GE Capital is Co-collateral Agent on $1.65 Billion Asset-Based Credit Facility for SUPERVALUINC.

Press release:

05 September 2012

GE Capital is Co-collateral Agent on $1.65 Billion Asset-Based Credit Facility for SUPERVALUINC.

 

NORWALK, Conn.--05 September 2012--GE Capital, Corporate Retail Financetoday announced it is co-collateral agent on a $1.65 billion asset-based credit facility for SUPERVALU INC., a leading national grocery and pharmacy retailer. The loan will be used for working capital needs and to refinance existing debt. GE Capital Markets served as joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner.

Based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, SUPERVALU (NYSE: SVU) is one of the largest companies in the domestic grocery channel with annual sales of $35 billion. SUPERVALU serves customers across the United States through its network of more than 4,400 locations, which include traditional retail and hard discount stores, in-store pharmacies and independent stores. SUPERVALU has approximately 130,000 employees.

“This financing will provide SUPERVALU with more financial flexibility as we execute our business turnaround.” said Sherry Smith, executive vice president and chief financial officer of SUPERVALU INC.

“We believe that effective capital solutions are built on sound financing structures as well as strategic insight into the retail business cycle,” said Jim Hogan, senior managing director of GE Capital, Corporate Retail Finance. “Our long-standing specialization financing mid-size and large retailers allows us to develop tailored solutions that support growth.”

About GE Capital, Corporate Retail Finance

GE Capital, Corporate Retail Finance is a leading provider of senior secured loans to retailers, primarily in the U.S., to support working capital, growth, acquisitions and more. With Access GE, clients also benefit from access to GE’s best practices. For more information, visitwww.gelending.com/clnewsor follow @GELendLease on Twitter.

GE Capital offers consumers and businesses around the globe an array of financial products and services. For more information, visit gecapital.com or follow company news via Twitter (@GECapital). GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. For more information, visit ge.com.

Mortgage Shopping, Made Easier - Economic View

The following is an excerpt from an article in 

The New York Times
Sunday, August 19, 2012

Mortgage Shopping, Made Easier - Economic View

By RICHARD H. THALER

MORTGAGE rates are very low, but some people who could qualify for cheap refinancing are procrastinating. That may be because shopping for a mortgage can make root canal surgery seem fun.

Choosing a home and mortgage is probably the largest financial decision that most Americans ever make. Yet perhaps because the loan process is so onerous and opaque, many take the first quote they are offered. In fact, research shows that people typically spend more time shopping for a car or vacation than for a mortgage, and I suspect that many families spend as much or more time picking out a microwave oven.

Shirking on mortgage shopping is a costly type of sloth. Other research, done for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, finds that most borrowers could save several thousand dollars by getting just one more quote.

Now is a propitious time for raising these issues because the new Consumer Finance Protection Bureau is undertaking a Congressionally mandated revision of some disclosure forms that are required by law. (Disclosure: Along with John G. Lynch Jr., a professor at the University of Colorado, I met with bureau staff members last month to discuss this proposal from a behavioral science perspective.)

The bureau’s goals should be to make mortgage shopping easier and more efficient, and to make the industry more transparent and competitive, all while reducing the kinds of bad loans that helped create the financial crisis.

One form is of particular importance. It’s the “loan estimate,” a paper copy of which must go to borrowers within three days of application for a loan.

The bureau’s research team did extensive testing to decide what data should be included on this new form. It proposed a three-page version containing more than 100 pieces of information, including the interest rate, charges for various services and whether features like prepayment penalties or balloon payments were part of the deal.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

GE Capital is Administrative Agent on $52 Million Cash Flow Credit Facility for Wanzl Group

26 March 2012

GE Capital is Administrative Agent on $52 Million Cash Flow Credit Facility for Wanzl Group

NORWALK, Conn.--26 March 2012-- GE Capital, Corporate Finance today announced it is an administrative agent in a $52 million U.S. and Canadian cash flow credit facility for Germany-based Wanzl Group, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of shopping carts.The loan will be used to support the acquisition of Cari-All Group, a leading manufacturer of shopping carts in North America. GE Capital Markets served as co-lead arranger and joint bookrunner.

Headquartered in Leipheim, Germany, Wanzl Group manufactures nearly two million shopping carts a year, and produces shelving, display and turnstile systems for food, fashion, and home wares retailers. Wanzl owns seven production facilities in Germany, France, the Czech Republic and China. Cari-All Group includes the Cari-All, Technibilt and Rondi brands and has manufacturing operations in Newton, North Carolina and Montreal, Canada.

