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ABI Bankruptcy Brief | October 25, 2012


 


  

October 25, 2012

 

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  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

FORECLOSURES FALL IN 62 PERCENT OF U.S. CITIES



RealtyTrac said that foreclosures fell in nearly two-thirds of the nation's largest metro areas during the third quarter, CNNMoney.com reported today. With 62 percent of the nation's 212 largest markets seeing foreclosure activity shrink during the latest quarter, the ongoing decline is yet another sign that the housing market is starting to stabilize, according to RealtyTrac. During September, foreclosure activity in 58 percent of the major metro markets had even dropped below September 2007 levels. Major cities like San Francisco, Detroit, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego saw foreclosures fall by double-digit percentages of 26 percent or more. Of the metro areas with the 20 highest foreclosure rates, all are still in California, Arizona, Nevada and Florida. Read more.

COMMENTARY: STUDENT DEBT DEBACLES



Students who finance their educations through private lenders often wrongly assume that private and federal loans work the same way, according to an editorial in today's New York Times. The problem is serious because private student loans now account for $150 billion of the $1 trillion in total outstanding student loan debt in the country, according to the first annual report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s student loan ombudsman. The report found that many loan servicers — the companies that collect the payments for the lenders — make it extremely difficult for student borrowers to manage their debts. Borrowers often have difficulty finding out how much they owe or getting information about their payment histories. Some struggling borrowers who need loan modification said that servicers forced them to pay more per month than they could possibly afford, without telling them the payments would not prevent default. The federal government needs to open up refinancing and debt-relief opportunities for these borrowers, according to the editorial, as it did for some mortgage-holders. The bureau should also set national standards for loan servicers to require clear disclosure of conditions, advance notice of any changes in the status of the account and prompt resolution of customer requests for information. Read the full editorial.

ANALYSIS: OUTSIDE LAW FIRMS FOR U.S. REGULATOR TO NET QUARTER OF CREDIT UNION SETTLEMENT



The National Credit Union Administration, the credit union industry's regulator, last year hired outside attorneys to recover between $6 billion and $9 billion in losses incurred by failed credit unions from their purchase of toxic mortgage securities from Wall Street banks before the 2008 financial crisis, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis yesterday. The law firms were hired under a contingency fee arrangement that would give them one-fourth of any judgment or settlement, according to congressional investigators who reviewed the contracts. It could mean a payday of hundreds of millions of dollars for the firms. The amount recovered in securities lawsuits typically falls short of the losses, said an attorney involved in the case. The NCUA filed suits in federal court in Kansas and California last year and this month against seven banks that structured and sold the deals. The NCUA declined to provide details about the lawyers' contract, saying it would compromise litigation and negotiation strategy. The two firms, Kellogg Huber Hansen Todd Evans & Figel PLLC and Korein Tillery LLC, declined to discuss the fee arrangement. House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) asked the inspector general of the NCUA last week to determine whether the agreement was legal. "Contingency fee arrangements impose exorbitant or unnecessary costs on taxpayers who have a right to expect the government to operate transparently and efficiently," Issa said. Read more. (Subscription required.)

JUDGE SAYS VISA, MASTERCARD DEAL APPEARS TO MEET STANDARD



A federal judge said that the proposed settlement of lawsuit brought by merchants over credit card fees that may cost Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and banks as much as $7.25 billion is probably worthy of initial approval, Bloomberg News reported today. "I have reviewed the settlement agreement, and at first blush it appears to satisfy the requirements for preliminary approval," U.S. District Judge John Gleeson said in an order yesterday. The order, containing Judge Gleeson's first public comments on the deal since it was unveiled in July, came in response to objections lodged by an expanding group of retailers and trade groups who contend that it is unfair. Judge Gleeson said that he will hear arguments against preliminary approval of the settlement on Nov. 9. He declined a request to form a committee for objecting retailers and said that there would be an opportunity for a more thorough discussion at a later hearing on final approval. Read more.

CFTC SAID TO ALLOW MORE SWAPS TRADING VIA PHONE IN FINAL RULE



The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) will allow more swaps to be traded over the phone than initially indicated under proposed Dodd-Frank Act reforms, Bloomberg News reported today. Chairman Gary Gensler outlined the changes on Tuesday with executives of firms that want to create regulated entities allowed to trade swaps, known as swap execution facilities (SEFs). The details of what will be allowed are still being worked out for the final draft rule, which is expected to be shown to the four other CFTC commissioners today. The change in phone trading contrasts with the proposal written in the Federal Register in January 2011, which said that "entities offering the following services do not comply with the statutory definition of a SEF: one-to-one voice services for the execution or trading of swaps (other than for the execution of block trades)." Read more.

LIVE WEBCAST AVAILABLE FOR ABI'S CHAPTER 11 COMMISSION HEARING AT NCBJ'S ANNUAL MEETING TOMORROW!



If you are not able to attend the public hearing of ABI's Chapter 11 Reform Commission tomorrow from 2:30-4:30 p.m. PT (5:30-7:30 p.m. ET) at the 86th Annual NCBJ Annual Conference, there will be a live webcast stream available! To access the live webcast, simply go to the Commission’s website (http://commission.abi.org) and the webcast will appear on the main page when the hearing begins. Prepared witness testimony for the hearing will also be accessible from the webpage.

Additionally, members planning to attend the NCBJ Annual Conference in San Diego will not want to miss the exciting line-up scheduled for the ABI program track tomorrow. In addition to roundtable discussions on the hottest consumer and business bankruptcy topics, ABI will be hosting a ticketed luncheon (tickets can be purchased at the ABI Booth) that will feature the presentation of the 7th Annual Judge William L. Norton, Jr. Judicial Excellence Award and entertainment by Apollo Robbins, a sleight-of hand artist, security consultant and self-described gentleman thief. To view the list of ABI programs tomorrow and the full NCBJ Annual Conference schedule, please click here.

MEMBERS ENCOURAGED TO WEIGH IN ON REAPPOINTMENT OF BANKRUPTCY JUDGE JUDITH WIZMUR



The current 14-year term of office of Judith H. Wizmur, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of New Jersey at Camden, is due to expire on Sept. 4, 2013. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is considering the reappointment of the judge to a new 14-year term of office. Members of the bar and the public are invited to submit comments for consideration by the Court of Appeals regarding the reappointment of Bankruptcy Judge Wizmur. All comments should be directed to one of the following addresses: by e-mail at Wizmur_Reappointment@ca3.uscourts.gov or by mail to the Office of the Circuit
Executive, 22409 U.S. Courthouse, 601 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1790.
Comments must be received no later than noon on Monday, December 3, 2012.

ABI IN-DEPTH

NEW DIP FINANCING BOOK AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER IN THE ABI BOOKSTORE



The Bankruptcy Code provides a variety of mechanisms designed to facilitate a chapter 11 debtor's access to new credit to fund its reorganization or sale efforts. DIP financing, or credit extended to a chapter 11 debtor, offers unique benefits—and challenges—for those that take on the risk of providing secured credit to troubled businesses. Debtor-in-Possession Financing: Funding a Chapter 11 Case details the real-world application of this part of the Code, particularly § 364, and explains common lending practices, including the critical financial analyses that lenders should complete before entering into a DIP agreement. Concluding with a detailed analysis of a "Model DIP Financing Order," this manual provides practitioners, lenders and debtors with an understanding of the history behind DIP financing and a practical explanation of its often-complex mechanics. (Softbound, 212 pages. Member price: $60. Non-member price: $85. To obtain member pricing, please log in prior to purchase.)

Click here to pre-order your copy today!

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: ANDERSON V. CRANMER (IN RE CRANMER; 10TH CIR.)



Summarized by Adam Kunst

The Tenth Circuit ruled that Social Security income need not be included in the calculation of projected disposable income for a chapter 13 repayment plan. Not including Social Security income in the calculation of projected disposable income in a chapter 13 repayment plan is not a ground for finding that the plan was not proposed in good faith.

There are more than 650 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: BIG BANKS NOW OFFERING PAYDAY LOANS



The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post examines how Wells Fargo, First Third Bank and other large banks offer payday-style loans, called direct deposit advances or ready advances. Both the FDIC and the CFPB have taken notice of the loans and are investigating the practices.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

Section 523(a)(8) should be amended to allow private student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy.

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

HAVE YOU TUNED IN TO BLOOMBERG LAW'S VIDEO PODCASTS?



Bloomberg Law's video podcasts feature top experts speaking about current bankruptcy topics. The podcasts are available via Bloomberg Law's YouTube channel so that you can access the programs from your computer or device of your choice! Click here to view the Bloomberg Law video podcasts.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL



INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

Have a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn Account?

Join our networks to expand yours.

  

 

TOMORROW:



CHAPTER 11 COMMISSION HEARING

Oct. 26, 2012

Live Webcast

 

MONDAY:

 

MEXICO 2012

Oct. 29, 2012

Register Today!

 

COMING UP:

 

 

MEXICO 2012

Nov. 7, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

4TH ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Nov. 9, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

SE 2012

Nov. 12, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

SE 2012

Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

MT 2012

Dec. 4-8, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

WCBC 2013

Jan. 22, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013

Jan. 24-25, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013

Feb. 7-9, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013

Feb. 17-19, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013

Feb. 20-22, 2013

Register Today!

 

   
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

October

- ABI Program at NCBJ's Annual Conference

     October 26, 2012 | San Diego, Calif.

- ABI Endowment Event at Peter Max Gallery

     October 29, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

November

- U.S./Mexico Restructuring Symposium

     November 7, 2012 | Mexico City, Mexico

- Professional Development Program

     November 9, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     November 12, 2012 | Detroit, Mich.

- Winter Leadership Conference

     November 29 - December 1, 2012 | Tucson, Ariz.

December

- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training

     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

  

 

2013

January

- Western Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     January 22, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.

- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference

     January 24-25, 2013 | Denver, Colo.

February

- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium

     February 7-9, 2013 | Miami, Fla.

- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute

     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.

- VALCON 2013

     February 20-22, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.


 
 

ABI BookstoreABI Endowment Fund ABI Endowment Fund
 


Foreclosures Fall in 62 Percent of U.S. Cities

 
  

July 23, 2013

 
home  |  newsroom  |  chart of the day  |  blogs  |  bankruptcy code and rules  |  statistics  |  legislative news  |  volo
  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

DELAWARE SLATED FOR NEW BANKRUPTCY JUDGE AMID GROWING CASELOAD

Delaware's U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the busiest in the country for chapter 11 filings, is getting an additional judge to help handle what officials see as a "full-blown crisis," the subject of a Senate hearing today, Bloomberg News reported. The Wilmington, Del.-based court has a caseload justifying a dozen judges, while it has only half that number now, Chief Delaware U.S. District Judge Gregory M. Sleet, who oversees the bankruptcy unit, said in his 2013 annual report. "The seventh judgeship is important, and funding it is obviously necessary," said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Bankruptcy and the Courts, which held a hearing this afternoon titled "Sequestering Justice: How the Budget Crisis Is Undermining Our Courts." The hearing centered on the impact of the federal government's spending sequestration on the courts. Coons has been helping to strengthen the financial underpinnings of the bankruptcy courts, sponsoring the bipartisan Temporary Bankruptcy Judgeship Extension Act to extend expiring authorizations in 14 states and Puerto Rico. "A full-blown crisis awaits us" in Delaware as the bankruptcy court deals with 28 percent in budget cuts over three years, necessitating the elimination of 23 of 72 office employees and a furlough program "whereby all staff of the clerk's office take one day every two weeks, without pay, equating to a 10 percent decrease in their salaries," Sleet wrote. The additional bankruptcy judge who has been authorized for Delaware by federal court administrators, "has not been funded," Sleet said. Read more.

To read the prepared witness testimony from today's Senate hearing, please click here.

BACKLOG OF FORECLOSURES CONTINUES TO BLOCK HOUSING RECOVERY

Analysts claim that while the housing market is on the mend -- with progress even in the hardest-hit states -- the backlog of homes in foreclosure and bank-owned properties are still clogging the pipeline, HousingWire.com reported yesterday. The East Coast is a testament to such findings, where the duration of the foreclosure process is high in large part to judicial foreclosure procedures in states using that process, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's latest report. The volume of distressed properties continues to impact housing momentum, and consequently, there is a compelling need for improved public policy on the local and national levels to minimize losses and externalities resulting from foreclosures and REO inventory, explained Diego Aragon, Richard Peach and Joseph Tracy of the New York Fed. As of March 2013, nearly 3 percent of all first-lien loans secured by one-to-four-unit residential properties were 90-plus days delinquent, essentially unchanged from June 2012. In contrast, the percentage of loans in foreclosure, which leveled off at around 4 percent from 2011 through 2012, declined to 3.5 percent by early 2013, the report noted. The decline in the percentage of loans in the foreclosure process was due to a sharp decrease in the number of loans flowing into foreclosure. Read more.

ANALYSIS: DODD-FRANK REMAINS A WORK IN PROGRESS 3 YEARS LATER

When President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Act to overhaul financial regulation three years ago, he observed that for the new rules to be effective, regulators would have to be vigilant, according to a Washington Post analysis yesterday. The moment marked the beginning of what has proven to be a slow and arduous process of trying to implement one of the most ambitious pieces of legislation in decades -- the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Given the severity of the financial crisis, there was great expectation that regulators would move swiftly to enact and enforce the landmark legislation. But the same intense lobbying and political wrangling that took place when the bill was being written has continued to delay or water down some of its provisions. Federal watchdogs were tasked with writing 398 rules to flesh out the law, but they have missed 62 percent of the deadlines set by Congress, according to data from Davis Polk & Wardwell, a law firm that represents financial institutions. Lately, there has been a renewed commitment from the administration to accelerate the process. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told an audience of investors in New York last week that "by the end of this year, the core elements of the Dodd-Frank Act will be substantially in place." A top priority, he said, is to complete the long-delayed Volcker Rule, a controversial provision that would ban federally insured banks from proprietary trading: using their own capital to make trades. Read more.

