Ally Bank Considering Bankruptcy for Its Mortgage Lending Unit (2024)

Ally Bank, a unit of Ally Financial (which used to go by the name GMAC) is considering putting its struggling mortgage unit, ResCap, through bankruptcy to alleviate some of that division’s debts, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

Apparently, ResCap has not done well financially during the last two quarters, losing more than half a billion dollars. On top of its recent sub-par performance, the mortgage unit also reportedly has some serious debt coming due – about $2.3 billion between now and the end of 2013. That figure comes to about four times the mortgage company’s total reserves as of the end of September.

How Does Partial Bankruptcy Work?

So what does it mean that Ally is considering bankruptcy for just its mortgage division? Here’s a summary:

  • The bank itself wouldn’t go into bankruptcy protection. Many large corporations separate their business operations into discreet arms so that they can manipulate them individually. In the case of financial difficulty, for example, a business might be able to put one part of itself through bankruptcy without greatly affecting its other parts. Think of it as amputating an arm to save a life.
  • Despite official separation, the bank could face fallout. Some analysts think that a ResCap bankruptcy is unlikely specifically because of the effect it might have on Ally’s reputation. Even if the larger company were not financially hurt by the mortgage division’s bankruptcy, consumers and investors might start to question its viability and shy away from investments.
  • It can choose between liquidation and reorganization. Depending on its needs, Ally could put ResCap through a liquidation bankruptcy that would terminate the mortgage arm’s operations or choose to reorganize the group’s debts and emerge as a (hopefully) stronger business.

A History of Bailouts?

As of now, the potential bankruptcy of ResCap is still very much in its speculative stages. While Ally may be considering liquidation or debt reorganization, it is likely also considering a number of other options.

But some analysts are pointing to Ally’s past as evidence that it might be likely to choose bankruptcy in the future. Ally officially became a bank in 2008 in order to take advantage of bailout money that was made available to banks at that time. Prior to its conversion, it operated as GMAC, the financing firm of General Motors.

The Federal Reserve Board approved its request to become a bank, Ally collected bailout money, and the firm now operates as Ally Financial. The new company offers a number of investment and savings products, emphasizing transparency and simplicity.

Earlier Mortgage-Division Bankruptcy Considerations

Earlier this year, Bank of America (the nation’s largest bank) considered a similar move for Countrywide, a mortgage division it bought during the financial upheaval. Countrywide specialized in subprime mortgage loans and, as borrowers defaulted in droves, quickly accumulated scads of debt.

As of now, though, Bank of America has opted to avoid a Countrywide bankruptcy filing. Ally may well file suit.

Ally Bank Considering Bankruptcy for Its Mortgage Lending Unit (2024)

FAQs

Is Ally Bank safe? ›

Yes, Ally Bank is FDIC insured (FDIC No. 57803). The federal government insures banking products from Ally up to $250,000 per depositor, for each account ownership category. FDIC insurance protects your money in the event of a bank failure.

What Bank owns Ally Financial? ›

In May 2009, GMAC Bank was rebranded as Ally Bank. In 2009, Capmark filed for bankruptcy and its North American loan origination and servicing business was acquired by Berkadia, a joint venture of Leucadia National and Berkshire Hathaway. In May 2010, GMAC re-branded itself as Ally Financial.

What are the pros and cons of Ally Bank? ›

Pros and cons of Ally Bank
ProsCons
No monthly fees or minimum balancesNo physical branches
Competitive APYs on deposit productsNo cash deposits
Large network of fee-free ATMs
Jan 27, 2023

Is Ally Bank a subprime lender? ›

Ally Financial ranked highest in overall dealer satisfaction among finance companies that participate in the subprime market with a score of 945 on a 1,000-point scale.

Is Ally Bank owned by China? ›

Ally Financial is an American bank holding company organized in Delaware and headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

Which is Better Capital One or Ally Bank? ›

The bottom line: Capital One 360 likely has a more appealing checking account, while Ally is our default winner for money market accounts.

Is Ally Bank strong? ›

Ally is one of our top overall institutions. It offers one of the best online checking accounts, and pays a competitive interest rate. While there's no one bank that's best for everyone, Ally is also strong in other categories, including savings and customer service.

Is Ally a good bank? ›

Pros. Ally is a robust online bank with an array of deposit products, loans and services. The bank offers deposit accounts with no monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements. Pays higher yields on CDs and savings accounts than traditional brick-and-mortar banks.

Is Ally a good finance company? ›

Ally Financial auto loan earned a 3.5 out of 5.0 Stars. Ally is a decent option for those with good credit and offers a variety of car buying options. Their mobile app overall has many perks and high ratings. However, all financing for loans must be done through dealerships, which limits borrowers.

