Consumer ABS

The Dodd-Frank Act's Section 939A prompts banking regulators to remove any "reference to, or requirements of reliance on, credit ratings" in their regulations and capital requirements. The uncertainty of how regulators will interpret those words has the ABS industry bubbling and proposals emerging.

Borrower behavior changes over time and investors and lenders should constantly adjust the way they utilize the different credit score values to accurately predict loan performance, according to officials from FICO and VantageScore.

Tomorrow the European Central Bank (ECB) is set to extend its minimum two-rating requirement for all existing ABS to remain repo eligible at the central bank’s window. This effectively ends the grandfathering period that started a year ago.

World Omni Financial Corp. is marketing an $800 million new auto receivables deal that will include three triple-A rated tranches.

Jay Kim, co-head of Barclays Capital's U.S. asset securitization team, will be moving to Credit Suisse in May to head up the bank's asset finance team. He will be bringing around 10 Barclays bankers with him.

DBRS has assigned provisional ratings to the DSC Floorplan Master Owner Trust Series 2011-1 notes. The DSC Floorplan Master Owner Trust Series 2011-1 transaction represents the first issuance out of a newly created master trust and the second securitization of Dealer Service Corp’s (DSC) wholesale receivables. The trust assets collateralizing the series’ issuance include a revolving pool of receivables originated in connection with the purchase and financing by motor vehicle dealers of predominantly used automobiles and trucks. Dealer Services Corp. is the sponsor and originator of the receivables. DSC was formed in 2005. The management team has considerable experience in this specialized sector within the wholesale market. DSC funds loans to independent dealers in order for those dealers to access vehicles at used vehicle auctions. This market is a well established part of the automotive industry, with two very large auction companies: Manheim Inc., ADESA Inc. and a host of smaller or regional auctions like ABC Auctions and a large number of smaller independent auctions. Credit enhancement for the Series 2011-1 Class A notes is 17.75%. This amount is derived from 10.0% subordination of notes, 7.50% residual interest and 0.25% reserve account. Since this is a master trust, investors are expecting to be repaid on the expected date. If there were an amortization event, enhancement will build over time since the Class A Notes are paid first before the subordinate notes receive any principal. The reserve account is also calculated as a percent of the initial notes and will grow as a percent of the outstanding notes when those notes are repaid. The structure will consist of a three year interest only period followed by an expected principal repayment on the expected principal payment date (March 15, 2014). If an early amortization event occurs, noteholders could be paid back their principal earlier than (March 15, 2014). If this were to occur, the senior most class of notes, Class A, will be paid 100% of the principal before the next senior class of notes, Class B. Dealer Services Corp. (DSC) is in the market with its DSC Floorplan Master Owner Trust Series 2011-1 transaction.The over $252 million deal is the firm's first issuance out of a newly created master trust and the second securitization of Dealer Service Corp’s (DSC) wholesale receivables, according to a DBRS presale report. The transaction is backed by receivables originated in connection with the purchase and financing by motor vehicle dealers of predominantly used automobiles and trucks. According to the rating agency, DSC was formed in 2005 and its management team is considered to have considerable experience in this specialized sector within the wholesale market. The firm finances loans to independent dealers so those dealers to access vehicles at used vehicle auctions. This market is a well established part of the automotive industry, with two very large auction companies: Manheim, ADESA and a host of smaller or regional auctions like ABC Auctions as well as a large number of smaller independent auctions. The structure comprises of a three-year interest only period followed by an expected principal repayment on the expected principal payment date on March 15, 2014, DBRS said. The indenture trustee on the transaction is Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas and the owner trustee is Wilmington Trust Co. while the back-up servicer is Portfolio Financial Services Corp.

Sallie Mae hired Kenneth Fischbach as director of capital markets. In his new role, Fischbach will assume the capital markets responsibilities of Jonathan Clark, who was appointed chief financial officer in January and now the firm's executive vice president & CFO. Additionally, Fischbach also continue to manage the student lender's rating agency relationships.

U.S. credit card delinquencies fell about 32% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, according to TransUnion.

Ford Credit Canada is in the market with its Ford Auto Securitization Trust 2011-R1.

A year after the credit card reform law was enacted, Elizabeth Warren, the administration's official in charge with setting up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), said the industry has improved its practices and warned against over regulation of the card market.