ANALYSIS OF DETROIT'S CHAPTER 9 FILING

BAD REAL ESTATE DEALS RETURN TO HAUNT DETROIT'S PENSIONS

A litany of real estate deals gone wrong is showing how Detroit's retirement system for 30,000 employees and retirees -- propped up by $1.4 billion in borrowed money -- became a cash cow for a select few, Bloomberg News reported today. Now, these bad investments are coming back to haunt workers and pensioners as Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr proposed slashing their benefits in the city's chapter 9 filing last week, the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Orr wants to restructure $18 billion in debt and long-term obligations and is asking some creditors to accept less than 20 cents on the dollar. Detroit's pensions are underfunded by as much as $3.5 billion in part because of unrealistic assumptions of 8 percent annual investment returns, Orr has said. The pensions say that the gap between assets and obligations to retirees is $700 million, according to a June 20 statement. "Detroit has been working its way to a level of insolvency for decades," Orr said at a news briefing after the bankruptcy filing. The city was "continuing to borrow, continuing to defer pension payments, continuing not to pay its bills on time, continuing a deepening insolvency." On July 19, a Michigan state court judge ruled that Detroit's chapter 9 filing violated the state's constitution by impairing pension benefits. Michigan's attorney general has appealed. Bankruptcy Judge Steven W. Rhodes in Detroit set a hearing for tomorrow to consider giving the city protection from lawsuits. Though authorities have investigated past investments authorized by the two pension boards, personnel changes have occurred on both with changes in city administrations. The present general retirement system trustees are acting responsibly, said the board's legal counsel, Michael VanOverbeke. In June, Orr ordered city investigators to review pension investments, as well as operations and other aspects of employee-benefit programs. Read more.

ABI will be holding a media teleconference tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET to examine Detroit's chapter 9 filing and what lies ahead. There are a limited number of spaces available to listen to the live program. If you would like to listen, please contact ABI Public Affairs Manager John Hartgen at jhartgen@abiworld.org.

ANALYSIS: DETROIT'S BANKRUPTCY REVEALS DYSFUNCTION COMMON IN CITIES

The financial pressures that pushed Detroit into becoming the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in U.S. history are also playing out on a smaller scale in cities around the nation, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. Diminished tax revenue and rising labor costs have left four cities insolvent since 2007. "None of the other cities are as far along, but there are dozens, if not hundreds of cities that have similar issues," said Alan Mallach, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "Every other industrial city has problems that could send them down the same path." U.S. municipalities have recovered slowly from the 18-month recession that ended four years ago, which depressed property-tax revenue and led to investment losses for pensions that many cities haven't fully funded for years. Projected pension and health care obligations for the 61 biggest cities will top assets by about $217 billion, according to a study by the Pew Charitable Trusts, a Philadelphia-based research and public-policy group. Read more.

For an analysis of the situation in Detroit, municipal distress and chapter 9 bankruptcy, be sure to pick up a copy of ABI's Municipalities in Peril: The ABI Guide to Chapter 9, Second Edition, from the ABI Bookstore.

COMMENTARY: GETTING DETROIT BACK ON ITS FEET

There is no doubt that Detroit's bankruptcy proceedings will be very painful for Detroit's population of 700,000, but the bankruptcy case might also allow the city to be relieved of paying back its bondholders and banks much of the estimated $9 billion they lent to Detroit on overly rosy assumptions, according to an editorial in today's New York Times. This group of lenders and investors will, of course, push the city and state to also force concessions on city workers and retirees, whose pension funds are underfinanced by about $3.5 billion. But city officials should resist the idea of cutting the pension payments for the city's public workers, which average $19,000 a year. Unlike the situation in other troubled cities where government officials made lavish pension promises and workers gamed the system to inflate their benefits, Detroit's pension problems are quite modest. Moreover, city employees have already had their pay and benefits reduced significantly in recent years. Slashing the meager fixed incomes of retirees will also hurt the city's weak economy because they are more likely to spend most of the money they receive in local businesses. Labor unions also argue that Michigan's Constitution protects their pensions from cuts, which will set up a potentially long legal battle that the city can ill afford. Read the full editorial.

DID YOU MISS MONDAY'S abiLIVE WEBINAR DISCUSSING § 1111(b) ELECTION, PLAN FEASIBILITY AND CRAMDOWN ISSUES? RECORDING IS NOW AVAILABLE!

If you were not able to join Monday's well-attended abiLIVE webinar examining § 1111(b), a recording of the program is now available for downloading! Utilizing a case study, ABI's panel of experts explored the issues surrounding a lender's decision on whether or not to make an election under § 1111(b), plan feasibility and voting. The abiLIVE panel also walked attendees through the necessary mathematical analyses used to examine these issues. The 90-minute recording is available for the special price of $75 and can be purchased here.

NEW abiLIVE WEBINAR ON AUGUST 20: HOW WILL THE NEW U.S. TRUSTEE FEE GUIDELINES IMPACT YOU?

The new U.S. Trustee Fee Guidelines will affect all attorneys and firms who work on larger chapter 11 cases filed on or after November 1st. ABI's Ethics & Professional Compensation Committee will present a panel of experts, including Cliff White, the director of the U.S. Trustee Program, to discuss some of the ways the new guidelines could change day-to-day operations in firms, issues relating to the new market rate benchmarks, and how these changes might alter insolvency practice. Register today to hear government, attorney and academic perspectives on this important and timely topic.

ABI GOLF TOUR UNDERWAY; NEXT STOP IS THE MID-ATLANTIC BANKRUPTCY WORKSHOP IN AUGUST

The 5th stop for the ABI Golf Tour is the Hershey Country Club, in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop. Final scoring to win the Great American Cup — sponsored by Great American Group — is based on your top three scores at seven scheduled ABI events, so play as many as you can before the tour wraps up at the Winter Leadership Conference in December. See the Tour page for details and course descriptions. The ABI Golf Tour combines networking with fun competition, as golfers "play their own ball." Including your handicap means everyone has an equal chance to compete for the glory of being crowned ABI's top golfer of 2013! A 22-handicapper won the tour event last week at Amelia Island, Fla. There's no charge to register or participate in the Tour.

ABI IN-DEPTH

NORTON JUDICIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN UNTIL JULY 29

Nominations are now open for the 8th Annual Judge William L. Norton Judicial Excellence Award, to be presented during the ABI luncheon at the annual meeting of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges on Nov. 1, 2013. The award is presented by ABI and Thomson Reuters each year to the current or retired bankruptcy judge whose career embodies the same continued dedication and outstanding contributions to the insolvency community as the award’s namesake, Judge Norton. Nominations are considered by a committee made up of representatives from the Norton treatise and past ABI presidents. Nomination forms, which must be submitted by July 29, are available from Clay Mattson at Thomson Reuters (clay.mattson@thomsonreuters.com).

NEW ABI "BANKRUPTCY IN DEPTH" ON-DEMAND CLE PROGRAM LOOKS AT PRINCIPLES OF PROPERTY OF THE ESTATE: DEMYSTIFYING EQUITABLE INTERESTS

In this 90-minute seminar, Profs. Andrew Kull of Boston University School of Law and Scott Pryor of Regent University School of Law provide an in-depth analysis of a legal principle that has become, in their words, "a long-lost area of the law": § 541 of the Bankruptcy Code. Seeking to demystify what is meant by "property of the estate" and, in particular, the distinction between legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property, Kull and Pryor describe the legal entanglements that ensue when legal title belongs to one person but the equitable title belongs to someone else. The cost of the seminar, which includes written materials and qualifies for 1.5 hours of CLE, is $95. To order or to learn more, click here.

ASSOCIATES: ABI'S NUTS & BOLTS ONLINE PROGRAMS HELP YOU HONE YOUR SKILLS WHILE SAVING ON CLE!

Associates looking to sharpen their bankruptcy knowledge should take advantage of ABI's special offer of combining general, business or consumer Nuts & Bolts online programs. Each program features an outstanding faculty of judges and practitioners explaining the fundamentals of bankruptcy, offering procedures and strategies tailored for both consumer and business attorneys. Click here to get the CLE you need at a great low price!

NEW CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: ISAACSON V. MANTY (IN RE ISAACSON; 8TH CIR.)

Summarized by Bryan Robinson of the Law Offices of Bryan Robinson

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld the district court's affirmation of the bankruptcy courts imposition of sanctions against the plaintiff (Isaacson) for making factually unsupported, inflammatory and harassing statements against the bankruptcy judge, the bankruptcy trustee, the bankruptcy court and the U.S. Trustee's Office, according to documents filed with the court.

There are more than 900 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: FURTHER EXAMINATION OF DETROIT'S CHAPTER 9 FILING

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post takes a closer look at the issues surrounding Detroit's chapter 9 filing.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

When will the dowward trend of consumer bankruptcy filings turn around?

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL

INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

Have a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn Account?

Join our networks to expand yours.

  

 

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MA 2013
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SW 2013
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NYIC Golf Tournament 2013
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Endowment Baseball 2013
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NYU 2013
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  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

2013

August
- Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop
    August 8-10, 2013 | Hershey, Pa.
- abiLIVE Webinar: How Will the New U.S. Trustee Fee Guidelines Impact You?
     August 20, 2013
- Southwest Bankruptcy Conference
    August 22-24, 2013 | Incline Village, Nev.

September
- ABI Endowment Golf & Tennis Outing
    Sept. 10, 2013 | Maplewood, N.J.
- ABI Endowment Baseball Game
    Sept. 12, 2013 | Baltimore, Md.
- Lawrence P. King and Charles Seligson Workshop on Bankruptcy & Business Reorganization
    Sept. 18-19, 2013 | New York
- abiLIVE Webinar: Complex Requirements and Ethical Duties of Representing Consumer Debtors
     Sept. 24, 2013
- Bankruptcy 2013: Views from the Bench
    Sept. 27, 2013 | Washington, D.C.

 

  

 

October
- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program and Midwestern Consumer Forum
    Oct. 4, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.
- ABI Endowment Football Game
    Oct. 6, 2013 | Miami, Fla.
- Professional Development Program
    Oct. 11, 2013 | New York, N.Y.
- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
    Oct. 14, 2013 | Chicago, Ill.
- International Insolvency Symposium
    Oct. 25, 2013 | Berlin, Germany

November
- Austin Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute
   Nov. 10-12, 2013 | Austin, Texas
- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference
   Nov. 11, 2013 | Detroit, Mich.

December
- ABI/St. John’s Bankruptcy Mediation Training
    Dec. 8-12, 2013 | New York

 

 
 
ABI BookstoreABI Endowment Fund ABI Endowment Fund
 

Article Tags



ABI Bankruptcy Brief | September 25, 2012


 


  

September 25, 2012

 

home  |  newsroom  |  chart of the day  |  blogs  |  bankruptcy code and rules  |  statistics  |  legislative news  |  volo
  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

REPORT: FEWER MORTGAGE LOANS PAST DUE, IN FORECLOSURE



Lender Processing Services (LPS), which provides mortgage and consumer loan processing services and default solutions, said that mortgage delinquencies are down by more than 10 percent over the past year, although more than one homeowner in 10 remains at risk of losing their home, MortgageLoan.com reported yesterday. The nation’s mortgage delinquency rate fell to 6.87 percent in August to 3.43 million, according to new figures from LPS. That represents a 10.6 percent decline over the past year and a 2.3 percent drop from the July figure. Delinquent mortgages in the LPS survey include loans that are at least 30 days past due but not in foreclosure. Meanwhile, the national foreclosure rate fell to 4.04 percent, representing 2.02 million homes in foreclosure but not yet repossessed. That number is down 2.0 percent from the August 2011 level and 1.0 percent from July’s figures. Click here.

CONSUMERS GIVEN DIFFERENT CREDIT SCORES THAN WHAT IS PROVIDED TO LENDERS, CFPB SAYS



The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a study today that found that one in five U.S. consumers is likely to receive a credit score that is different than the one provided to lenders, potentially closing off access to credit for millions of Americans who believe that they are eligible for it, Bloomberg News reported today. The study comes five days before the consumer agency, created by the Dodd-Frank law of 2010, begins supervising credit-reporting companies' records and practices. The work involves direct examination of about 30 businesses, including the three biggest, Equifax Inc., Experian Plc and TransUnion Corp. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumers are entitled to a free copy of their credit report each year. Consumer advocates have long charged that credit-reporting companies provide varying scores to lenders, potentially driving the cost of credit higher or depriving consumers of it entirely. Specifically, the bureau found that one in five consumers likely receive a "meaningfully different" score than the one their lender receives from credit bureaus, and consumers are unlikely to know about the discrepancy. Read more.

MOODY'S: CARD CHARGE-OFFS, LATE PAYMENT RATE FELL IN AUGUST



Moody's Investors Service said yesterday that the rate of U.S. credit card charge-offs fell to 4.19 percent in August from 4.56 percent in July, the Associated Press reported. Moody's index of credit card delinquencies, or those balances with a monthly payment more than 30 days past due, also improved. The rate declined to 2.32 percent in August from 2.36 percent the previous month. August's card delinquency rate is at a record low, which points to lower charge-offs in coming months, Moody's said. As delinquencies drop, Moody's data shows that card users are increasing the size of their payments. The average amount of principal that cardholders paid as a percentage of their balance hit a new high in August, rising to a rate of 22.71 percent from 22.47 percent a month earlier, the firm said. Read more.

ANALYSIS: PENSION CRISIS LOOMS DESPITE CUTS



Almost every state in the U.S. has made cuts to its public-employee pensions, seeking to dig their way out from the economic downturn, but so far the measures have fallen well short of bridging a nearly $1 trillion funding gap, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Since 2009, 45 states have rolled back pension benefits for teachers, police, firefighters and other public workers, including cuts by Michigan and California this month. Next week, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) is expected to sign legislation requiring, for example, that certain teachers work longer and pay more toward their pensions. The state measures show how economic forces are reshaping traditional rivalries, convincing lawmakers and labor leaders that past public pension plans are unsustainable. Read more. (Subscription required.)

SYMPOSIUM ON OCT. 19 TO EXAMINE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BANKRUPTCY AND RACE



ABI, St. John's Center for Bankruptcy Studies and The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development are going to hold a symposium titled "Bankruptcy and Race: Is There a Relation?" on Oct. 19 from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET at the St. John's School of Law. In a recent study of personal bankruptcy cases and practitioners, Profs. Jean Braucher, Dov Cohen and Robert Lawless made a troubling finding: the debtor's race appears to affect the advice that lawyers give about whether to file for bankruptcy under chapter 7 or chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. Is this finding correct? And if so, what are its implications for bankruptcy law and policy? This symposium will bring together leading bankruptcy, empirical, and race scholars to address these questions through commentary on the Braucher study and a reply from the primary study authors. The papers will be published in the winter issue of the ABI Law Review. There is no fee to attend the symposium, but advance registration is required. To register, please complete and submit the online registration form by Oct. 15.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR STEVEN GOLICK, A COLLEAGUE AND ABI LEADER



Our friend Steven Golick (Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Toronto) is facing a medical crisis. He has been diagnosed with a serious brain tumor, requiring complex surgery and treatment. Steven’s spirits are very strong and he and his family remain optimistic, but he can use our support. A prominent international restructuring attorney and an ABI member since 1994, Steven is also a founding member of the ABI house band, the Indubitable Equivalents. Because the band is important to Steven, his fellow band-mates have organized a new Blog site for Steven's friends and colleagues to show their love and support at this critical time. Please click on this link to share your thoughts with many others, and post as often as you'd like.

ABI IN-DEPTH

MEMBERS WILL NOT WANT TO MISS ABI'S PROGRAM AT NCBJ'S ANNUAL MEETING ON OCT. 26



Members planning to attend the 86th Annual NCBJ Annual Conference in San Diego from Oct. 24-27 will not want to miss the exciting line-up scheduled for the ABI program track on Oct. 26. In addition to roundtable discussions on the hottest consumer and business bankruptcy topics, ABI will be hosting a ticketed luncheon that will feature the presentation of the 7th Annual Judge William L. Norton, Jr. Judicial Excellence Award and entertainment by Apollo Robbins, a sleight-of hand artist, security consultant and self-described gentleman thief. Robbins gained notoriety after pick-pocketing Secret Service agents accompanying former president Jimmy Carter. Click here to register for the Conference.



ABI's Chapter 11 Reform Commission will also be holding a public hearing on Oct. 26 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. PT at the San Diego Marriott. Interested parties have the opportunity to submit testimony at the hearing. For further information, please contact ABI Executive Director Samuel J. Gerdano at sgerdano@abiworld.org.

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: OLICK V. KEARNEY (IN RE OLICK; 3D CIR.)



Summarized by George Utlik of Arent Fox LLP

Affirming three decisions from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held that: (1) plaintiff-appellant waived his objections to the summary judgment order and oral opinion rendered from the bench in March 2008 because he had failed to secure a transcript of proceedings in the bankruptcy court, despite having ample time to do so and despite having the option of moving for transcripts to be provided at the government's expense under 28 U.S.C. § 753(f)); (2) plaintiff-appellant failed to meet his burden of showing that defendants’ proffered reason for an adverse employment action (poor employment performance) was pretext because no reasonable jury would find that defendants-appellees acted with discriminatory intent when they terminated him; (3) with respect to plaintiff-appellant’s claim under Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”), no causal connection existed between plaintiff-appellant’s protected activity and the termination of his field-agent contract.

There are more than 600 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: LEHMAN TO PAY LEGAL FEES OF PAULSON GROUP, GOLDMAN



The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post examines how a number of Wall Street banks and hedge funds—including Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Paulson & Co. and Mark Brodsky’s Aurelius Capital—received bankruptcy court approval to have Lehman’s estate cover their legal fees.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

Bankruptcy courts should have unfettered discretion in adjusting fee applications, even when no party-in-interest has raised objections.

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

HAVE YOU TUNED IN TO BLOOMBERG LAW'S VIDEO PODCASTS?



Bloomberg Law's video podcasts feature top experts speaking about current bankruptcy topics. The podcasts are available via Bloomberg Law's YouTube channel so that you can access the programs from your computer or device of your choice! Click here to view the Bloomberg Law video podcasts.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL



INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

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LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER:

"WHEN IS AN INDIVIDUAL CHAPTER 11 THE BEST FIT?" LIVE WEBINAR

Sept. 27, 2012

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COMING UP:

 

NABMW 2012

Oct. 4, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 5, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 5, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 8, 2012

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ABI YOUNG AND NEW MEMBERS COMMITTEE “TRENDING ISSUES: EXAMINERS AND SELECT PLAN CONFIRMATION ISSUES” WEBINAR

Oct. 15, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 16, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 18, 2012

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ABI/ST. JOHN'S "BANKRUPTCY AND RACE: IS THERE A RELATION?" SYMPOSIUM

Oct. 19, 2012

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ABI'S PROGRAM AT NCBJ'S ANNUAL MEETING

Oct. 26, 2012

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MEXICO 2012

Nov. 7, 2012

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4TH ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Nov. 9, 2012

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SE 2012

Nov. 12, 2012

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SE 2012

Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2012

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MT 2012

Dec. 4-8, 2012

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ACBPIKC 2013

Feb. 17-19, 2013

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  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

September

- "When Is an Individual Chapter 11 the Best Fit?" Live Webinar

     September 27, 2012

- American College of Bankruptcy's "Bankruptcy: Back to the Future" Program

     September 28, 2012 | Chicago, Ill.

October

- Nuts & Bolts for Young and New Practitioners - KC

     October 4, 2012 | Kansas City, Mo.

- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program, Midwestern Consumer Forum

     October 5, 2012 | Kansas City, Mo.

- Bankruptcy 2012: Views from the Bench

     October 5, 2012 | Washington, D.C.

- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     October 8, 2012 | Chicago, Ill.

- "Trending Issues: Examiners and Select Plan Confirmation Issues" Webinar

October 15, 2012

- ABI/Bloomberg Distressed Lending Conference

October 16, 2012 | New York, N.Y..

- International Insolvency and Restructuring Symposium

     October 18, 2012 | Rome, Italy

- ABI/St. John's "Bankruptcy and Race: Is There a Relation?" Symposium

     October 19, 2012 | Queens, N.Y.

- ABI Program at NCBJ's Annual Conference

     October 26, 2012 | San Diego, Calif.

  

 

November

- U.S./Mexico Restructuring Symposium

     November 7, 2012 | Mexico City, Mexico

- Professional Development Program

     November 9, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     November 12, 2012 | Detroit, Mich.

- Winter Leadership Conference

     November 29 - December 1, 2012 | Tucson, Ariz.

December

- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training

     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

2013

February

- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute

     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.


 
 

ABI BookstoreABI Endowment Fund ABI Endowment Fund
 


Report: Fewer Mortgage Loans Past Due, in Foreclosure



ABI Bankruptcy Brief | October 23, 2012


 


  

October 23, 2012

 

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  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

DELINQUENT PAYMENTS EDGE UP FOR CREDIT CARD ISSUERS



JPMorgan Chase, Discover Financial Services, American Express Co. and Capital One Financial Corp. each reported higher delinquency rates for September in regular monthly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Dow Jones Newswires reported today. Delinquency rates, typically measured as a percentage of loans for which borrowers are at least 30 days late on a payment, have fallen drastically since the financial crisis as consumers have been cautious about taking on new debt and card issuers have purged troubled accounts from their books. Analysts have predicted that this progress will begin to diminish, though, since there is little room for the rates to fall further and as some banks get back into subprime lending. Read more.

COMMENTARY: CFPB'S RECENT PROPOSAL DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH TO ADDRESS FORECLOSURE ABUSES



The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) recent proposal to regulate the foreclosure process is a disappointment as it retreats from many existing requirements, according to a New York Times editorial today. The CFPB's proposal does not impose any meaningful standards for loan modifications beyond those already required by various federal programs and agreements, many of which will expire in the future and none of which apply to the entire industry, according to the editorial. In place of concrete standards, the bureau’s proposal largely relies on procedural reforms, like requiring servicers to establish reasonable policies for managing paperwork and answering phone calls from borrowers, to contact borrowers at an early stage of delinquency, and to adhere to deadlines for responding to borrowers who need help. What is needed, according to the editorial, are requirements to make sure that all borrowers facing hardship are considered for loan modifications according to specific, publicly available criteria, and that loans are modified for all eligible borrowers. Read more.

OBAMA, ROMNEY SQUARE OFF ON AUTO BAILOUT IN FINAL DEBATE



In their third and final presidential debate ahead of the Nov. 6 election, President Obama said that if Mitt Romney's position on the $85 billion federal auto bailout had been in place, the U.S auto industry would have ceased to exist, the Detroit News reported today. Romney rejected Obama's claims, saying that he would not have allowed Detroit's Big Three automakers to liquidate. In his November 2008 New York Times column titled "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt," Romney said that he would support some aid but only after a bankruptcy filing. "The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing and assure car buyers that their warranties are not at risk," he wrote. Click here to read more.

Click here to read Romney's op-ed that appeared in the New York Times in 2008.

LATEST ABI PODCAST FEATURES EXPERTS LOOKING AT U.S./MEXICO CROSS-BORDER INSOLVENCY ISSUES



In advance of ABI's Inaugural Mexico Restructuring Symposium on Nov. 7 in Mexico City, ABI Executive Director Sam Gerdano speaks with panelists Richard J. Cooper of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP (New York) and Thomas S. Heather of Heather & Heather (Mexico City). Cooper and Heather provide a preview of their panel's discussion about similarities and differences between insolvency laws in the U.S. and Mexico. Click here to listen to the podcast.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR STEVEN GOLICK, A COLLEAGUE AND ABI LEADER FACING MAJOR SURGERY TODAY



Our friend Steven Golick (Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Toronto) is facing a medical crisis. He has been diagnosed with a serious brain tumor, requiring complex surgery and treatment. Steven’s spirits are very strong and he and his family remain optimistic, but he can use our support. A prominent international restructuring attorney and an ABI member since 1994, Steven is also a founding member of the ABI house band, the Indubitable Equivalents. Because the band is important to Steven, his fellow band-mates have organized a new Blog site for Steven's friends and colleagues to show their love and support at this critical time. Please click on this link to share your thoughts with many others, and post as often as you'd like.

ABI IN-DEPTH

MEMBERS WILL NOT WANT TO MISS ABI'S PROGRAM AT NCBJ'S ANNUAL MEETING ON FRIDAY



Members planning to attend the 86th Annual NCBJ Annual Conference in San Diego starting tomorrow will not want to miss the exciting line-up scheduled for the ABI program track on Friday. In addition to roundtable discussions on the hottest consumer and business bankruptcy topics, ABI will be hosting a ticketed luncheon that will feature the presentation of the 7th Annual Judge William L. Norton, Jr. Judicial Excellence Award and entertainment by Apollo Robbins, a sleight-of hand artist, security consultant and self-described gentleman thief. Click here to register for the Conference.

To view the list of ABI programs on Friday and the full NCBJ Annual Conference schedule, please click here.



ABI's Chapter 11 Reform Commission will also be holding a public hearing on Friday from 2:30-4:30 p.m. PT at the San Diego Marriott. For further information, please contact ABI Executive Director Samuel J. Gerdano at sgerdano@abiworld.org.

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: HADDAD V. ALEXANDER, ZELMANSKI, DANNER & FIORITTO, PLLC (6TH CIR.)



Summarized by Scott J. Whitacre

In a nonbankruptcy debt-collection matter, the Sixth Circuit reversed the district court and held that a condominium association assessment was a “debt” regulated by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq.) where the owner purchased the condominium as a residence and used it as such for 13 years but later leased it out to others.

There are more than 650 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: SIXTH CIRCUIT FIRST COURT OF APPEALS TO ADDRESS FRAUDULENT TRANSFERS IN LIGHT OF STERN



The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post found that in deciding Onkyo Electronics v. Global Technovations Inc. (In re Global Technovations Inc.), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit became the first court of appeals to considered whether, following the Supreme Court’s decision in Stern v. Marshall, a bankruptcy court has jurisdiction to enter a final judgment on a fraudulent transfer action. The Sixth Circuit held that the bankruptcy court in question had jurisdiction to enter a final judgment on a fraudulent transfer because the creditor had filed a proof of claim. The holding, however, implied that the Sixth Circuit would not have held that the bankruptcy court had such authority if the creditor had not filed a proof of claim.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

Section 523(a)(8) should be amended to allow private student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy.

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

HAVE YOU TUNED IN TO BLOOMBERG LAW'S VIDEO PODCASTS?



Bloomberg Law's video podcasts feature top experts speaking about current bankruptcy topics. The podcasts are available via Bloomberg Law's YouTube channel so that you can access the programs from your computer or device of your choice! Click here to view the Bloomberg Law video podcasts.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL



INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

Have a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn Account?

Join our networks to expand yours.

  

 

FRIDAY:

 

ABI'S PROGRAM AT NCBJ'S ANNUAL MEETING

&

CHAPTER 11 COMMISSION HEARING

Oct. 26, 2012

Register Today!

 

COMING UP:

 

 

MEXICO 2012

Oct. 29, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

MEXICO 2012

Nov. 7, 2012

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4TH ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Nov. 9, 2012

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SE 2012

Nov. 12, 2012

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SE 2012

Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2012

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MT 2012

Dec. 4-8, 2012

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ACBPIKC 2013

Jan. 24-25, 2013

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ACBPIKC 2013

Feb. 7-9, 2013

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ACBPIKC 2013

Feb. 17-19, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013

Feb. 20-22, 2013

Register Today!

 

   
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

October

- ABI Program at NCBJ's Annual Conference

     October 26, 2012 | San Diego, Calif.

- ABI Endowment Event at Peter Max Gallery

     October 29, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

November

- U.S./Mexico Restructuring Symposium

     November 7, 2012 | Mexico City, Mexico

- Professional Development Program

     November 9, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     November 12, 2012 | Detroit, Mich.

- Winter Leadership Conference

     November 29 - December 1, 2012 | Tucson, Ariz.

December

- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training

     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

  

 

2013

January

- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference

     January 24-25, 2013 | Denver, Colo.

February

- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium

     February 7-9, 2013 | Miami, Fla.

- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute

     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.

- VALCON 2013

     February 20-22, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.


 
 

ABI BookstoreABI Endowment Fund ABI Endowment Fund
 


Delinquent Payments Edge Up for Credit Card Issuers



ABI Bankruptcy Brief | March 19 2013


 


  

March 19, 2013

 

home  |  newsroom  |  chart of the day  |  blogs  |  bankruptcy code and rules  |  statistics  |  legislative news  |  volo
  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

ANALYSIS: MORE HOMEOWNERS EMERGE FROM "UNDERWATER" STATUS



Rising home values have lifted more borrowers out of the hole of owing more than their properties are worth, an encouraging sign for an economy still closely tied to the health of the housing market, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The number of "underwater" homeowners in the fourth quarter of 2012 declined by 1.7 million from a year earlier, meaning 1.7 million U.S. households have regained home equity, according to data released Tuesday by CoreLogic, a research company. Overall, the company said 21.5 percent of households with a mortgage were underwater at the end of 2012, down from 25.2 percent at the end of 2011. While the trends are encouraging, some newly above-water households are just barely at breakeven and therefore are a long way off from being able to change their finances in any significant way. And the overall ranks of those underwater remain large, at about 10.4 million, down from 12.1 million at the end of 2011, according to CoreLogic. Read more. (Subscription required.)

To see a state-by-state analysis of CoreLogic's 4Q 2012 data, be sure to check out ABI's Chart of the Day site.

FANNIE MAE SEES WAY TO REPAY BILLIONS TO U.S. TREASURY



The rebounding housing market has helped return Fannie Mae to profitability and now might allow the government-controlled mortgage-finance company to repay as much as $61.5 billion in rescue funds to the U.S. Treasury, the Wall Street Journal reported. The potential payment would be the upshot of an accounting move whereby the company would reclaim certain tax benefits that were written down shortly after the company was placed under federal control in 2008. The potential move was disclosed last week in a regulatory filing in which the company said that it would delay the release of its annual report, due yesterday, as it tries to reach a resolution with its accountants and regulator over the timing of the accounting move. The debate about when Fannie should be allowed to reclaim the deferred-tax assets comes as Fannie and its smaller sibling, Freddie Mac, are likely to show large profits in the coming quarters as the housing market gradually recovers from its prolonged bust. The potential payment also has political implications as lawmakers and regulators wrangle over the fate of the firms, which were placed into a federal conservatorship amid soaring losses. The Obama administration has publicly said that the two companies eventually would be wound down and has blocked them from retaining profits, but has done little to de-emphasize their role in the mortgage market. Read more. (Subscription required.)

CFPB ISSUES PROPOSAL TO SUPERVISE STUDENT LOAN SERVICERS



The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Friday issued a proposal to supervise nonbank servicers of private and federal student loans that qualify as "larger participants" in the student loan servicing market, according to an analysis yesterday by Ballard Spahr LLP. The proposal represents an attempt by the CFPB to significantly expand its supervisory authority over student loan servicers. Because it already has supervisory authority over larger banks and nonbank private student lenders, the CFPB believes it should oversee student loan servicing by those entities. The CFPB's current authority to supervise nonbank private student lenders, however, does not allow it to supervise the nonbank student loan servicers that do not offer or provide private student loans. The proposal would allow the CFPB to supervise servicing of private and federal student loans by such nonbank servicers. Comments on the proposal will be due 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. Click here to read the proposal.

OBAMA CUTS STUDENT-DEBT COLLECTOR COMMISSIONS TO AID BORROWERS



President Barack Obama's administration slashed the commissions paid to private collection companies that chase overdue student loans, reducing an incentive to squeeze borrowers, Bloomberg News reported today. Previously, the U.S. Education Department paid a commission as high as 16 percent of the entire loan amount only if collectors convinced defaulted borrowers to make stiff monthly payments. Starting this month, the fee dropped to as low as 11 percent, regardless of payment size. With $77.4 billion worth of student loans in default, the federal government turns to an army of private collectors to pursue borrowers. These companies, which receive about $1 billion annually in commissions, have sparked growing complaints that they insist on high payments, even when borrowers qualify for leniency. Under the new schedule, collectors will no longer have an incentive to avoid offering affordable payments tied to borrowers' incomes. Read more.

PLASTIC-SHY YOUNG IN U.S. SPUR MOVE TO USE NEW CREDIT DATA



Thirty-nine percent of undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 24 owned a credit card in 2012, down from 49 percent in 2010, a Sallie Mae and Ipsos Public Affairs survey found, Bloomberg News reported today. And young adults who do have credit cards are carrying smaller balances: A median of $1,600 in 2010 compared with $2,500 in 2001 for under-35 households, according to Federal Reserve data. The trend, rooted in stricter lending rules and weaker job outlooks for young Americans since the 2008-09 recession, has implications for the strength of the economy. Fewer are building the traditional credit histories that would help them obtain financing for the purchases of homes and cars, which is critical to economic growth. Credit bureaus and the lending industry are stepping up their search for new ways to bolster credit files, and young people who do not pay credit card bills often do pay mobile phone bills. As reporting agencies gather data from telephone, rent and other payments, some scoring models incorporate this information to help assess candidates' creditworthiness. Read more.

ANALYSIS: WORKERS SAVING TOO LITTLE TO RETIRE



Workers and employers in the U.S. are bracing for a retirement crisis, even as the stock market sits near highs and the economy shows signs of improvement, the Wall Street Journal reported today. New data show that powerful financial and demographic forces are combining to squeeze individuals and companies that are trying to save for the future and make their money last. Fifty-seven percent of U.S. workers surveyed reported less than $25,000 in total household savings and investments excluding their homes, according to a report to be released Tuesday by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Only 49 percent reported having so little money saved in 2008. The survey also found that 28 percent of Americans have no confidence they will have enough money to retire comfortably—the highest level in the study's 23-year history. Read more. (Subscription required.)

NUMBER OF CASES FILED BY SEC SLOWS



The Securities and Exchange Commission is filing significantly fewer civil fraud cases this year as its efforts to punish misconduct related to the financial crisis start to ebb, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. The agency is likely to fall short this fiscal year of its record-breaking number of enforcement actions in the previous two years. The expected drop in the numbers could be a headache for Mary Jo White, the former prosecutor nominated by President Barack Obama to be SEC chairman. A Senate panel is set to approve White's appointment today, the last step before the full Senate votes on it. White last week told a Senate hearing that she would strengthen the SEC's enforcement function to ensure that "all wrongdoers … will be aggressively and successfully called to account." The slowdown in enforcement actions reflects changes in the economic cycle, according to SEC officials. "We're at a point of inflection in our enforcement program," George Canellos, acting SEC enforcement head, said last month. Market meltdowns on the scale of the 2008 crisis, when companies implode and trillions of dollars are wiped off asset values, tend to expose major frauds and produce big cases, Canellos said. "We're now in a different era," he added. Read more. (Subscription required.)

NEW ABI BOOK EXPLORES THE DEPTHS OF DEEPENING INSOLVNECY



Any company executive juggling the competing demands of the troubled firm and its obligations to investors, as well as litigators practicing on either side of the insolvency aisle, will be interested in ABI’s latest publication, The Depths of Deepening Insolvency: Damage Exposure for Officers, Directors and Others. Authors Kathy Bazoian Phelps (Diamond McCarthy LLP) and Prof. Jack F. Williams (Mesirow Financial) wrote the book from both the plaintiffs' and defendants' perspectives to offer a deep analysis of the legal principle known as "deepening insolvency." The book also provides potential defenses that may be asserted to deepening insolvency allegations, as well as a state-by-state list of significant case law on this issue. To find out more about the book or to pre-order your copy, please click here. (Make sure to log in using your ABI member credentials to obtain the ABI member discount.)

DON'T MISS ACB'S FREE EVENT, "THE AUTO BANKRUPTCIES: CHECKING THE REARVIEW MIRROR," ON MARCH 22!



ABI members are encouraged to register for the American College of Bankruptcy's "The Auto Bankruptcies: Checking the Rearview Mirror" on March 22 at Boston College Law School in Newton, Mass. The afternoon event will feature key players looking back at the events that led to GM and Chrysler being placed into bankruptcy and the lessons that have been learned from the cases. Panelists include:

Corinne Ball of Jones Day (New York), who served as lead bankruptcy counsel to Chrysler.

Matthew A. Feldman of Willkie Farr and Gallagher LLP (New York), who served as chief legal advisor to the Obama administration's Task Force on the Auto Industry.

• Hon. Arthur J. Gonzalez, a Senior Fellow at New York University School of Law and formerly the Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, who presided over the Chrysler chapter 11 proceedings.

Harvey R. Miller of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (New York), who served as lead bankruptcy counsel to GM.

The moderator will be Mark N. Berman of Nixon Peabody LLP (New York).

Registration for the afternoon event is free, so be sure to sign up today before it reaches capacity!

HOTEL BLOCK FOR ABI'S ANNUAL SPRING MEETING ALMOST SOLD OUT! REGISTER TODAY!



The hotel block at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., is almost sold out for ABI’s 2013 Annual Spring Meeting! Held April 18-21, 2013, ASM features a roster of the best national speakers, while the depth and scope of topics offer something for everyone. Specifically, four concurrent workshops will cover various “tracks,” including programs for attorneys in commercial cases, a track for restructuring professionals, a track of professional development programming and a track dealing solely with consumer issues. More than 16 hours of CLE/CPE is offered in some states, along with ethics credit totaling 3 hours, making the cost only about $50 per credit. In addition, committee sessions will drill down on other topics to provide you with the most practical and varied CLE/CPE experience ever. Sessions include:

• 17th Annual Great Debates

• Mediation: An Irrational Approach to a Rational Result

• Creditors’ Committees and the Role of Indenture Trustees and Related Issues

• Current Issues for Financial Advisors in Bankruptcy Cases

• The Individual Conundrum: Chapter 7, 11 or 13?

• The Power to Veto Bankruptcy Sales

• Real Estate Issues in Health Care Restructurings

• How to Be a Successful Expert

• The Ethical Compass: Multiple Ethical Schemes Applicable to Financial Advisors

• Chapter 9s, Nonprofits and Other Nontraditional Restructuring Processes

• And much more!

The Spring Meeting will also feature a field hearing of the ABI Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11, a report from the ABI Ethics Task Force, a luncheon panel discussion moderated by Bill Rochelle of Bloomberg News, and a Final Night Gala Dinner featuring a concert by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts!

Make sure to register today!

ABI IN-DEPTH

TEE OFF ON THE NEW ABI GOLF TOUR!



Starting with the Annual Spring Meeting, ABI will offer conference registrants the option to participate in the ABI Golf Tour. The Tour will take place concurrently with all conference golf tournaments. The Tour is designed enhance the golfing experience for serious golfers, while still offering a fun networking opportunity for players of any ability. As opposed to the format used in the regular ABI conference events, Tour participants will "play their own ball." They will be grouped on the golf course separately from other conference golf participants and will typically play ahead of the other participants, expediting Tour play. Tour participants will randomly be grouped in foursomes, unless otherwise requested of the Commissioner in advance of each tournament. Prizes will be awarded for each individual Tour event, which are sponsored by Great American Group. The grand prize is the "Great American Cup," also sponsored by Great American Group, and will be awarded to the top player at the end of the Tour season. Registration is free. Click here for more information and a list of 2013 ABI Golf Tour event venues.

NEW BANKRUPTCY PROFESSIONALS: DON'T MISS THE NUTS AND BOLTS PROGRAM AT ABI'S ANNUAL SPRING MEETING! SPECIAL PRICING IF YOU ARE AN ASM REGISTRANT!



An outstanding faculty of judges and practitioners explains the fundamentals of bankruptcy in a one-day Nuts and Bolts program on April 18 being held in conjunction with ABI's Annual Spring Meeting. Ideal training for junior professionals or those new to this practice area!

The morning session covers concepts all bankruptcy practitioners need to know, and the afternoon session splits into concurrent tracks, focusing on consumer and business issues. The session will include written materials, practice tip sessions with bankruptcy judges, continental breakfast and a reception after the program. Click here to register!

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: GORDON V. PAPPALARDO (IN RE GORDON; 1ST CIR.)



Summarized by Jennifer L. Saffer of J.L. Saffer, P.C.



In this appeal by a debtor in her chapter 13 case, the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel (BAP) for the First Circuit affirmed, after de novo review, the bankruptcy court’s order sustaining the chapter 13 trustee’s objection to the debtor's claimed exemption in a scheduled remainder interest in real estate. Affirming the decision of the bankruptcy court, the BAP determined that the property claimed as exempt was not "owned" by the debtor as required by and within the meaning of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 188, § 3(a); the debtor had elected Massachusetts exemption rules rather than the federal, as was her option under 11 U.S.C. § 522(b).

There are more than 800 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: CONGRESS, NOT FHFA, SHOULD BE REFORMING THE GSEs

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post found that while there is an emerging bipartisan consensus on the way forward for the secondary mortgage market, Congress has punted on what should be done with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the (Federal Housing Finance Agency) FHFA is taking significant steps without hearings or public discussion.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

Who will win the NCAA basketball tournament?

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL



INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

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FRIDAY:

 

 

BBW 2013

March 22, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

 

 

 

COMING UP

 

 

 

BBW 2013

April 5, 2013

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BBW 2013

April 10, 2013

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ASM NAB 2013

April 18, 2013

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ASM 2013

April 18-21, 2013

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NYCBC 2013

May 15, 2013

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ASM 2013

May 16, 2013

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ASM 2013

May 21-24, 2013

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ASM 2013

June 7, 2013

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ASM 2013

June 13-16, 2013

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NE 2013

July 11-14, 2013

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ASM 2013

July 18-21, 2013

Register Today!



 

   
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

2013

March

- Bankruptcy Battleground West

     March 22, 2013 | Los Angeles, Calif.

- ACB's Free Event, "The Auto Bankruptcies: Checking the Rearview Mirror" Program

     March 22, 2013 | Newton, Mass.

April

- ABI Live Webinar: "Legacy Liabilities : Dealing with Environmental, Pension, Union and Similar Types of Claims"

     April 5, 2013

- ABI Live Webinar: "Student Loans: Bankruptcy May Not Have the Answers - But Does Congress?"

     April 10, 2013

- "Nuts and Bolts" Program at ASM

     April 18, 2013 | National Harbor, Md.

- Annual Spring Meeting

     April 18-21, 2013 | National Harbor, Md.


  

 

May

- "Nuts and Bolts" Program at NYCBC

     May 15, 2013 | New York, N.Y.

- ABI Endowment Cocktail Reception

     May 15, 2013 | New York, N.Y.

- New York City Bankruptcy Conference

     May 16, 2013 | New York, N.Y.

- Litigation Skills Symposium

     May 21-24, 2013 | Dallas, Texas

June

- Memphis Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     June 7, 2013 | Memphis, Tenn.

- Central States Bankruptcy Workshop

     June 13-16, 2013 | Grand Traverse, Mich.

July

- Northeast Bankruptcy Conference and Northeast Consumer Forum

     July 11-14, 2013 | Newport, R.I.

- Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop

     July 18-21, 2013 | Amelia Island, Fla.


 
 

ABI BookstoreABI Endowment Fund ABI Endowment Fund
 


More Homeowners Emerge from "Underwater" Status



ABI Bankruptcy Brief | November 1 2012


 


  

November 1, 2012

 

home  |  newsroom  |  chart of the day  |  blogs  |  bankruptcy code and rules  |  statistics  |  legislative news  |  volo
  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

CFPB CITES PROBLEMS WITH CREDIT CARDS, MORTGAGES AND CREDIT REPORTS



The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reported yesterday that it is finding problems with credit cards, credit bureau reporting and mortgages, CongressDaily reported today. Specifically, the CFPB said that it found that credit card holders under the age of 21 were raising their credit limits without the consent of their co-applicants, inaccurate information reported to credit bureaus was causing consumers to be charged too much or denied credit, and clear mortgage disclosures with proper rates and timely information regarding payments was not being provided to homeowners. The bureau said that the findings have prompted a compliance review and sparked fines totaling $435 million in refunds to 5.7 million consumers. Click here to read the CFPB's fall summary report.

COMMENTARY: AFTER BAILOUT, LARGE BANKS ALLOWED TO DOMINATE THE MORTGAGE BUSINESS



The broken mortgage market is the unintended consequence of the banking bailout and the regulatory response in the aftermath of the financial crisis, according to a commentary in the New York Times yesterday. In the third quarter, both Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase reported that they earned robust profits from the mortgage business. It would be foolish to blame Wells Fargo and JPMorgan for this situation, according to the commentary, but the government allowing takeovers without forcing weak competitors to get healthy quickly leads to an oligopoly. Instead, the two companies’ main competitors, Citigroup and Bank of America, are pulling out. Read the full commentary.

OBAMA SUGGESTS "SECRETARY OF BUSINESS" IN A SECOND TERM



President Barack Obama signaled that if he wins a second term, he would appoint a Secretary of Business to oversee newly consolidated government agencies, including the Small Business Administration, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. "We should have one Secretary of Business, instead of nine different departments that are dealing with things like giving loans to SBA or helping companies with exports," Obama said on Monday. Read more. (Subscription required.)

COMMENTARY: "TOO BIG TO FAIL" REMAINS VERY REAL



While it is tempting to think that very large financial institutions are no longer too big to fail thanks to the Dodd-Frank Act and regulation, this idea is completely at odds with the facts, according to an op-ed by Prof. Simon Johnson of the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management in Monday's New York Times. In a high-profile paper prepared recently at the behest of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the lobbying group for the securities industry, Federal Financial Analytics Inc., argues that "too big to fail" has effectively been ended. In theory, “too big to fail” should have been removed by the recent reforms or eliminated by the passage of time. But as a practical matter — looking at what investors really believe — “too big to fail” is still with us, according to Johnson. This implicit government guarantee lowers the funding costs for very large financial institutions because investors are convinced that debt issued by these firms is less risky than, for example, debt issued by small and medium-size banks. In effect, the government is providing a form of insurance that encourages financial institutions to become even bigger — and thus even more likely to be protected by some combination of the Federal Reserve, the Treasury and other agencies. This is an unfair, nontransparent government subsidy that encourages excessive risk-taking, according to Johnson, and creates a very large potential downside for the nonfinancial side of our economy. Read the full op-ed.

HURRICANE SANDY ESTIMATED TO COST INSURERS UP TO $20 BILLION



Hurricane Sandy may cost the insurance industry up to $20 billion, which would put this week's devastating storm second only to 2005's Hurricane Katrina for insured losses, according to a new damage estimate, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Disaster-modeling firm Eqecat Inc. said insured losses likely range from $10 billion to $20 billion and said that the total cost of the storm, including damage that was not insured by private companies, would be between $30 billion and $50 billion. In addition, the closure of major roads, tunnels and the New York City subway system are likely to drive claims higher, the firm said. Read more. (Subscription required.)

TRANSCRIPT OF CHAPTER 11 COMMISSION’S 10/17 HEARING NOW AVAILABLE



A full transcript of ABI's Chapter 11 Reform Commission’s hearing on 10/17 at the LSTA Conference in New York is now available. The transcript can be downloaded by clicking here.

The next public hearing will be Saturday from noon-2 p.m. ET at the 24th Annual TMA Annual Conference in Boston. For future Commission hearings, please click here.

MEMBERS ENCOURAGED TO WEIGH IN ON REAPPOINTMENT OF BANKRUPTCY JUDGE JUDITH WIZMUR



The current 14-year term of office for Judith H. Wizmur, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of New Jersey at Camden, is due to expire on Sept. 4, 2013. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is considering the reappointment of the judge to a new 14-year term of office. Members of the bar and the public are invited to submit comments for consideration by the Court of Appeals regarding the reappointment of Bankruptcy Judge Wizmur. All comments should be directed to one of the following addresses: by e-mail at Wizmur_Reappointment@ca3.uscourts.gov or by mail to the Office of the Circuit
Executive, 22409 U.S. Courthouse, 601 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-1790.
Comments must be received no later than noon on Monday, December 3, 2012.

ABI IN-DEPTH

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: SHAFFER V. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (IN RE SHAFFER; 8TH CIR.)



Summarized by William Joanis of JoanisLaw

The Eighth Circuit ruled that the debtor met the burden of proving by preponderance of evidence that educational loans were discharged on basis of undue hardship. The court employed a "totality of circumstances" test (i.e., past, present and future resources, reasonableness of living expenses, and other relevant facts, etc.). While the court noted that each loan needed to be evaluated separately, this issue was not properly raised on appeal.

There are nearly 700 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: RECAP OF DISCUSSIONS AT THE NCBJ ANNUAL CONFERENCE



The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post highlights some of the topic discussions from the panels at last week's NCBJ annual meeting.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

Despite the "free and clear" language of Sect. 363(f), purchasers of assets in 363 sales may still be liable for injuries to unidentifiable future claimants. (In re Grumman Olson Indus, SDNY).

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

HAVE YOU TUNED IN TO BLOOMBERG LAW'S VIDEO PODCASTS?



Bloomberg Law's video podcasts feature top experts speaking about current bankruptcy topics. The podcasts are available via Bloomberg Law's YouTube channel so that you can access the programs from your computer or device of your choice! Click here to view the Bloomberg Law video podcasts.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL



INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

Have a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn Account?

Join our networks to expand yours.

  

 

SATURDAY:



CHAPTER 11 COMMISSION HEARING

November 3, 2012

More Info.

 

WEDNESDAY:

 

MEXICO 2012

Nov. 7, 2012

Register Today!

 

COMING UP:

 

 

4TH ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Nov. 9, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

SE 2012

Nov. 12, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

SE 2012

Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

MT 2012

Dec. 4-8, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

WCBC 2013

Jan. 21, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013

Jan. 24-25, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013

Feb. 7-9, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013

Feb. 17-19, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

ACBPIKC 2013

Feb. 20-22, 2013

Register Today!

 

   
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

November

- U.S./Mexico Restructuring Symposium

     November 7, 2012 | Mexico City, Mexico

- Professional Development Program

     November 9, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     November 12, 2012 | Detroit, Mich.

- Winter Leadership Conference

     November 29 - December 1, 2012 | Tucson, Ariz.

December

- Forty-Hour Bankruptcy Mediation Training

     December 4-8, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

  

 

2013

January

- Western Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     January 21, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.

- Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference

     January 24-25, 2013 | Denver, Colo.

February

- Caribbean Insolvency Symposium

     February 7-9, 2013 | Miami, Fla.

- Kansas City Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Practice Institute

     February 17-19, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.

- VALCON 2013

     February 20-22, 2013 | Las Vegas, Nev.


 
 

ABI BookstoreABI Endowment Fund ABI Endowment Fund
 


CFPB Cites Problems with Credit Cards, Mortgages and Credit Reports



ABI Bankruptcy Brief | March 19 2013


 


  

March 19, 2013

 

home  |  newsroom  |  chart of the day  |  blogs  |  bankruptcy code and rules  |  statistics  |  legislative news  |  volo
  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

ANALYSIS: MORE HOMEOWNERS EMERGE FROM "UNDERWATER" STATUS



Rising home values have lifted more borrowers out of the hole of owing more than their properties are worth, an encouraging sign for an economy still closely tied to the health of the housing market, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The number of "underwater" homeowners in the fourth quarter of 2012 declined by 1.7 million from a year earlier, meaning 1.7 million U.S. households have regained home equity, according to data released Tuesday by CoreLogic, a research company. Overall, the company said 21.5 percent of households with a mortgage were underwater at the end of 2012, down from 25.2 percent at the end of 2011. While the trends are encouraging, some newly above-water households are just barely at breakeven and therefore are a long way off from being able to change their finances in any significant way. And the overall ranks of those underwater remain large, at about 10.4 million, down from 12.1 million at the end of 2011, according to CoreLogic. Read more. (Subscription required.)

To see a state-by-state analysis of CoreLogic's 4Q 2012 data, be sure to check out ABI's Chart of the Day site.

FANNIE MAE SEES WAY TO REPAY BILLIONS TO U.S. TREASURY



The rebounding housing market has helped return Fannie Mae to profitability and now might allow the government-controlled mortgage-finance company to repay as much as $61.5 billion in rescue funds to the U.S. Treasury, the Wall Street Journal reported. The potential payment would be the upshot of an accounting move whereby the company would reclaim certain tax benefits that were written down shortly after the company was placed under federal control in 2008. The potential move was disclosed last week in a regulatory filing in which the company said that it would delay the release of its annual report, due yesterday, as it tries to reach a resolution with its accountants and regulator over the timing of the accounting move. The debate about when Fannie should be allowed to reclaim the deferred-tax assets comes as Fannie and its smaller sibling, Freddie Mac, are likely to show large profits in the coming quarters as the housing market gradually recovers from its prolonged bust. The potential payment also has political implications as lawmakers and regulators wrangle over the fate of the firms, which were placed into a federal conservatorship amid soaring losses. The Obama administration has publicly said that the two companies eventually would be wound down and has blocked them from retaining profits, but has done little to de-emphasize their role in the mortgage market. Read more. (Subscription required.)

CFPB ISSUES PROPOSAL TO SUPERVISE STUDENT LOAN SERVICERS



The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Friday issued a proposal to supervise nonbank servicers of private and federal student loans that qualify as "larger participants" in the student loan servicing market, according to an analysis yesterday by Ballard Spahr LLP. The proposal represents an attempt by the CFPB to significantly expand its supervisory authority over student loan servicers. Because it already has supervisory authority over larger banks and nonbank private student lenders, the CFPB believes it should oversee student loan servicing by those entities. The CFPB's current authority to supervise nonbank private student lenders, however, does not allow it to supervise the nonbank student loan servicers that do not offer or provide private student loans. The proposal would allow the CFPB to supervise servicing of private and federal student loans by such nonbank servicers. Comments on the proposal will be due 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. Click here to read the proposal.

OBAMA CUTS STUDENT-DEBT COLLECTOR COMMISSIONS TO AID BORROWERS



President Barack Obama's administration slashed the commissions paid to private collection companies that chase overdue student loans, reducing an incentive to squeeze borrowers, Bloomberg News reported today. Previously, the U.S. Education Department paid a commission as high as 16 percent of the entire loan amount only if collectors convinced defaulted borrowers to make stiff monthly payments. Starting this month, the fee dropped to as low as 11 percent, regardless of payment size. With $77.4 billion worth of student loans in default, the federal government turns to an army of private collectors to pursue borrowers. These companies, which receive about $1 billion annually in commissions, have sparked growing complaints that they insist on high payments, even when borrowers qualify for leniency. Under the new schedule, collectors will no longer have an incentive to avoid offering affordable payments tied to borrowers' incomes. Read more.

PLASTIC-SHY YOUNG IN U.S. SPUR MOVE TO USE NEW CREDIT DATA



Thirty-nine percent of undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 24 owned a credit card in 2012, down from 49 percent in 2010, a Sallie Mae and Ipsos Public Affairs survey found, Bloomberg News reported today. And young adults who do have credit cards are carrying smaller balances: A median of $1,600 in 2010 compared with $2,500 in 2001 for under-35 households, according to Federal Reserve data. The trend, rooted in stricter lending rules and weaker job outlooks for young Americans since the 2008-09 recession, has implications for the strength of the economy. Fewer are building the traditional credit histories that would help them obtain financing for the purchases of homes and cars, which is critical to economic growth. Credit bureaus and the lending industry are stepping up their search for new ways to bolster credit files, and young people who do not pay credit card bills often do pay mobile phone bills. As reporting agencies gather data from telephone, rent and other payments, some scoring models incorporate this information to help assess candidates' creditworthiness. Read more.

ANALYSIS: WORKERS SAVING TOO LITTLE TO RETIRE



Workers and employers in the U.S. are bracing for a retirement crisis, even as the stock market sits near highs and the economy shows signs of improvement, the Wall Street Journal reported today. New data show that powerful financial and demographic forces are combining to squeeze individuals and companies that are trying to save for the future and make their money last. Fifty-seven percent of U.S. workers surveyed reported less than $25,000 in total household savings and investments excluding their homes, according to a report to be released Tuesday by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Only 49 percent reported having so little money saved in 2008. The survey also found that 28 percent of Americans have no confidence they will have enough money to retire comfortably—the highest level in the study's 23-year history. Read more. (Subscription required.)

NUMBER OF CASES FILED BY SEC SLOWS



The Securities and Exchange Commission is filing significantly fewer civil fraud cases this year as its efforts to punish misconduct related to the financial crisis start to ebb, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. The agency is likely to fall short this fiscal year of its record-breaking number of enforcement actions in the previous two years. The expected drop in the numbers could be a headache for Mary Jo White, the former prosecutor nominated by President Barack Obama to be SEC chairman. A Senate panel is set to approve White's appointment today, the last step before the full Senate votes on it. White last week told a Senate hearing that she would strengthen the SEC's enforcement function to ensure that "all wrongdoers … will be aggressively and successfully called to account." The slowdown in enforcement actions reflects changes in the economic cycle, according to SEC officials. "We're at a point of inflection in our enforcement program," George Canellos, acting SEC enforcement head, said last month. Market meltdowns on the scale of the 2008 crisis, when companies implode and trillions of dollars are wiped off asset values, tend to expose major frauds and produce big cases, Canellos said. "We're now in a different era," he added. Read more. (Subscription required.)

NEW ABI BOOK EXPLORES THE DEPTHS OF DEEPENING INSOLVNECY



Any company executive juggling the competing demands of the troubled firm and its obligations to investors, as well as litigators practicing on either side of the insolvency aisle, will be interested in ABI’s latest publication, The Depths of Deepening Insolvency: Damage Exposure for Officers, Directors and Others. Authors Kathy Bazoian Phelps (Diamond McCarthy LLP) and Prof. Jack F. Williams (Mesirow Financial) wrote the book from both the plaintiffs' and defendants' perspectives to offer a deep analysis of the legal principle known as "deepening insolvency." The book also provides potential defenses that may be asserted to deepening insolvency allegations, as well as a state-by-state list of significant case law on this issue. To find out more about the book or to pre-order your copy, please click here. (Make sure to log in using your ABI member credentials to obtain the ABI member discount.)

DON'T MISS ACB'S FREE EVENT, "THE AUTO BANKRUPTCIES: CHECKING THE REARVIEW MIRROR," ON MARCH 22!



ABI members are encouraged to register for the American College of Bankruptcy's "The Auto Bankruptcies: Checking the Rearview Mirror" on March 22 at Boston College Law School in Newton, Mass. The afternoon event will feature key players looking back at the events that led to GM and Chrysler being placed into bankruptcy and the lessons that have been learned from the cases. Panelists include:

Corinne Ball of Jones Day (New York), who served as lead bankruptcy counsel to Chrysler.

Matthew A. Feldman of Willkie Farr and Gallagher LLP (New York), who served as chief legal advisor to the Obama administration's Task Force on the Auto Industry.

• Hon. Arthur J. Gonzalez, a Senior Fellow at New York University School of Law and formerly the Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, who presided over the Chrysler chapter 11 proceedings.

Harvey R. Miller of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (New York), who served as lead bankruptcy counsel to GM.

The moderator will be Mark N. Berman of Nixon Peabody LLP (New York).

Registration for the afternoon event is free, so be sure to sign up today before it reaches capacity!

HOTEL BLOCK FOR ABI'S ANNUAL SPRING MEETING ALMOST SOLD OUT! REGISTER TODAY!



The hotel block at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., is almost sold out for ABI’s 2013 Annual Spring Meeting! Held April 18-21, 2013, ASM features a roster of the best national speakers, while the depth and scope of topics offer something for everyone. Specifically, four concurrent workshops will cover various “tracks,” including programs for attorneys in commercial cases, a track for restructuring professionals, a track of professional development programming and a track dealing solely with consumer issues. More than 16 hours of CLE/CPE is offered in some states, along with ethics credit totaling 3 hours, making the cost only about $50 per credit. In addition, committee sessions will drill down on other topics to provide you with the most practical and varied CLE/CPE experience ever. Sessions include:

• 17th Annual Great Debates

• Mediation: An Irrational Approach to a Rational Result

• Creditors’ Committees and the Role of Indenture Trustees and Related Issues

• Current Issues for Financial Advisors in Bankruptcy Cases

• The Individual Conundrum: Chapter 7, 11 or 13?

• The Power to Veto Bankruptcy Sales

• Real Estate Issues in Health Care Restructurings

• How to Be a Successful Expert

• The Ethical Compass: Multiple Ethical Schemes Applicable to Financial Advisors

• Chapter 9s, Nonprofits and Other Nontraditional Restructuring Processes

• And much more!

The Spring Meeting will also feature a field hearing of the ABI Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11, a report from the ABI Ethics Task Force, a luncheon panel discussion moderated by Bill Rochelle of Bloomberg News, and a Final Night Gala Dinner featuring a concert by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts!

Make sure to register today!

ABI IN-DEPTH

TEE OFF ON THE NEW ABI GOLF TOUR!



Starting with the Annual Spring Meeting, ABI will offer conference registrants the option to participate in the ABI Golf Tour. The Tour will take place concurrently with all conference golf tournaments. The Tour is designed enhance the golfing experience for serious golfers, while still offering a fun networking opportunity for players of any ability. As opposed to the format used in the regular ABI conference events, Tour participants will "play their own ball." They will be grouped on the golf course separately from other conference golf participants and will typically play ahead of the other participants, expediting Tour play. Tour participants will randomly be grouped in foursomes, unless otherwise requested of the Commissioner in advance of each tournament. Prizes will be awarded for each individual Tour event, which are sponsored by Great American Group. The grand prize is the "Great American Cup," also sponsored by Great American Group, and will be awarded to the top player at the end of the Tour season. Registration is free. Click here for more information and a list of 2013 ABI Golf Tour event venues.

NEW BANKRUPTCY PROFESSIONALS: DON'T MISS THE NUTS AND BOLTS PROGRAM AT ABI'S ANNUAL SPRING MEETING! SPECIAL PRICING IF YOU ARE AN ASM REGISTRANT!



An outstanding faculty of judges and practitioners explains the fundamentals of bankruptcy in a one-day Nuts and Bolts program on April 18 being held in conjunction with ABI's Annual Spring Meeting. Ideal training for junior professionals or those new to this practice area!

The morning session covers concepts all bankruptcy practitioners need to know, and the afternoon session splits into concurrent tracks, focusing on consumer and business issues. The session will include written materials, practice tip sessions with bankruptcy judges, continental breakfast and a reception after the program. Click here to register!

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: GORDON V. PAPPALARDO (IN RE GORDON; 1ST CIR.)



Summarized by Jennifer L. Saffer of J.L. Saffer, P.C.



In this appeal by a debtor in her chapter 13 case, the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel (BAP) for the First Circuit affirmed, after de novo review, the bankruptcy court’s order sustaining the chapter 13 trustee’s objection to the debtor's claimed exemption in a scheduled remainder interest in real estate. Affirming the decision of the bankruptcy court, the BAP determined that the property claimed as exempt was not "owned" by the debtor as required by and within the meaning of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 188, § 3(a); the debtor had elected Massachusetts exemption rules rather than the federal, as was her option under 11 U.S.C. § 522(b).

There are more than 800 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: CONGRESS, NOT FHFA, SHOULD BE REFORMING THE GSEs

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post found that while there is an emerging bipartisan consensus on the way forward for the secondary mortgage market, Congress has punted on what should be done with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the (Federal Housing Finance Agency) FHFA is taking significant steps without hearings or public discussion.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

Who will win the NCAA basketball tournament?

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL



INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

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FRIDAY:

 

 

BBW 2013

March 22, 2013

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BBW 2013

April 5, 2013

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BBW 2013

April 10, 2013

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April 18, 2013

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ASM 2013

April 18-21, 2013

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NYCBC 2013

May 15, 2013

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May 16, 2013

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May 21-24, 2013

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June 7, 2013

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June 13-16, 2013

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NE 2013

July 11-14, 2013

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ASM 2013

July 18-21, 2013

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  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

2013

March

- Bankruptcy Battleground West

     March 22, 2013 | Los Angeles, Calif.

- ACB's Free Event, "The Auto Bankruptcies: Checking the Rearview Mirror" Program

     March 22, 2013 | Newton, Mass.

April

- ABI Live Webinar: "Legacy Liabilities : Dealing with Environmental, Pension, Union and Similar Types of Claims"

     April 5, 2013

- ABI Live Webinar: "Student Loans: Bankruptcy May Not Have the Answers - But Does Congress?"

     April 10, 2013

- "Nuts and Bolts" Program at ASM

     April 18, 2013 | National Harbor, Md.

- Annual Spring Meeting

     April 18-21, 2013 | National Harbor, Md.


  

 

May

- "Nuts and Bolts" Program at NYCBC

     May 15, 2013 | New York, N.Y.

- ABI Endowment Cocktail Reception

     May 15, 2013 | New York, N.Y.

- New York City Bankruptcy Conference

     May 16, 2013 | New York, N.Y.

- Litigation Skills Symposium

     May 21-24, 2013 | Dallas, Texas

June

- Memphis Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     June 7, 2013 | Memphis, Tenn.

- Central States Bankruptcy Workshop

     June 13-16, 2013 | Grand Traverse, Mich.

July

- Northeast Bankruptcy Conference and Northeast Consumer Forum

     July 11-14, 2013 | Newport, R.I.

- Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop

     July 18-21, 2013 | Amelia Island, Fla.


 
 

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More Homeowners Emerge from "Underwater" Status



ABI Bankruptcy Brief | September 6, 2012


 


  

September 6, 2012

 

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  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

AUGUST BANKRUPTCY FILINGS INCREASE SLIGHTLY OVER LAST MONTH



Total bankruptcy filings in the United States for the month of August increased 7 percent compared to July, according to data provided by Epiq Systems, Inc. August bankruptcy filings totaled 104,336, up from the 97,104 filings registered in July 2012. The 99,417 total noncommercial filings for August represented a 7 percent increase from the July noncommercial filing total of 92,562. Total commercial filings for August 2012 were 4,919, representing an 8 percent increase from the 4,542 filings in July. Commercial chapter 11 filings also increased in August as the 648 filings represented an 8 percent increase over the 600 filings in July.

The 104,336 total bankruptcy filings in August represented a 14 percent decrease from the 120,905 filings registered in August 2011. The 4,919 commercial filings for August 2012 represented a 24 percent decrease from the 6,434 filings during the same period in 2011. The August commercial chapter 11 filing total of 648 represented a 9 percent decrease from August 2011’s total of 710. The 99,417 total noncommercial filings for August represented a 13 percent drop from the August 2011 noncommercial filing total of 114,471. Click here for the full ABI press release.

REPORT: DEBT-PROTECTION PLANS UNDER SCRUTINY



Several consumer advocates lump credit-protection plans in the category of an expensive type of insurance that most consumers do not really need, according to a report in today's Detroit Free Press. Credit card protection plans are under fire for deceptive marketing practices, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has put all institutions on notice. One concern is that the third-parties that often pitch these products mislead consumers. Under a settlement with regulators, Capital One Bank will refund about $150 million to 2.5 million customers and pay $60 million in penalties. Capital One said it believes that the average refund will be less than $100. Federal regulators charged that Capital One engaged in deceptive marketing tactics to pressure or mislead some consumers into buying payment-protection plans and credit-monitoring services when they activated their credit cards. Here is a look at what other card issuers are doing:

• Bank of America quit pitching its Credit Protection Plus and Credit Protection Deluxe products in August and no longer offers the credit-protection plans to new customers.

• American Express stopped offering its Account Protector program -- a debt-cancellation product -- earlier this year and will discontinue the plan on Dec. 31.

• Chase said that it stopped offering its Chase Payment Protector plans to new enrollments in October 2011, but it is continuing to serve customers who already purchased the service.

• Discover declined to comment this week but was still offering its payment-protection plan at that time.

• Citi Cards recently paused telephone sales for its debt-protection products and said it would fully complete reviews already under way, in line with new guidance recently issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Ben Woolsey, director of marketing and consumer research for CreditCards.com, said that one troubling issue with the credit-protection product involved hard-sell, fear-driven phone pitches. Click here to read the full report.

ANALYSIS: PREPAID PLASTIC IS CREEPING INTO CREDIT



Prepaid cards are among the fastest-growing types of plastic, according to payment-industry researcher Mercator Advisory Group, as U.S. consumers loaded $83.3 billion onto prepaid cards in 2011, a 34 percent increase over the prior year, the Wall Street Journal reported today. While the cards were designed to help the less-affluent have better control their finances, overdraft and other credit-like features have been added to these cards in recent years. Some consumers are outspending their means and racking up big debts from the cards, say consumer advocates, who are lobbying regulators to ban the practice. Several nonbank prepaid card providers and large banks that recently started offering prepaid cards, including Green Dot Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co., have steered clear of overdraft or other credit-like features. But a number of players, including Netspend Holdings Inc., the second-largest prepaid card provider behind Green Dot, allow users to take on debt, which can add to the fees they must pay. The National Consumer Law Center, the Center for Responsible Lending and the Consumer Federation of America have joined forces to lobby the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to prohibit prepaid cards from offering any type of credit. The CFPB is evaluating the consumer advocates' proposal as part of a broader effort to more closely regulate prepaid cards. Read more. (Subscription required.)

COMMENTARY: PRUNING HEDGE FUND REGULATION WITHOUT CULTIVATING BETTER RULES



Fresh from having declined to constrain money market funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission has moved to loosen marketing constraints on hedge funds, according to a commentary yesterday in the New York Times DealBook blog. Two weeks ago, the agency said that it would not be able to defend millions of investors from money market funds that do things like invest in European bank bonds, but portend to be perfectly safe. While hedge funds should be able to promote themselves to investors with data about their returns and methods, the SEC does not have any new resources and has not put in place any policies to police these promotions. Even professionals have a problem in evaluating hedge fund performance, according to the commentary, because distinguishing skill from luck and excessive risk-taking is extremely difficult. Read the full commentary.

ABI MEMBERS WELCOME TO ATTEND ACB'S FREE HALF-DAY "BANKRUPTCY: BACK TO THE FUTURE" PROGRAM IN SEPTEMBER



The American College of Bankruptcy invites you to attend a free half-day program on Sept. 28 in Chicago for a discussion of many of the challenging topics facing current bankruptcy and reorganization professionals. Topics to be addressed include recent decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, important work of the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules, and developments in the field of bankruptcy ethics. The nation’s leading judges, academics and bankruptcy professionals are among the speakers for the program. While there is no cost to attend, seating is limited, so early reservation is suggested. For more information and to register, please click here.

ABI IN-DEPTH

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: CARDWELL V. GURLEY (IN RE CARDWELL; 5TH CIR.)