“GE Capital used their deep expertise in manufacturing to navigate the nuances and complexities of this financing,” said Michael Marks, CEO of Cari-All Group and Board Member of Wanzl Group. “Working with us and our advisors, they provided the means to make this strategic acquisition and foster our growth plans.”

“Our industry specialization is built on years of experience financing middle-market companies,” said Tom Quindlen, president and CEO of GE Capital, Corporate Finance. “We focus on providing them with flexible financing and other business-building solutions.”

About GE Capital, Corporate Finance

GE Capital, Corporate Finance provides asset-based, cash flow and structured loans and leases to mid-size and large U.S. businesses. Financing supports working capital, growth, acquisitions, turnarounds and balance sheet optimization in key sectors: Aerospace and defense; automotive and transportation; chemicals and plastics; construction and building products, corporate aircraft; financial and business services; food and beverage; manufacturing; marine; metals and mining; paper, packaging and forest products; retail; and technology and electronics. With Access GE, clients also benefit from access to GE’s best practices to help build their business. Visit gelending.com/clnews.

GE Capital offers consumers and businesses around the globe an array of financial products and services. For more information, visit gecapital.com or follow company news via Twitter (@GECapital). GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. For more information, visit ge.com

Good Things Come in Small Packages

March 20, 2012

Good things come in small packages; More than 80% of Chase SBA loans are under $250,000

·  #1 SBA lender by volume, Chase approved most of its SBA loans for less than $250,000

·  -In 2011, Chase approved more than $1.1 billion in SBA loans and lines of credit to more than 5,300 small businesses, part of $17 billion in small business credit

New York, March 20, 2012 - For every SBA 7a and Express loan Chase made over $250,000 last year, the nation's leading small business lender made four loans in smaller amounts, demonstrating its commitment to support entrepreneurs large and small. For the past three years, more than 80% of SBA's most popular loans approved by Chase have been for amounts under $250,000.

"Chase extends credit to businesses of every size and complexity," said Scott Geller, CEO of Business Banking at Chase. "The fact that we're making an increasing number of small loans means we're helping even more business owners hire, expand and innovate."

As a preferred lender with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Chase acts on the SBA's behalf, which streamlines the approval process and helps business owners get faster funding. In 2011, Chase approved $1.1 billion in 5,509 SBA loans and lines of credit, of which 3,665 were for amounts under $250,000.

Chase also was the #1 SBA lender of 7a and Express loans in many markets around the country, including:

·  Arizona	·  Dallas/Fort Worth
·  California	·  Houston
·  Florida	·  Los Angeles
·  Illinois	·  Santa Ana
·  New Jersey	·  Seattle
·  New York
·  Texas

Chase ranked first in both volume and dollars in New York (city and state) and Texas.

The continued increase in Chase's lending reflects the bank's pledge to help American small business grow. In the past three years, the bank has hired more than 1,100 new bankers to serve more than 2 million small businesses.

In 2011, Chase launched business banking innovations such as Instant Storefront from Chase^sm, Jot^sm and Chase QuickDeposit^sm, as well as enhancements to Chase Mobile^sm for Business and an array of free fraud protection services. An exclusive series of Chase business insights seminars in markets around the country bring entrepreneurs together for networking and business development.

About Chase
Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.3 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. Chase serves consumers and small businesses through 5,400 bank branches, 16,800 ATMs, mortgage offices, and online and mobile banking as well as through relationships with auto dealerships and schools and universities. Chase also has issued more than 90 million credit cards. More information about Chase is available at www.chase.com.

A Second Greek Bailout Is Approved by Euro Zone Nations

Excerpt from an article in

The New York Times

Thursday, March 15, 2012

A Second Greek Bailout Is Approved by Euro Zone Nations

By STEPHEN CASTLE

LONDON — After months of tortuous and tense negotiations, a second bailout for Greece finally became a reality on Wednesday when euro zone nations formally approved the plan and authorized the release of the first multibillion-euro loan installment.

In a statement, Jean-Claude Juncker, who, as the president of the Eurogroup, leads the finance ministers of the 17 European Union members that use the euro, said the national governments had formally approved Greece’s second rescue, which is valued at 130 billion euros ($170 billion). “All required national and parliamentary procedures have been finalized,” he said.

Finance ministers gave their political seal of approval to the accord earlier in the week, but the announcement on Wednesday signified the end of negotiations that had provoked tensions between Greece and some of its creditors and that periodically had teetered close to failure.

