ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The American Bankruptcy Institute recently shared data from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts that confirmed a sharp rise in total bankruptcy filings last year. The 2009 bankruptcy total jumped 32 percent over the figure recorded for ... [Read More]

NEW YORK — Fitch Ratings recently reported that seasonal weakness pushed up U.S. prime auto loan asset-backed securities' losses slightly higher in January, compared to prior months. However, the company did share some good news. Despite high unemployment and pressure on ... [Read More]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After remaining low for much of 2009, the average interest rate on new-car loans at auto finance companies crept up to 3.94 percent in January of this year, according to the Federal Reserve. This is the highest level ... [Read More]

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. — Finance Express, a provider of Web-based financial services and technology for independent dealerships, announced recently it has added Wachovia Dealer Services to its platform. Company officials stressed that the addition is a response to hundreds of ... [Read More]

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. — Thanks to a new offering from Mercedes-Benz Financial, its customers can now access personalized account management features using smartphones like BlackBerry, Droid and other mobile devices with Internet capability. This is an expansion of what the company ... [Read More]

ORLANDO, Fla. — Due in large part to the troubled capital markets, Experian Automotive reported that captives lost a relatively large share of outstanding loan balances in the third quarter of last year, compared with the third quarter of 2008. In ... [Read More]

LOS ANGELES — Westlake Financial Services announced this week that it now has a new revolving securitization from Wells Fargo Preferred Capital. The facility, which will be funded through a Westlake subsidiary, Westlake Funding III, is for $100 million and will ... [Read More]

CHICAGO — In a positive turn for auto lenders, TransUnion's quarterly analysis determined that the latest reading on the national 60-day auto delinquency rate — which is the ratio of loan borrowers 60 or more days past due — showed no change between ... [Read More]

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The American Bankruptcy Institute determined Tuesday that 111,693 consumer bankruptcies were filed in February, according to data the firm reviewed from the National Bankruptcy Research Center. Institute officials calculated that last month's total represented a 14-percent increase nationwide ... [Read More]

DETROIT — GMAC Financial Services announced Monday that it has completed the sale of its U.S. consumer property and casualty insurance business. The company noted that its dealer-related insurance business, which includes extended service contracts and insurance for dealer inventories, has ... [Read More]