What rank is Ally Bank? ›

Ally had $176 billion in assets as of June 20, 2022, ranking it No. 22 among American banks. The company has 10,700 employees and 10.5 million customers.

Is Ally FDIC approved? ›

Ally Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC protects your Ally Bank deposits up to $250,000 per depositor for each qualifying account ownership category. This means you can rest assured that your deposits are safe up to FDIC limits, no matter what's happening in the economy.

How can I get my money out of Ally Bank? ›

You can withdraw money in 4 ways:
  1. Online funds transfer.
  2. Outgoing wire transfer.
  3. Telephone transfer.
  4. Check request.

What is the Ally Bank controversy? ›

The CFPB ordered Ally Financial Inc. and Ally Bank to pay $80 million in damages to African-American, Hispanic, and Asian and Pacific Islander consumers harmed by Ally's discriminatory auto loan pricing, and $18 million in civil money penalties.

How much debt does Ally Bank have? ›

Ally Financial long term debt for 2022 was $17.762B, a 4.3% increase from 2021. Ally Financial long term debt for 2021 was $17.029B, a 22.62% decline from 2020. Ally Financial long term debt for 2020 was $22.006B, a 35.33% decline from 2019.

Is Merrick Bank owned by Ally Bank? ›

Under the terms of the agreement, Merrick Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of CardWorks, Inc., will merge into Ally Bank.

Does JP Morgan own Ally Bank? ›

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE INC.
...
Ally Financial Inc. ownership in JPM / JPMorgan Chase & Co.
SecurityJPM / JPMorgan Chase & Co.
InstitutionAlly Financial Inc.
Latest Disclosed Ownership111,000 shares
Latest Disclosed Value$ 14,885,101

Does Ally Bank have physical locations? ›

As an online bank we don't have physical branches, but we do have great rates, 24/7 support and easy access to cash at ATMs.

What companies does Ally own? ›

Ally US LLCDelaware
Banco GMAC S.A.Brazil
GMAC Administradora de Consórcios Ltda.Brazil
Basic Credit Holding Company, L.L.C.Delaware
American Suzuki Financial Services Company LLCDelaware
45 more rows

Does Ally use better mortgage? ›

Ally Bank has partnered with digital lender Better Mortgage to manage home loan applications. Better processes, underwrites and closes the loan using Ally's rates and loan funding.

What credit score do you need for Ally? ›

Ally typically requires a FICO score of at least 620. For jumbo loans, though, borrowers need a FICO score of at least 700 and a debt-to-income ratio of no more than 43%.

What is Ally Bank known for? ›

As a leading digital financial services company that's constantly creating and reinventing, Ally continues to build award-winning experiences and products that bring our customers innovative approaches to online banking, lending, home loans, auto financing and wealth management.

Does Ally sell mortgages? ›

Ally Bank began offering direct-to-consumer home loans in 2016. The bank and lender provides several mortgage options, including conventional loans, jumbo loans and adjustable-rate loans in five- seven- or 10-year terms.

Has Ally Bank been hacked? ›

Ally Bank successfully evaded claims over a data breach that compromised customers' usernames and passwords, after a federal judge in Manhattan ruled that the customers didn't suffer concrete injuries from the breach and therefore lacked standing.

Does Ally Lending affect credit score? ›

When you apply for a personal loan from Ally Lending, they will conduct a soft credit check only — which means your credit score will not be affected. However, how you manage the loan, such as if you pay on time, can affect your credit score in the long term.

Is Ally a Fortune 500 company? ›

Ally Financial | 2022 Fortune 500 | Fortune.

What is the number 1 ranked bank? ›

1. JPMorgan Chase. Chase Bank is the consumer banking division of JPMorgan Chase. It currently has more than 4,700 branches and more than 16,000 ATMs.

What happens if you have more than 250k in the bank? ›

Anything over that amount would exceed the FDIC coverage limits. So if you keep more than $250,000 in cash at a single bank, then you run the risk of losing some of those funds if your bank fails. The good news is that bank failures are generally rare; there were only four bank failures in 2020.

Which banks can choose not to be insured by the FDIC? ›

Not all institutions are insured by the FDIC. Eligible bank accounts are insured up to $250,000 for principal and interest. The FDIC does not insure share accounts at credit unions.

Who are Ally Bank competitors? ›

The main competitors of Ally Financial include Commerce Bancshares (CBSH), First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA), Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL), East West Bancorp (EWBC), Signature Bank (SBNY), Prosperity Bancshares (PB), SouthState (SSB), Wintrust Financial (WTFC), United Bankshares (UBSI), and Bank OZK (OZK).

