Today's Ironic Headline of the day comes via the New York Times and their humorous and insightful take on GMAC. Granted this is the first 'headline of the day' post ever written for WC Power Tech Fund Investment Blog but reading the NYT article (Link) the irony was too pronounced to ignore.
Here's the New York Times Headline: "With Needed Cash, GMAC Will Ease Lending Rules"
Seriously?? GMAC, whose automobile financing business has been in utterly dire straits as the credit crisis unfolded in the 2nd half of 2008 in step with domestic auto maker General Motors (
GM) own struggles on its way to the brink of bankruptcy, now starts back on the same path? Let's hope these firms learned a few lessons along the way.
It was the ease of lending restrictions that got infamous mortgage houses Fannie Mae (
FNM) and Freddie Mac (
FRE) into such a mess in the first place. Armed with $5Billion of Government Bailout money the auto lending business can get back into full swing, or so thinks GMAC. According to the New York Times, the company is lowering its credit score from 700 to 621 for Americans to qualify for financing in order to stimulate business and expand the current potential customer base.
Credit scores of 620 or below are considered by the credit bureau to be "higher risk transactions" so at the very least GMAC is steering clear of those for the time being. It has been a tumultuous few days for the financing company, which is jointly owned by GM and private Cerberus Capital Management, its last second win or approval to become a bank opened the possibility for bailout funds in order to keep the company afloat. The Federal Reserve gave tentative approval for GMAC to become a bank holding company and thus allowed it to tap into a portion of the $700Billion bailout passed by US Lawmakers those months ago.
Clearly the infusion of cash gives GMAC invaluable time and monetary room in which to conduct and grow a broken business, but for investor sake, the company had better not be on a path of 'Here we go again'.
Disclosure: Author holds no position in above mentioned companies.
