae Accused Of Deceiving KPMG, Its Former Auditor (April 21, 2007)
Private Investors to Buy Sallie Mae for $25 Billion (April 17, 2007)
Sallie Mae Stock Rises On News of Possible Sale (April 14, 2007)
Freddie, Fannie a 'Concern' To OFHEO (April 11, 2007)
Sprint, Sallie Mae Report Executive Compensation (April 10, 2007)
OFHEO Director to Stay on Raines Case (April 6, 2007)
Struggling WebMethods Finds a Buyer in Germany (April 6, 2007)
Fannie Mae Plans To Cut Workforce (April 3, 2007)
Panel Backs Bill To Restrain Fannie, Freddie (March 30, 2007)
Fed Cautiously Considers Writing Rules on Lending (March 28, 2007)
Freddie Mac's Timely Filing Reveals a Loss (March 24, 2007)
Options Earn $59.4 Million for Schar (March 22, 2007)
Fannie, Freddie Wary of Controls (March 16, 2007)
Key Congressman Optimistic on Fannie-Freddie Bill (March 13, 2007)
Bernanke Calls for Stronger Regulation of Fannie, Freddie (March 7, 2007)
Fannie Mae Shuts Down Foundation (February 24, 2007)
Fannie Cancels Executive Bonuses (February 21, 2007)
Interest On Deposits Pressures Area Banks (February 12, 2007)
Judge Rejects Raines's Request to Accelerate Trial Date (February 8, 2007)
Fannie Mae's Former Chief Wants Earlier Hearing Date (February 6, 2007)
Highflying Status for a Recovering Company (February 5, 2007)
Fannie Mae Chief Got 25% Raise Last Year (January 30, 2007)
Both Sides on Offense (January 22, 2007)
In Cash Crunch, Mills May Seek Bankruptcy Filing (January 10, 2007)
Freddie Is Less Steady, Estimates Loss in Q3 (January 6, 2007)
New SEC Pay Rule To Benefit Executives (December 28, 2006)
FBR Settles With SEC Over Insider Trading Case (December 21, 2006)
Players Oddly Aligned In New Fannie Mae Case (December 20, 2006)
Fannie Mae Ex-Officials Are Sued for Disputed Pay (December 19, 2006)
Fannie Correction: 'What If?' (December 14, 2006)
Fannie Sues KPMG for Approving Bad Numbers (December 13, 2006)
Fannie Mae Final Tally: $6.3 Billion Overstated (December 7, 2006)
Capital One Ex-CFO Resolves Charges (November 21, 2006)
Kennedy Targets Sallie Mae's Role (November 17, 2006)
Raines Wins Pay Dispute With Fannie Mae (November 15, 2006)
CareFirst CEO Out After 13 Years and Privatizing Attempt (November 3, 2006)
Investor Adviser ISS Is Sold to RiskMetrics (November 2, 2006)
For Retail Chain, a $32 Million Bummer (October 23, 2006)
Freddie Mac Names New Finance Chief (October 17, 2006)
Glaxo To Pay IRS $3.4 Billion (September 12, 2006)
Auditor Warned Of Mills' Troubles (September 1, 2006)
Cyber Security Specialist Named to Lead In-Q-Tel (August 29, 2006)
Fannie Mae Avoids Criminal Charges Over Accounting (August 25, 2006)
Ex-CEO Says Mills Ignored Warnings (August 23, 2006)
Freddie to Settle 401(k) Suit (August 22, 2006)
President Axed, Analyst Vexed, Stock Trips (August 17, 2006)
2005 Compensation For Top-Earning Executives Grew With Stock Option Awards (July 10, 2006)