Banking

Regulators are looking into practices within JPMorgan's securities arm and investigating parts of its trading operations, according to a regulatory filing by America's largest bank.

As interest rates rise and delinquencies among borrowers with poor credit scores soar, investors are increasingly scrutinizing the riskiest slices of asset-backed securities sold by some subprime auto lenders. That's forced certain issuers to postpone deals or sweeten terms.

Washington Trust shares plunged after the Westerly, Rhode Island, company disclosed it booked an office deal in the third quarter, boosting the size of its portfolio while other lenders are pulling back.

The student loan servicer said that it's open to settling a high-stakes lawsuit filed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau during the Obama administration. It recorded a $45 million charge and said that the range of reasonably possible losses is between $0 and $250 million.

Ted Pick, a co-president and three-decade veteran of the firm, will be elevated to the top role in January and join the board, the bank said in a statement Wednesday.

Esoteric transactions' premiums and longer durations are especially attractive, as other consumer assets are put to the test.

Both tranches have the same legal final maturity of Oct. 20, 2033, an initial (OC) of 26.00%, and an initial reserve of 0.50%.

The deal has the smallest pool balance from the ACHV program this year, with an aggregate current principal balance of $177.8 million. The collateral pool contains 14,141 loans, with an average current loan size of $12,577.

Charge-offs at the Detroit-based lender rose last quarter, as borrowers had a tougher time keeping up with their car payments. But so far, credit quality is staying within expectations, and company executives don't anticipate that the rest of the year will be much worse.

The deal has a prefunding account with $12 million deposited at closing, and will use that amount to purchase additional collateral during its 90-day period after the deal closes.