The mystery surrounding how much Fannie Mae really earned in the fourth quarter and full year could be solved by the end of next week, as the Federal Housing Finance Agency softens its stance toward allowing the GSE to capture at least a portion of its $64 billion valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. Industry officials who claim to have knowledge of the matter said FHFA is actively working with the GSE to resolve the situation. One former Fannie Mae official said its likely the agency will allow both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to claim deferred tax assets over several quarters.