Royal Bank of Scotland tentatively settles US$4.9b claim

Royal Bank of Scotland, RBS, said on Thursday it has agreed to pay US$4.9 billion to settle US claims that it misled investors who bought securities backed by risky mortgages in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis. The tentative settlement with the US Department of Justice marks a watershed moment for RBS, which was bailed out by British taxpayers after a series of acquisitions briefly made it the largest bank in the world before it collapsed a decade ago.

UPDATE 1-‘Humbling’ U.S. settlement clears crisis-era hangover for RBS

Shares in Royal Bank of Scotland rose as much as 6 percent on Thursday after it secured a far lower than expected settlement with U.S. authorities, paving the way for a long-awaited return of cash to British taxpayers who provided support during the financial crisis. The $4.9 billion fine resolves a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the bank's sale of mis-priced mortgage-backed securities before the financial crisis and clears one of the most debilitating hangovers for the bank from that era.

Royal Bank of Scotland tentatively settles US claims

Royal Bank of Scotland said Thursday it has agreed to pay $4.9 billion to settle U.S. claims that it misled investors who bought securities backed by risky mortgages in the run up to the 2008 financial crisis. The tentative settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice marks a watershed moment for RBS, which was bailed out by British taxpayers after a series of acquisitions briefly made it the largest bank in the world before it collapsed a decade ago.

RBS agrees to pay $4.9 billion to settle U.S. mortgage probe

Royal Bank of Scotland said it reached a tentative agreement to pay a $4.9 billion penalty to resolve a long-running U.S. probe into its packaging and sale of mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. While most of the cost will be covered by money the company already set aside, the deal will cut second-quarter earnings by $1.44 billion, the bank said in an emailed statement.

Apply Now for Federal Disaster Assistance

If you live in one of the nine Indiana counties designated for disaster assistance and experienced property damage or loss caused by storms and flooding on February 14 - March 4, 2018, register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster assistance - even if you have insurance. Eligible counties include Carroll, Clark, Elkhart, Floyd, Harrison, Jefferson, Lake, Marshall and St. Joseph.

UPDATE 2-HSBC boosts investments in growth push, unveils $2 bln share buyback

Europe's biggest bank by assets said that this would likely be the only share buyback this year, as CEO John Flint looks to invest instead in the bank's twin homes of Britain and China in a bid to boost returns. The bank's shares fell 2.5 percent in London by 0750 GMT, in a sign of immediate investor scepticism that the bank's new investments will pay off after years spent focusing on cutting unprofitable parts of the business.

Trump’s game of leaks: Is he playing the New York Times the same way the Russians did?

In her new book, "Chasing Hillary," New York Times reporter Amy Chozick admits that she and other mainstream media reporters were duped by foreign propaganda. In a chapter titled " How I Became an Unwitting Agent of Russian Intelligence ," Chozick confesses that she and her Times colleagues allowed the need for attention - and clicks - to guide their decision to forefront largely unimportant information obtained from email hacks of Hillary Clinton's staff.

Student Confronts Pelosi: Actually, Tax Reform ‘Crumbs’ Are Helping My Family Put Me Through College

A college student confronted House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at an on-campus event sponsored by Georgetown University's Institute of Politics on Tuesday, challenging her rhetoric referring to the GOP-passed tax cuts and related bonuses as " crumbs ." Other Democrats have followed suit , sneering at the tangible benefits being experienced by everyday American families -- all thanks to a law that people like Pelosi wrongly predicted would inflict "Armageddon" on the US economy and trigger "the end of the world."

Democrats not invited to Trump’s first state dinner

Washington, April 24 : US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have not extended invitations to Democrats from Congress to attend their first state dinner, a media report said. This year, the guest list for the state dinner slated for Tuesday was whittled to around 120 people, down from highs of 350 or so people who attended previous bipartisan and media-filled dinners featuring celebrities and pop icons like Beyonce, The New York Times reported on Monday.

Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron arrive for a visit at George…

A sit-down between US president Donald Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron followed by a joint news conference will highlight the business portion of the French leader's second day in Washington. The pageantry of Mr Macron's official state visit, the first of the Trump presidency, comes on Tuesday night with a lavish state dinner at the White House.

First lady chooses lamb and opera for President Macron of…

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to the media after arriving at Andrews Air Force Base for the first state visit of the Trump presidency outside Washington, DC, on April 23, 2018. French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to the media after arriving at Andrews Air Force Base for the first state visit of the Trump presidency outside Washington, DC, on April 23, 2018.

Federal Home Loan Mortgage (FMCC) vs. Federal Agricultural Mortgage (AGM) Financial Contrast

Federal Home Loan Mortgage and Federal Agricultural Mortgage are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, risk, dividends and earnings. Federal Agricultural Mortgage pays an annual dividend of $2.32 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%.

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Scheme

A former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent pleaded guilty today to devising a wire fraud scheme that defrauded SunTrust Mortgage and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation of over $40,000, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. Shauna Kay N. Sutherland, 37, of Corpus Christi, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. of the Southern District of Florida.

Wells Fargo fined US$1b for mortgage, auto lending abuses

Wells Fargo will pay US$1 billion to federal regulators to settle charges tied to misconduct at its mortgage and auto lending business, the latest punishment levied against the banking giant for widespread customer abuses. In a settlement announced Friday, Wells will pay US$500 million to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency , its main national bank regulator, as well as a net US$500 million to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau .