Retail & Commercial

Ginnie Mae is considering raising minimum net-worth requirements for issuers of its mortgage-backed securities after being deluged with applications from small mortgage banks. Disruptions in the mortgage market prompted the rush.

General Motors Co. (GM), the largest U.S. automaker, said its lending arm made a bid in July for Ally Financial Inc. (ALLY)'s international operations, which, if successful, could more than double GM Financial Co.'s consolidated assets.

A key long-term certificate-of-deposit rate has reached a historic low after falling below 1%.

Two banks that are majority-owned by Piedmont Community Bank Holdings in Raleigh, N.C., have agreed to merge.

Alliance Data will continue providing private-label credit cards to Stage Stores and will collaborate to develop and launch a simplified loyalty program under a new long-term contract with the retailer.

Kevin McCarty, the insurance commissioner of Florida who recently started investigating the force-placed insurance market, vividly recounts his fight to correct an error that, he says, led to forced coverage on his condo several years ago.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is now offering mobile banking features to users of its prepaid card, Liquid.

Eight banks still have more than $2 billion in loans covered by FDIC loss-sharing agreements, according to data compiled by FIG Partners. Collectively, the FDIC is covering a percentage of losses on $39 billion of loans at those banks. Here are the banks with the largest amount of covered loans at June 30.

Their regulator has achieved for them by administrative fiat what they have been unable to accomplish in Congress.

VeriFone is supplying retailer Beall's with customer-facing point-of-sale devices that feature color displays and the capacity to adapt to changes in payments.