Husband & Wife Plead Guilty in $3 M Fraud Scheme

Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to Roles in $3 Million Fraud Scheme Using Art as Collateral 

U.S. Attorney’s OfficeMarch 07, 2012

Northern District of Texas(214) 659-8600

DALLAS—Eugenio D. Leo and his wife Jody L. Meyer, formerly of Allen, Texas, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to their respective roles in a $3 million fraud scheme they ran from February 2004 to November 2004, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

Leo, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and faces five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the loss to the victims. Meyer, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and faces a five-year term of probation and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the loss to the victims. Both Leo and Meyer, who now reside in Harwood Heights, Illinois, will remain on bond pending sentencing, which is set for June 20, 2012 before Judge Kinkeade.

According to documents filed in the case, during the time of the fraud, Leo worked as a commodities broker at Compass Financial, a commodities brokerage firm located in Richardson, Texas. He devised a mail and wire fraud scheme that involved inducing the victims, K.P. and L.P., to invest their money by making short-term loans to museums in Europe. These loans would be secured by pieces of artwork worth significantly more than the loan value. At Leo’s request, K.P. provided a power of attorney to Leo so that he could make the necessary arrangements for the short-term loan. Leo falsely reported to K.P. that K.P.’s loan was repaid plus interest.

Instead of a short-term museum loan, however, Leo actually purchased art with K.P.’s money, and then sold that art to K.P., never disclosing that he put himself in the purchase chain and made more than $800,000 from the sale. Leo, aided and abetted by Meyer, falsely represented that Leo owned K.P.’s artwork so that Leo could obtain a loan (using the art as collateral) from Art Capital Group for approximately $300,000.

Leo made material misrepresentations to facilitate the scheme to defraud his victims. He used his authority under a power of attorney from the victim to act contrary to the victim’s instructions, contrary to the victim’s best interest and for his own personal benefit. Leo and Meyer defrauded K.P. and L.P. of more than $3 million.

The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aisha Saleem, Paul Yanowitch and Dayle Elieson are prosecuting.

News Release from the FBI, Portland Division

Former Bend-Area Developer Pleads Guilty to $20 Million Bank Fraud 
Cases Relate to the Collapse of Desert Sun Development in Bend, Oregon

U.S. Attorney’s OfficeFebruary 22, 2012

Office of Public Affairs(202) 514-2007/TDD (202)514-1888

EUGENE, OR—Tyler Fitzsimons, 33, appeared before U.S. District Judge Michael R. Hogan on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 and pleaded guilty to a variety of mortgage and loan fraud charges arising out of the collapse of his company, Desert Sun Development (DSD), including conspiracy, bank fraud, and money laundering. From 2004 through 2008, DSD, a company previously headquartered in Bend, Oregon, built commercial structures and residential housing throughout Central Oregon. According to the indictments, DSD principals and other defendants caused financial institutions to lose more than $19 million.

According to court documents, Fitzsimons and others knowingly submitted fraudulent documents, including false financial statements, to various banks in order to obtain financing to develop and construct many of DSD’s commercial projects. Once the loans were approved, Fitzsimons and others submitted additional false documents, including fictitious contracts and invoices, to the banks to obtain loan proceeds for construction costs that were claimed to be associated with the fraudulent documents. Often, no construction had occurred.

Fitzsimons also developed a real estate flipping scheme at DSD. In court records, Fitzsimons admitted, among other things, to undermining the loan approval process for individuals participating in the scheme by “seasoning” or falsely inflating their bank accounts through temporary deposits or undisclosed, short-term loans and by submitting other fictitious documents, including letters explaining employment, large or recent deposits, and bonuses, to the banks funding the loans.

Defendants Shannon Egeland, Jeremy Kendall, Robert Brink, Teresa Ausbrooks, Michael Wilson, and Del Barber, Jr., who are charged in these and related cases previously pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing.

Conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Bank fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, and money laundering carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set before U.S. District Court Judge Michael R. Hogan on October 09, 2012, at 10 a.m.

These cases were investigated by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigations, and the Oregon Division of Finance and Corporate Securities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford handled the prosecution of the cases.

News Release from the FBI

New Twists to Telephone Collection Scam Related to Delinquent Payday Loans 

Washington, D.C.February 21, 2012

FBI National Press Office(202) 324-3691

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) continues to receive complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. As previously reported in December 2010, the typical payday loan scam involves a caller who claims the victim is delinquent on a payday loan and must make payment to avoid legal consequences.

Callers pose as representatives of the FBI, “Federal Legislative Department,” various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies and claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, or other Internet check-cashing services. The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim’s home, cell phone, and place of employment in attempts to obtain payment. The callers refuse to provide information regarding the alleged payday loan or any documentation and become verbally abusive when questioned.

The IC3 has observed variations of this scam in which the caller tells the victim that there are outstanding warrants for the victim’s arrest. The caller claims that the basis of the warrants is non-payment of the underlying loan and/or hacking. If it’s the latter, the caller tells the victim that he or she is wanted for hacking into a business’ computer system to steal customer information. The caller will then demand payment via debit/credit card; in other cases, the caller further instructs victims to obtain a prepaid card to cover the payment.

