Table of Contents

Survivors of Industry TurmoilAre Flexing Their Muscles

Overly rapid growth has felled some prominent home equity and subprime lenders, but those that have weathered the storm are looking like winners. 3A

California Lender Is Dead SeriousDespite Circus-Like Atmosphere

Platinum Capital's top executives believe that people who have fun on the job will make big contributions to the company's rapid growth. 4A

United Companies Remaking ItselfWith a Big Technology Budget

The old-line New Orleans-based lender is rapidly dragging itself into the modern world of computer-based decision-making. 6A

Congress and Agencies Have Made Road a Rough One For Many in the Industry

Hearings and investigations have been abundant in the past year, and there's no signs of a letup in the activity. 8A

The Typical Equity BorrowerIs Surprisingly Upscale

While the average customer for home equity loans is quite affluent, the subprime borrower has a much more downscale profile. 9A