How long does it take to get money out of Ally Bank? ›

Standard transfers between Ally Bank and non-Ally Bank accounts, requested before 1 am ET Monday – Friday, will take 3 business days. Keep in mind, transfers between banks aren't processed on weekends and federal holidays, so transfers take longer at those times.

How do I get all the money out of my account? ›

How to Withdraw Money from Your Bank Account
  1. Use an ATM.
  2. Write a Check for Cash.
  3. Fill Out a Withdrawal Slip.
  4. Link Your Account to a Peer-to-Peer Payment Service.
May 18, 2021

Is it easy to close an Ally Bank account? ›

Because Ally is an online-only bank, you can't visit a brick-and-mortar bank branch. Therefore, to get the process started, you'll need to call in and let Ally know you must close an account. While on the phone, they cannot provide you with any specific account information.

Is Ally Financial being sued? ›

Ally Financial charges borrowers unlawful fees in order to complete the loan process, according to an Ally Financial class action lawsuit filed July 19 in Florida federal court.

Why did Ally Bank get rid of their credit card? ›

Because TD shouldered the credit losses, Ally's risk was limited, but the company also had less opportunity to earn money from the card. In explaining why the company is now exiting the credit card business, Brown said that the partnership did not meet Ally's expectations.

What is Ally Bank's former name? ›

The company was formerly known as GMAC Inc. and changed its name to Ally Financial Inc. in May 2010.

Does Warren Buffett still own Ally Financial? ›

Berkshire Hathaway's Ally Financial Stake

Warren Buffett acquired 30 Million Ally Financial shares worth $883 Million. That's 0.27% of their equity portfolio (28th largest holding). The investor owns 9.79% of the outstanding Ally Financial stock.

Did Buffett buy Ally? ›

1. Ally Financial: 30 million shares purchased. Since the start of 2022, Buffett (through Berkshire) took a 9% ownership stake in Ally Financial (ALLY 0.07%).

Is Ally the same as Capital One? ›

Capital One: Bank Accounts. Both Ally and Capital One offer the same suite of accounts including savings, CDs, checking accounts, money market accounts and IRAs. Each bank has their own strengths, though, when it comes to these accounts.

How safe is Merrick Bank? ›

Here's why Merrick Bank is legit:

Merrick Bank is an authorized company, founded in 1997. Merrick Bank has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since 2012. It also has an “A” rating from BBB.

Why is Merrick Bank changing from Visa to Mastercard? ›

Q: Why is Merrick Bank changing to Mastercard? A: We want our customers to have the best card benefits possible. Mastercard has more benefits and features.

Is my money insured in Ally Bank? ›

Ally Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC protects your Ally Bank deposits up to $250,000 per depositor for each qualifying account ownership category. This means you can rest assured that your deposits are safe up to FDIC limits, no matter what's happening in the economy.

Is Ally Bank owned by JP Morgan? ›

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE INC.
...
Ally Financial Inc. ownership in JPM / JPMorgan Chase & Co.
SecurityJPM / JPMorgan Chase & Co.
InstitutionAlly Financial Inc.
Latest Disclosed Ownership111,000 shares
Latest Disclosed Value$ 14,885,101

How does Ally Bank rank? ›

Ally had $176 billion in assets as of June 20, 2022, ranking it No. 22 among American banks. The company has 10,700 employees and 10.5 million customers.

What are the cons of Ally Bank? ›

Cons Explained

If you prefer brick-and-mortar banking service, you'll have to look elsewhere. No cash deposits – Ally doesn't accept traditional cash deposits. Your only options are remote check deposit, online transfers, direct deposit, wire transfers, and sending a check through the mail.

Is Ally Bank still in business? ›

Ally Financial Inc. is a leading digital financial services company and a top 25 U.S. financial holding company offering financial products for consumers, businesses, automotive dealers and corporate clients. Learn more about our company.

Is Ally Bank an actual bank? ›

Ally is a robust online bank with an array of deposit products, loans and services. The bank offers deposit accounts with no monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements. Pays higher yields on CDs and savings accounts than traditional brick-and-mortar banks.

Is Ally financing good? ›

Ally Financial auto loan earned a 3.5 out of 5.0 Stars. Ally is a decent option for those with good credit and offers a variety of car buying options. Their mobile app overall has many perks and high ratings. However, all financing for loans must be done through dealerships, which limits borrowers.

Do people like Ally Bank? ›

Is Ally the best online bank? Ally is one of our top overall institutions. It offers one of the best online checking accounts, and pays a competitive interest rate. While there's no one bank that's best for everyone, Ally is also strong in other categories, including savings and customer service.

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