Summarized by Eric Lockridge of Kean Miller LLP

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's summary judgment affirming the bankruptcy court's determination that the creditor's state-court judgment against the debtor was not dischargeable in bankruptcy. The state court's findings of fact and conclusions of law established the elements of actual fraud that support a determination that the judgment debt is non-dischargeable under 11 U.S.C. 523(a)(2)(A).

There are more than 600 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: JUDICIAL CONFERENCE PROPOSES AMENDED BANKRUPTCY RULES IN RESPONSE TO SUPREME COURT'S RULING IN STERN V. MARSHALL



The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent blog post details how the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules for the Judicial Conference of the United States has proposed amendments to Bankruptcy Rules 7008, 7012, 7016, 9027 and 9033 in an attempt to address some of the inefficiencies that the Supreme Court’s Stern v. Marshall decision has introduced into bankruptcy proceedings. The proposed amendments were published in the Federal Register on Aug. 17, 2012, for public comment. Public hearings on the proposed amendments will be held in Chicago on Jan. 18, 2013, and Washington, D.C., on Feb. 1, 2013. The public comment period ends Feb. 15, 2013.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

Bankruptcy courts should have unfettered discretion in adjusting fee applications, even when no party-in-interest has raised objections.

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

HAVE YOU TUNED IN TO BLOOMBERG LAW'S VIDEO PODCASTS?



Bloomberg Law's video podcasts feature top experts speaking about current bankruptcy topics. The podcasts are available via Bloomberg Law's YouTube channel so that you can access the programs from your computer or device of your choice! Click here to view the Bloomberg Law video podcasts.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL



INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

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NEXT EVENTS:

SE 2012

Sept. 11, 2012

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SW 2012

Sept. 13-15, 2012

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SE 2012

Sept. 13-14, 2012

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COMING UP:

 

NYU 2012

Sept. 19-20, 2012

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"WHEN IS AN INDIVIDUAL CHAPTER 11 THE BEST FIT?" LIVE WEBINAR

Sept. 27, 2012

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NABMW 2012

Oct. 4, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 5, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 5, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 8, 2012

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ABI YOUNG AND NEW MEMBERS COMMITTEE “TRENDING ISSUES: EXAMINERS AND SELECT PLAN CONFIRMATION ISSUES” WEBINAR

Oct. 15, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 18, 2012

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MEXICO 2012

Nov. 7, 2012

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4TH ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Nov. 9, 2012

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SE 2012

Nov. 12, 2012

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SE 2012

Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2012

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  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

September

- 7th Annual Golf and Tennis Outing

     September 11, 2012 | Maplewood, N.J.

- Complex Financial Restructuring Program

     September 13-14, 2012 | Las Vegas, Nev.

- Southwest Bankruptcy Conference

     September 13-15, 2012 | Las Vegas, Nev.

- 38th Annual Lawrence P. King and Charles Seligson Workshop on Bankruptcy & Business Reorganization

     September 19-20, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

- "When Is an Individual Chapter 11 the Best Fit?" Live Webinar

     September 27, 2012

- American College of Bankruptcy's "Bankruptcy: Back to the Future" Program

     September 28, 2012 | Chicago, Ill.

October

- Nuts & Bolts for Young and New Practitioners - KC

     October 4, 2012 | Kansas City, Mo.

- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program, Midwestern Consumer Forum

     October 5, 2012 | Kansas City, Mo.

  



- Bankruptcy 2012: Views from the Bench

     October 5, 2012 | Washington, D.C.

- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     October 8, 2012 | Chicago, Ill.

- "Trending Issues: Examiners and Select Plan Confirmation Issues" Webinar

     October 15, 2012

- International Insolvency and Restructuring Symposium

     October 18, 2012 | Rome, Italy

November

- U.S./Mexico Restructuring Symposium

     November 7, 2012 | Mexico City, Mexico

- Professional Development Program

     November 9, 2012 | New York, N.Y.

- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     November 12, 2012 | Detroit, Mich.

- Winter Leadership Conference

     November 29 - December 1, 2012 | Tucson, Ariz.


 
 

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August Bankruptcy Filings Increase Slightly over Last Month



ABI Bankruptcy Brief | July 19, 2012


 


  

July 19, 2012

 

home  |  newsroom  |  chart of the day  |  blogs  |  bankruptcy code and rules  |  statistics  |  legislative news  |  volo
  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

STOCKTON EXPERIENCED YEARS OF UNRAVELING PRIOR TO BANKRUPTCY



Stockton, Calif., recently became the largest city in the country to declare bankruptcy, but evidence of its unraveling has been mounting for years, the New York Times reported today. Housing prices shot up in the early 2000s, when commuters from the San Francisco Bay area bought and built homes in Stockton. After the bubble burst, the median home price plummeted by more than 60 percent in the last five years. In the first half of this year, the city had the highest foreclosure rate of any in the country, according to RealtyTrac. The unemployment rate has hovered around 17 percent for the last few years, nearly double the national average. While Stockton’s bankruptcy troubles can be traced in part to the collapse of the housing market and the subsequent erosion of the city's tax base, for years city leaders also mismanaged and overspent funds, pushing the city into financial peril, analysts and current city officials say. Stockton cannot afford the $417 million it owes for retiree health benefits, city officials say, and this year a bank repossessed city-owned parking garages and a $40 million building the city had bought intended to house an upgraded City Hall. Since 2009, the city has cut 25 percent of its police officers, 30 percent of its Fire Department and over 40 percent of all other city employees. Read more.

CALIFORNIA'S "CHARTER" CITIES ARE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE



The last three large California cities to seek bankruptcy protection are all "charter cities," and now another charter city, Compton, says that it may have to file for bankruptcy by September, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Of California's 482 cities, 121 have their own constitutions, or charters. That gives them more leeway in governing their own affairs, including the freedom to set their own rules about elections, salaries and contracts. But that autonomy may be at the root of some of their fiscal problems, some experts say. Charter cities are exempt from state laws that mandate salary limits for elected officials. These cities also were free during good times to include generous worker pay and staffing agreements in their charters that can be difficult to alter quickly during financial duress. Read more. (Subscription required.)

FORECLOSURE CRISIS HITTING OLDER AMERICANS



A new AARP report says that more than 1.5 million older Americans have already lost their homes, with millions more at risk as the national housing crisis takes its toll on those who are among the worst positioned to weather the storm, the Associated Press reported today. According to AARP:

• Nearly 600,000 people who are 50 years or older are in foreclosure.

• About 625,000 in the same age group are at least three months behind on their mortgages.

• Nearly 3.5 million — 16 percent of older homeowners — are underwater, meaning their home values have gone down and they now owe more than their homes are worth.

AARP said that over the past five years, the proportion of loans held by older Americans that are seriously delinquent jumped by more than 450 percent. Homeowners who are younger than 50 have a higher rate of serious delinquency than their older counterparts. But the rate is increasing at a faster pace for older Americans than for younger ones, according to AARP’s analysis of more than 17 million mortgages. Read more.

Click here to read AARP's press release on the report.

COMMENTARY: THE CFPB’S NEW MORTGAGE DISCLOSURES ARE A BUST



The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) "Mortgage Disclosure Team" just came out with two proposed forms that are supposed to make things easier for borrowers, but lenders, including nonprofit Habitat for Humanity, are concerned that the new forms will impede their ability to enable low-income families to become homeowners, according to a commentary in today's Wall Street Journal. The CFPB is proposing to replace the old mortgage disclosure forms with a new Loan Estimate Form and Closing Disclosure Form. However, any lender, including organizations such as Habitat, is at legal risk if they try to help low-income borrowers who lack the ability to repay their loans. The new rules would also forbid many borrowers from making smaller payments every month, followed by a single, one-time balloon payment to retire the principal at the end, according to the commentary. Read more. (Registration required.).

STUDENT DEBT HITS THE MIDDLE-AGED



Student debt is rising sharply among all age groups, but middle-aged Americans appear to be struggling the most with payments, according to new data released on Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. The delinquency rate—or the percentage of debt on which no payment has been made for 90 days—was 11.9 percent for debt held by borrowers aged 40 to 49 as of March. That compares with a rate of 8.7 percent for borrowers of all ages. Two-thirds of the nation's $900 billion in student debt is held by Americans under 40, the Fed estimates. But borrowers over 40 are having a particularly tough time with student debt for several reasons, consumer and higher-education experts say. Many debtors over 40 are still paying balances incurred years ago from college, while their home values and savings have declined sharply in recent years. An Education Department program that provides loans to parents to fund their kids' education is also among the fastest-growing of the government's education loan programs. Read more. (Subscription required.)

REPORT: PENSION UNDERFUNDING ON THE RISE



The amount by which pensions at S&P 500 companies are underfunded grew from $245 billion to $355 billion between 2010 and 2011, according to a new report from Standard & Poor's, CongressDaily reported today. Additionally the transportation bill Congress passed at the end of June included a pension provision that broadened the timeline used to calculate how much companies should stow away to cover pension obligations. The longer timeline reduces the short-term impact of the recession, freeing up cash for companies to spend (and the government to tax). But the benefits are fleeting: "It appears that Congress was willing to permit future payments to obtain tax receipts now, even though the expected net return would turn negative after five years," according to the report. Read more.

COMMENTARY: KEEPING CREDIT BUREAUS IN CHECK



The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Sept. 30 will start supervising credit reporting agencies, including the big three: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian, according to a commentary in yesterday's Washington Post. For years, consumer advocates have complained that the information collected often includes errors. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the bureaus and any businesses supplying them with data must correct inaccurate information. The bureaus, in turn, are required to put systems in place that allow consumers to dispute information. However, surveys have shown that getting erroneous information removed from credit files can be an exasperating experience. The credit bureau industry claims that most reports are accurate, but one problem with the system, according to the commentary, is that the bureaus rely on information provided to them by companies seeking to collect debts. The CFPB will supervise credit reporting agencies that have more than $7 million in annual receipts. This means that the agency's authority will cover about 30 companies that account for about 94 percent of the market. The three major credit bureaus issue more than 3 billion consumer reports a year and maintain files on more than 200 million Americans, the CFPB said. Read more.

ABI IN-DEPTH

“SUBJECTING BUSINESS PROJECTIONS TO SCRUTINY IN VALUATION DISPUTES” WEBINAR TO BE HELD ON JULY 30!



Reassembling the speakers from the highest-rated panel at the New York City Bankruptcy Conference this year, ABI will be holding a live webinar on July 30 at 11 a.m. ET titled, "Subjecting Business Projections to Scrutiny in Valuation Disputes." Panelists include:

  • Moderator David Pauker of Goldin Associates, LLC (New York)
  • Martin J. Bienenstock of Proskauer (New York)
  • David M. Hillman of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP (New York)
  • Bankruptcy Judge Robert E. Gerber (S.D.N.Y.)

The panel will address:

  • How much deference should management projections be accorded?
  • How do you determine whether projections are unrealistically optimistic or pessimistic?
  • What is the relevance of "market consensus?"
  • How do management’s incentives impact projections?

The webinar is available to ABI members for $75 and is approved for 1.0 CLE hours in Calif., Ga., Hawaii, Ill., N.Y. (approved jurisdiction policy) S.C. and Texas. CLE approval is pending in Del., Fla., Pa. and Tenn. To register, please click here.

LATEST CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: STUDENSKY V. MORGAN (IN RE MORGAN; 5TH CIR.)



Summarized by Aaron Kaufman of Cox Smith Matthews Inc.

The Fifth Circuit reversed the judgment of the district court and held that where a debtor does not claim a homestead exemption and then sells the homestead post-petition, the debtor has the burden of claiming the exemption in the proceeds within the six months allowed under applicable state law. In this case, because the debtor failed to claim an exemption in his homestead and failed to claim an exemption in the proceeds during the six months following the sale (i.e., while the proceeds were exempt under state law), the debtor lost his right to claim an exemption in the sale proceeds. The trustee's objection should have been sustained. The lower courts' decisions were reversed and remanded.

More than 570 appellate opinions are summarized on Volo typically within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: LIBOR SCANDAL UNDERMINES BANKERS' CLAIMS OF OVERREGULATION



The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A recent post examines the issues surrounding the Libor scandal and how it is undermining the push by bankers for looser regulations.

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

The anti-modification rule for home mortgages in chapter 13 should be repealed, subjecting mortgage debts to bifurcation like any other secured claim.

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

IS YOUR ABI MEMBERSHIP PROFILE CURRENT?



Keeping a current profile will allow you to benefit from one of ABI's most important services - networking. When you update your profile, you are putting your most valuable information in the membership directory. Be sure to include your areas of expertise, firm information, education and join any other committees that are of interest. Click here to update your profile.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL



INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

Have a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn Account?

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NEXT EVENT:

 

SE 2012

July 25-28, 2012

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COMING UP

 

MA 2012

August 2-4, 2012

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SE 2012

Sept. 13-14, 2012

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SW 2012

Sept. 13-15, 2012

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NYU 2012

Sept. 19-20, 2012

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NABMW 2012

Oct. 4, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 5, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 5, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 8, 2012

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SE 2012

Oct. 18, 2012

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Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

MGM Grand Detroit

Detroit, Michigan

Nov. 12, 2012

Register Today!

 

 

   
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

July

- Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop

     July 25-28, 2012 | Amelia Island, Fla.

-Valuation Webinar, July 30 at 11 a.m. ET

August

- Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop

     August 2-4, 2012 | Cambridge, Md.

September

- Complex Financial Restructuring Program

     September 13-14, 2012 | Las Vegas, Nev.


- Southwest Bankruptcy Conference

     September 13-15, 2012 | Las Vegas, Nev.

- 38th Annual Lawrence P. King and Charles Seligson Workshop on Bankruptcy & Business Reorganization

     September 19-20, 2012 | New York, N.Y.


  

October

- Nuts & Bolts for Young and New Practitioners - KC

     October 4, 2012 | Kansas City, Mo.

- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program, Midwestern Consumer Forum

     October 5, 2012 | Kansas City, Mo.

- Bankruptcy 2012: Views from the Bench

     October 5, 2012 | Washington, D.C.

- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     October 8, 2012 | Chicago, Ill.

