Stephen Yarad was appointed as chief financial officer of MFA Financial, Inc. (MFA) effective today. A 19-year veteran of the industry, Yarad joined MFA from the financial services audit division of KPMG LLP in New York. He is a certified public accountant in both New York and New Jersey. Yarad replaces William Gorin, who was the CFO since 2001. He will remain as active president and director of MFA. MFA is a real estate investment trust primarily engaged in the business of investment, on leveraged basis, in agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities. Write to Christine Ricciardi. Disclosure: The author holds no relevant investments.