Residential servicers completed 20% fewer proprietary loan modifications in February than the month prior, according to new figures compiled by the Hope Now servicing alliance.

Ally Bank is set to sell a $500 million flooplan deal under its Ally Master Owner Trust. The transaction is backed by new and used car inventory and light and medium duty truck and van inventory.

Moody's Investors Service today examined the proposed legislation that changes the bankruptcy law to make some types of student loans dischargeable in bankruptcy.

Global structured finance issuance's modest pace in 1Q12 is credit positive for new-issuance in these products that include ABS, RMBS, CMBS and CLOs, according to an emailed note from Standard & Poor's this morning.

Investec has priced the second nonconforming U.K. residential securitization offering for this year.

A new $750 million securitization of credit card receivables from the Penarth receivables trust was announced this week.

Barclays said today it named John Langley and Joe McGrath co-heads of the global finance and risk solutions business within the firm’s investment banking division.

Ally Commercial Finance added a new director that will focus on working with financial sponsors and handle leveraged loans, the firm said.

Markit has acquired Data Explorers, a provider of global securities lending data, from mid-market private equity firm Bowmark Capital.

Utility tariff securitizations - which allow former monopolies to recover upfront their investments in equipment, deferred power procurement or the cost of storm damage - have not always been controversial.

A recent story in ASR's sister publication, National Mortgage News, reported that a number of conduits formed to securitize Jumbo-balance loans using private-label securitizations have recently been closed. This is not surprising, considering the continued difficulties the non-agency MBS market faces. Lenders' inability to securitize loans has profound implications for the mortgage and housing markets, and will make the GSEs increasingly indispensable to housing finance.

Deals by first-time issuers of subprime ABS are wildly oversubscribed, the credit quality of the underlying assets is deteriorating, profit-hungry investment firms are buying stakes in issuers, and financing costs look to hold at record lows for the indefinite future.