- International Insolvency and Restructuring Symposium

     October 18, 2012 | Rome, Italy

November

- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

     November 12, 2012 | Detroit, Mich.


 
 

ABI BookstoreABI Endowment Fund ABI Endowment Fund
 


Stockton Experienced Years of Unraveling Prior to Bankruptcy



ABI Bankruptcy Brief | June 6 2013


 


  

June 6, 2013

 

home  |  newsroom  |  chart of the day  |  blogs  |  bankruptcy code and rules  |  statistics  |  legislative news  |  volo
  NEWS AND ANALYSIS   

SENATE DEADLOCKS ON STUDENT LOANS



In what is becoming an annual June ritual, the Senate deadlocked today over federal student loan interest rates, with no consensus in sight on how to prevent rates on certain loans from doubling for about 7 million borrowers on July 1, the Washington Post reported today. Amid a swirl of competing proposals from lawmakers and the White House, preliminary votes showed that no Senate bills have the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster in the Democratic-led chamber. A Republican bill to peg rates on a variety of loans to the yield on the government’s 10-year Treasury bill, plus 3 percentage points, was blocked today on a 40 to 57 vote. A Democratic bill to freeze for two years the current 3.4 percent rate for subsidized loans to students in financial need also was thwarted. A procedural vote on the bill was 51 to 46, nine short of the 60 needed. The votes were largely symbolic measures expected to fail short of an agreement. Read more.

SEC PROPOSES CHANGES TO MONEY-MARKET FUND RULES



The portion of the money-market fund industry that suffered extreme disruptions during the financial crisis would be revamped under a plan proposed yesterday by federal regulators, who have been struggling to address the industry’s vulnerabilities for years, the Washington Post reported today. The nearly $3 trillion industry has fiercely opposed major changes to money-market funds, but regulators have persisted, citing the losses and panic they sparked during the crisis. These mutual funds have been popular with investors because they have been perceived to be as reliable as savings accounts. But that perception was shattered in September 2008, when a major money-market fund “broke the buck,” meaning its value fell below $1 a share. A run on money-market funds ensued, with investors withdrawing $300 billion in a week. The government intervened and temporarily guaranteed that investors would be repaid. The SEC said that its plan is designed to avoid a repeat of the meltdown. The agency offered two alternatives focused solely on “prime” funds, which invest in short-term corporate debt. The options could be adopted separately or in combination, depending on the public feedback the SEC receives during the next three months. A plan could be finalized this year, experts tracking the issue said. Read more.

INVESTORS RETURN TO RISKY "SYNTHETIC CDOS"



Investors are once again clamoring for a risky investment blamed for helping unleash the financial crisis: synthetic collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), the Wall Street Journal reported today. In a sign of how hard Wall Street is trying to satisfy voracious demand for higher returns amid rock-bottom interest rates, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley bankers in London are moving to assemble the synthetic CDOs. Basic CDOs pool bonds and offer investors a slice of the pool. Synthetic CDOs pool insurance-like derivative contracts on the bonds, rather than the bonds themselves. Like their crisis-era predecessors, the new CDOs would be sliced up into different levels of risk and returns. Investors who want a chance at the highest returns would have to buy the riskiest slice. While spreading risk in some ways, synthetic CDOs also can multiply the financial damage if companies fall behind on their debt payments. During the financial crisis, CDOs pegged to soured mortgage loans caused losses to careen around the world. Some details of the deals being worked on at J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley aren't clear, including the size of the CDOs and which investment firms have expressed an interest in buying slices of them. Read more. (Subscription required.)

REGULATORS INVESTIGATING "DARK POOL" STOCK TRADING



The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra), Wall Street's self-regulatory body, last month sent 15 examination letters to operators of "dark pools"—lightly regulated, off-exchange trading venues that have been a rising concern for regulators and some investors as more activity shifts away from exchanges, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Finra is seeking details about how the increasingly popular venues operate, what they disclose to clients and whether they adequately police trades. It could bring enforcement actions against dark-pool operators or issue recommendations for tighter oversight, depending on the answers it receives and additional examinations, said John Malitzis, executive vice president of market regulation at Finra. The letters are a follow-up to an initial round of questions the regulator circulated last fall. "We want to understand whether [dark pools] are disclosing to their customers how their orders work [and] whether customers are informed who their orders will interact with," Malitzis said in an interview. "A big part of this is to get an understanding of practices that may or may not be problematic." Read more. (Subscription required.)

U.S. HOUSEHOLD WORTH TOPS PRE-RECESSION PEAK FOR FIRST TIME



Household wealth in the U.S. jumped to a record in the first quarter, exceeding its pre-recession peak for the first time, bolstered by gains in the stock and housing markets that are helping Americans mend finances, Bloomberg News reported today. Net worth for households and nonprofit groups increased by $3 trillion from January through March, or 4.5 percent from the previous three months, to $70.3 trillion, the Federal Reserve said today in its financial accounts report, previously known as the flow-of-funds survey. Household wealth eclipsed its pre-recession level as gains in the stock and housing markets are helping Americans withstand an increase in the payroll tax this year. Household net worth is $2.29 trillion above its pre-recession peak of $68.1 trillion reached in the third quarter of 2007. It was at $67.3 trillion in the last three months of 2012. Read more.

REPORT: ENTITLEMENT CHANGES TO PUT SENIORS AT FINANCIAL RISK



The Economic Policy Institute reported that nearly half of the nation’s elderly population is “economically vulnerable” and would be particularly hard hit by even modest changes in the Social Security and Medicare programs being considered to slow the growth of the nation’s long-term debt, the Washington Post reported today. The report said that 48 percent of the elderly population earns less than double the supplemental poverty threshold, putting those seniors at financial risk if their income is cut even slightly. Older blacks and Hispanics are especially vulnerable, the report said, as the vast majority of them live on the financial edge. Read more.

LIVE WEBCAST AVAILABLE FOR ABI'S CHAPTER 11 REFORM COMMISSION HEARING TOMORROW LOOKING AT USE OF EXAMINERS, LABOR ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IN RESTRUCTURING TODAY'S COMPANIES



ABI’s Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 will hold its seventh public hearing of 2013 on Friday from 3-5 p.m. CT (4-6 p.m. ET) at the Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors (AIRA) 29th Annual Bankruptcy Restructuring Conference at the Westin Chicago River North; Chicago, Ill. The hearing will feature witness testimony from two leading scholars on the use of examiners in bankruptcy and labor issues including § 1113 and 1114. A panel of experts from the AIRA will also identify current problems faced by financial advisors. To view the witness list and watch a live webcast of the hearing tomorrow, please visit http://commission.abi.org.

ABI WEBSITE (ABI.ORG) WILL BE DOWN THIS WEEKEND FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE



From 10 p.m. ET on Friday, June 7, through Sunday evening, June 9, the ABI homepage (abi.org) will be down for scheduled maintenance. During this period, members will not be able to access certain features, including registering for conferences, printing and viewing CLE certificates, and purchasing publications. Other ABI sites, like Search.abi.org, Volo.abi.org, Journal.abi.org, law.abi.org, blogs.abi.org and news.abi.org, will be operational during this time, but users may experience limited functionality. ABI intends to limit this downtime as much as possible. If you have any questions, please email support@abiworld.org.

NEW ABI LIVE WEBINAR ON JULY 15 WILL FOCUS ON THE § 1111(b) ELECTION, PLAN FEASIBILITY AND CRAMDOWN ISSUES



Utilizing a case study, ABI's panel of experts on July 15 will explore issues surrounding a lender’s decision on whether or not to make an election under § 1111(b), plan feasibility and voting. The abiLIVE panel will also walk attendees through the necessary mathematical analyses used to analyze these issues. The webinar will take place from 1-2:15 p.m. ET. Special ABI member rate available! Click here to register.

ABI GOLF TOUR UNDERWAY; NEXT STOP IS CENTRAL STATES BANKRUPTCY WORKSHOP NEXT WEEK



Rob Schwartz and Scott Gautier are tied at 34 Stableford Points atop the closely bunched leaderboard after the ABI Golf Tour's first stop at Lake Presidential Golf Club. Next up for the Tour is the famed Bear course at the Grand Traverse Resort at the Central States Bankruptcy Workshop on June 14. Final scoring to win the Great American Cup—sponsored by Great American Group—is based on your top three scores at seven scheduled ABI events, so play as many as you can before the tour wraps up at the Winter Leadership Conference in December. See the Tour page for details and course descriptions. The ABI Golf Tour combines networking with fun competition, as golfers "play their own ball." Including your handicap means everyone has an equal chance to compete for the glory of being crowned ABI's top golfer of 2013! There's no charge to register or participate in the Tour, and women are most welcome.

ABI IN-DEPTH

NEW ABI "BANKRUPTCY IN DEPTH" ON-DEMAND CLE PROGRAM LOOKS AT PRINCIPLES OF PROPERTY OF THE ESTATE: DEMYSTIFYING EQUITABLE INTERESTS



In this 90-minute seminar, Profs. Andrew Kull of Boston University School of Law and Scott Pryor of Regent University School of Law provide an in-depth analysis of a legal principle that has become, in their words, "a long-lost area of the law": § 541 of the Bankruptcy Code. Seeking to demystify what is meant by "property of the estate" and, in particular, the distinction between legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property, Kull and Pryor describe the legal entanglements that ensue when legal title belongs to one person but the equitable title belongs to someone else. The cost of the seminar, which includes written materials and qualifies for 1.5 hours of CLE, is $95. To order or to learn more, click here.

ASSOCIATES: ABI'S NUTS & BOLTS ONLINE PROGRAMS HELP YOU HONE YOUR SKILLS WHILE SAVING ON CLE!



Associates looking to sharpen their bankruptcy knowledge should take advantage of ABI's special offer of combining general, business or consumer Nuts & Bolts online programs. Each program features an outstanding faculty of judges and practitioners explaining the fundamentals of bankruptcy, offering procedures and strategies tailored for both consumer and business attorneys. Click here to get the CLE you need at a great low price!

NEW CASE SUMMARY ON VOLO: STEINBERG V. BANK OF AMERICA N.A. (IN RE STEINBERG; 10TH CIR.)



Summarized by Andrew Johnson of Onsager, Staelin & Guyerson

The Tenth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel reversed the bankruptcy court's order granting relief from stay to Bank of America to foreclose on the debtor's house because the bankruptcy court failed to conduct an evidentiary hearing on whether Bank of America was in possession of the note secured by debtor's residence, or if Bank of America had some other legal basis to enforce the note. The court rejected Bank of America's argument that a debtor's failure to schedule a debt as disputed estops the debtor from challenging relief from stay.

There are more than 900 appellate opinions summarized on Volo, and summaries typically appear within 24 hours of the ruling. Click here regularly to view the latest case summaries on ABI’s Volo website.

NEW ON ABI’S BANKRUPTCY BLOG EXCHANGE: FURTHER EXAMINATION OF GE AND CITI'S SETTLEMENTS WITH FHFA

The Bankruptcy Blog Exchange is a free ABI service that tracks 35 bankruptcy-related blogs. A new blog post takes a closer look at the reason behind GE and Citi's recent settlements with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

Be sure to check the site several times each day; any time a contributing blog posts a new story, a link to the story will appear on the top. If you have a blog that deals with bankruptcy, or know of a good blog that should be part of the Bankruptcy Exchange, please contact the ABI Web team.

ABI Quick Poll

Bankruptcy courts should implement constructive trusts in any case where applicable state law would recognize them.

Click here to vote on this week's Quick Poll. Click here to view the results of previous Quick Polls.

INSOL INTERNATIONAL



INSOL International is a worldwide federation of national associations for accountants and lawyers who specialize in turnaround and insolvency. There are currently 37 member associations worldwide with more than 9,000 professionals participating as members of INSOL International. As a member association of INSOL, ABI's members receive a discounted subscription rate. See ABI's enrollment page for details.

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NEXT WEEK:

 

 

CSBW 2013

June 13-16, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

COMING UP

 

 

 

Golf Tournament 2013

June 14, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

INSOL’s Latin American Regional Seminar in São Paulo, Brazil

June 13, 2013

Register Today!

 

 

NE 2013

July 11-14, 2013

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abiLIVEJuly

July 15, 2013

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SEBW 2013

July 18-21, 2013

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MA 2013

Aug. 8-10, 2013

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SW 2013

Aug. 22-24, 2013

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NYIC Golf Tournament 2013

Sept. 10, 2013

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Endowment Baseball 2013

Sept. 12, 2013

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VFB2013

Sept. 27, 2013

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MW2013

Oct. 4, 2013

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Endowment Football 2013

Oct. 6, 2013

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Detroit

Oct. 14, 2013

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Detroit

Nov. 11, 2013

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40-Hour Mediation Program

Dec. 8-12, 2013

Register Today!



 

   
  CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 

2013

June

- Central States Bankruptcy Workshop

     June 13-16, 2013 | Grand Traverse, Mich.

- INSOL’s Latin American Regional Seminar

     June 13, 2013 | São Paulo, Brazil

- Charity Golf Tournament

     June 14, 2013 | City of Industry, Calif.

July

- Northeast Bankruptcy Conference and Northeast Consumer Forum

     July 11-14, 2013 | Newport, R.I.

- abiLIVE Webinar

     July 11-14, 2013 | Newport, R.I.

- Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop

     July 18-21, 2013 | Amelia Island, Fla.

August

- Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop

    August 8-10, 2013 | Hershey, Pa.

- Southwest Bankruptcy Conference

    August 22-24, 2013 | Incline Village, Nev.

September

- ABI Endowment Golf & Tennis Outing

    Sept. 10, 2013 | Maplewood, N.J.


  




- ABI Endowment Baseball Game

    Sept. 12, 2013 | Baltimore, Md.

- Bankruptcy 2013: Views from the Bench

    Sept. 27, 2013 | Washington, D.C.

October

- Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Program and Midwestern Consumer Forum

    Oct. 4, 2013 | Kansas City, Mo.

- ABI Endowment Football Game

    Oct. 6, 2013 | Miami, Fla.

- Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

    Oct. 14, 2013 | Chicago, Ill.

November

- Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference

   Nov. 11, 2013 | Detroit, Mich.

December

- ABI/St. John’s Bankruptcy Mediation Training

    Dec. 8-12, 2013 | New York


 
 

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