Category Archives: lenders

Investors Cry Foul at BofA Settlement of Countrywide Suits. Why the Resistance?

Not everyone is pleased with Bank of America’s record-setting $8.68 billion settlement of lawsuits against Countrywide by attorneys general across the country (see previous post here). Under the agreement, BofA, which acquired Countrywide in July of this year, agreed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Alt-A, Attorneys General, Aurora Loan Servicing, banks, BofA, Countrywide, investors, lawsuits, Lehman Brothers, lenders, repurchase, underwriting practices | 1 Comment

Focus of New Regulation Should Be On Securitization

The election of Barack Obama as the presumptive 44th President of the United States promises to usher in an era of increased regulation of the financial markets pursuant to Obama’s platform of economic reform. So far, many commentaries on the … Continue reading →

Posted in accounting, Alt-A, banks, Barack Obama, broader credit crisis, causes of the crisis, lenders, mortgage market, regulation, securities, securitization, subprime | Leave a comment

Clinton Breaks Down the Credit Crisis

I happened to catch Bill Clinton on the Late Show with David Letterman earlier this month and was surprised at how much substance was contained in the interview. I encourage you to read the full text of Clinton’s explanation of … Continue reading →

Posted in banks, Bill Clinton, causes of the crisis, cheap money, Fannie Mae, Federal Reserve, Freddie Mac, incentives, interest rates, legislation, lenders, liquidity, overinvestment, subprime | Leave a comment

Potential Jurors Unfriendly to Mortgage Lenders?

As reported by Peter Page in the National Law Journal (subscription required), a survey completed earlier this month of adults eligible for jury service found that potential jurors overwhelmingly held plaintiff-oriented perceptions with respect to suits against mortgage lenders. “Nearly … Continue reading →

Posted in causes of the crisis, Howard Rice, jury trials, lenders, litigation, mortgage insurers, predatory lending, public perceptions, securitization, subprime, underwriting practices | Leave a comment

Seventh Circuit Disallows Class Actions for TILA Violations

In August, I wrote about a major Seventh Circuit ruling on the way that could open the doors for borrowers to file class actions against mortgage lenders to rescind their loans. On September 24, the Seventh Circuit issued its ruling, … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrews v. Chevy Chase, appeals, banks, Chevy Chase, Complaints, lenders, litigation, predatory lending, rescission, Seventh Circuit, TILA | Leave a comment

Fed Takeover of Freddie and Fannie May Provide Temporary Stability, But Is it Just a Band-Aid?

By now, most have heard the news that the Federal Government stepped in on Sunday to exercise the authority granted to it by Congress in July to bail out government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The major … Continue reading →

Posted in broader credit crisis, causes of the crisis, education, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, legislation, lenders, liquidity, mortgage market, securitization, stability, subprime, takeover | 1 Comment

Indiana Piles On

Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter has brought a lawsuit against Countrywide Financial Corp., making it the latest of a half dozen states going after the nation’s former number one mortgage lender for improper lending practices (see Reuters article here). This … Continue reading →

Posted in acquisitions, Attorneys General, banks, BofA, Complaints, Countrywide, lenders, liabilities, litigation, predatory lending, subprime | Leave a comment

Countrywide Sued by New Mexico Pension and Investment Funds

The Chicago Times reports that Countrywide has been sued on behalf of New Mexico’s state Investment Council, the Educational Retirement Board and the Public Employees Retirement Association for both conning homeowners into mortgages they could not afford and duping investors … Continue reading →

Posted in acquisitions, Countrywide, IndyMac, lenders, litigation, New Century, predatory lending, securities | Leave a comment

California Legislature Reaches Compromise on Subprime Reform Bill

The L.A. Times reports that the California has reached a compromise with consumer and lending groups on a bill that would guard against some of the practices that contributed to the subprime crisis. The bill, an amended version of AB … Continue reading →

Posted in Alt-A, broader credit crisis, Countrywide, education, incentives, legislation, lenders, predatory lending, ratings agencies, subprime | Leave a comment

Connecticut Suit Against Countrywide Available

Rachel Dollar of the Mortgage Fraud Blog has posted the Complaint filed by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. You can view the document here. Many thanks to Ms. Dollar for her diligence in following these developments in subprime litigation.

Posted in Attorneys General, Complaints, Countrywide, lenders, litigation, subprime | Leave a comment