A Yahoo deal would cement E-Loans role as the preferred mortgage site.
Notably, it announced it would accept mortgage securities as collateral for loans — enlarging its role as lender of last resort.
A similar interest in building a relationship to support future loans played a role in the decision by the Getty last January to repatriate a stone "Head of Hades" to the Archeological Museum in Aidone, Italy.
Officials from Ireland, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund were still discussing on Saturday the interest rates to be applied to loans, and the role of the private sector in the rescue of Irish banks, which are straining under huge debt obligations.
The Bank of China revealed Saturday it fired a Beijing loan officer for his role in a mortgage loan scam three years ago that cost the bank some 645 million yuan ($78 million), the government said.
Hossain owned a failing pizza parlor, and the informant offered him a large loan, requesting Aref to witness the loan transaction, a common role for an imam.
But the role of loans, wisely invested, should not be underestimated.
Thirty-four states recognize a need for these loans and the important role that regulated, licensed lenders play in credit markets.
For the investment bankers, led by Credit Suisse First Boston, the arrangements have generated millions, as well, bankers said, between underwriting fees, advisory fees, loans and the bankers' role as big investors in the partnerships.
While the Fed is taking a tougher stance in some areas, it opted for a softer approach to mortgages, even though bad home loans played a central role in the crisis.
If foreclosures are not stanched soon and if lending does not loosen, the White House should drop its opposition to allowing Fannie Mae — the government-sponsored agency that is the nation's largest buyer of home loans — to play a role in alleviating the mortgage crisis.