The high-pressure collection tactics used by the fraudsters have also evolved. In one recent complaint, a person posed as a process server and appeared at the victim’s job. In another instance, a phony process server came to a victim’s home. In both cases, after claiming to be serving a court summons, the alleged process server said the victim could avoid going to court if he or she provided a debit card number for repayment of the loan.

If you are contacted by someone who is trying to collect a debt that you do not owe, you should:

• Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger;
• Contact your bank(s) and credit card companies;
• Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file;
• If you have received a legitimate loan and want to verify that you do not have any outstanding obligation, contact the loan company directly;
• File a complaint at www.IC3.gov.

GE Capital Supports Investment

News release from GE:

21 February 2012

GE Capital, Franchise Finance Provides $25 Million to Support Quilvest Group Investment in Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, Inc.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--21 February 2012-- GE Capital, Franchise Finance provided a $25 million credit facility to support an investment in Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, Inc. by an affiliate of The Quilvest Group. The financing includes a $17 million term loan and an $8 million revolving credit facility. Funding was provided through GE Capital’s bank affiliate, GE Capital Financial Inc.

“GE Capital proved to be a great choice for us,” explains Henrik Falktoft, partner, The Quilvest Group. “Their team was very supportive and knowledgeable about this market and that made for a better transaction.”

The Quilvest Group has invested around $4 billion in more than 300 private equity and real estate funds and 150 direct investments.

“We were in a great position to help both parties using our experience in the space and our relationship with the sponsor, Quilvest,” said Mike Kurtz, vice president, GE Capital, Franchise Finance.

Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza opened their first store in Florida in 2002 and now has 32 locations throughout Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York and Connecticut.

About GE Capital, Franchise Finance

GE Capital, Franchise Finance is a leading lender for the franchise finance market via direct sales and portfolio acquisition. With more than 30 years of experience and $10 billion in served assets, we serve over 3,000 customers and over 18,000 property locations. We specialize in financing mid-market operators with multiple stores in the restaurant and hospitality industries. Our team of industry experts will work with you to help develop your own growth plan with access to our proprietary industry research and customized tools. More information is available atwww.gefranchisefinance.com.

Irresistible Mortgage-Backed Securities

Excerpt from an article in The New York Times
Sunday, February 19, 2012

Prices of Mortgage-Backed Securities Prove Irresistible

By AZAM AHMED

Some Wall Street investors made money as the mortgage market boomed; others profited when it fell apart.

Having reaped big gains during both of those turns, Greg Lippmann, a former star trader at Deutsche Bank, is now catching the next upswing: buying the same securities built from mortgages that he bet against before the financial crisis erupted.

Mr. Lippmann is joined by other big-money investors - mutual funds like Fidelity as well as hedge funds - in riding a wave of interest in the same complex loan pools that nearly washed away the financial system.

The attraction is the price. Some mortgage bonds are so cheap that even in the worst forecasts, with home prices falling as much as 10 percent and foreclosures rising, investors say they can still make money.

"Given its significant underperformance in 2011, we believe the product is as cheap to broader markets as it has been in a long time," Mr. Lippmann, whose portfolio is heavy with subprime mortgage securities, wrote in a recent letter to investors.

More broadly, the nascent recovery in the mortgage bond market supports a view that the housing slump may have bottomed out. Sales of existing homes are picking up. State and federal authorities have reached a $26 billion settlement with the big banks that is expected to provide some mortgage relief. And the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has been able to auction off billions of dollars of mortgage securities that it acquired as part of the financial crisis bailouts.

"There is light at the end of the tunnel," said Kenneth J. Taubes, the head of United States investment for Pioneer Investments, a global investment manager that owns these securities. "The mortgage crisis is getting behind us, and things are getting back to some semblance of normality."

That optimism is an about-face from 2006 and 2007, when Mr. Lippmann and others told investors that housing was a bubble ready to burst. On Wall Street, Mr. Lippmann became known as "Bubble Boy," and one of his traders wore a joking T-shirt that read, "I Shorted Your House."

His exploits were chronicled in Michael Lewis's best seller "The Big Short," which described him as somewhat brash and crass. He was known for maintaining a sushi spreadsheet, where he ranked the top Japanese restaurants in Manhattan on ambiance, quality and cost. (He still maintains the spreadsheet.)

These days, industry competitors describe Mr. Lippmann, who runs LibreMax Capital, as a more mellow presence. And he is much more positive about the market, telling investors that his fund is reducing its hedge against a potential market crash. Through a spokesman, Mr. Lippmann declined to comment.