Finance

In January, Fitch Ratings put out a report that highlighted ratings volatility in securitizations that are retained by European originators, primarily to use as collateral for funding with the European Central Bank (ECB).

In his Jan. 24 State of the Union address, President Obama stated that he was sending to Congress a plan that gives responsible homeowners the chance to refinance into historically low rates. He said that through this prospective program, homeowners can save roughly $3,000 per year on their mortgage.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau still has to make a key decision before it can finalize a regulation that will determine what kind of loans -- and features -- mortgage bankers can offer consumers without facing potential legal liability of up to $100,000 per unit.

The national vacancy rate for single-family homes fell in 2011 as foreclosures slowed and sales of empty units increased by 14% over the past four quarters, according to new government figures released Tuesday morning.

The banking regulators reissued guidance on Tuesday that requires institutions to monitor all credit quality indicators for mortgage borrowers, specifically citing junior liens as a potential problem.

Ally Financial disclosed Tuesday that it will incur a $270 million charge in the fourth quarter – and an overall loss for the entire firm – due to what it calls “penalties” imposed by regulators and the states tied to “foreclosure related matters.”

Hogan Lovells has expanded its New York finance practice by adding Peter Humphreys and Evan Koster.

DZ Bank sued JPMorgan Chase yesterday in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, according to a Bloomberg report.

The agency debt and agency MBS fails charge trading practice recommended by the Treasury Market Practices Group (TMPG) goes into effect tomorrow.

As part of its plan to launch its commercial lending unit in April, General Motors Financial Co. (GM Financial) has chosen DataScan Technologies as its systems provider for the business.

PFS Financing Corp. is in the market with a $300 million premium finance ABS. The deal comprises a Class A worth $288 million and a Class B worth $12 million.

A proposal by the Obama administration to help more struggling borrowers refinance into cheaper loans is prompting questions: Could it prompt an increase in interest rates, after a long period of low rates? And is this a program that can relieve the housing crunch, or just another Band-Aid?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released its first semi-annual report to Congress Monday, outlining the steps it has taken to get the bureau off the ground in its first six months.

Boutique investment bank The Williams Capital Group has added a new division called Eland Capital to address structured finance opportunities for corporate, federal, state and local government clients.

Lender Processing Services (LPS) has responded to the civil complaint filed by the Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto against the company in December last year.

A federal judge on Monday indicated he plans to dismiss National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)’s suit against RBS Securities for the sale of failed MBS to WesCorp Federal Credit Union, a ruling that potentially jeopardizes all of NCUA’s claims against Wall Street banks for the failure of the five corporate credit unions.

Commercial banks have experienced an increase in demand for commercial real estate loans since October, according to a Federal Reserve survey released Monday afternoon.

As Rep. Scott Garrett seeks to pass the first significant financial reform law since the Dodd-Frank Act, a lot of forces are arrayed against him.

Moody's Investors Service assigned preliminary ratings to the new U.K. RMBS deal from Lloyds Bank's Arkle master trust.

GE Financial, formerly known as AmeriCredit, is reportedly scheduled to price its auto transaction called AmeriCredit Automobile Receivables (AMCAR) Trust 2012-1 early this week.